Extreme Frankenpatterning?

Ever since I made my blue plaid shirt with the bib front, I have wanted to make another version eliminating the pleats at the back and under the bib in the front. As much as I like the shirt, and it is incredibly comfortable to wear, it looks like a maternity shirt. Not to mention, anyone who doesn't have a totally flat behind has no need of a shirt pleated in the back because it just poofs out over your rear end:


So, I decided that I wanted to try drafting a new pattern (or more appropriately, melding parts of patterns together to get what I want).

I used various parts of the following patterns to get to where I wanted. For the sleeves, bib front, front placket, and collar, I used the original shirt, 01-2010-133:


I then used the front and back for McCall's 5556, which I saw on Gwensews' blog, All My Seams. I immediately headed over to the McCall's website, but oh no! It is out of print! But, I have found that sometimes SewingPatterns.com have out of print patterns available for download, so I headed over there and downloaded it for $5.99. I traced the front and back from the pattern and then traced on the bib. I also had to shorten the darts so that they wouldn't extend into the bib area. As a side note, after doing flat pattern measurements, I ended up tracing a size 16, not the 20 that my measurements would indicate:


I also shortened both the front and back by three inches, since I think the original shirt was too long for my height (why is it that pattern companies assume that if you have a 42 inch bust that you must also be 6 feet tall? Just because I'm chubby doesn't mean that I want to hide in a tent). For the back, I ended up using a combination of the back for McCall's 5556 and the back from 02-2010-114. After tracing and shortening the back from McCall's 5556, I broadened it slightly and added darts for shaping based on the back of 02-2010-114:


I also changed the armscyes so that the sleeve from the original Burda pattern would fit. While I was assembling the shirt I found that the shoulder of the back was slightly wider than the front, so I had to trim it slightly.

This is what I ended up with:


Here is the shirt from the back:


Here is a closeup of the darts in the front:


The darts in the back provide plenty of shaping:


Overall, I think that this is one of the better fitting shirts that I have made, the back fits very well, although I initally thought the darts in back were HUGE. I could probably stand to take a wedge out of the front as well, but the fullness in the front will be there in any tunic-style shirt:


The length of this version is much better on me than in the original:


Overall, I am very pleased with the outcome of this. While I was tracing and melding the various patterns together I was very unsure as to whether the shirt would come together at all (fortunately the fabric was a very inexpensive, a sale from Fabric.com).

An interesting outcome of all this tracing and retracing, frankenpatterning, and drafting the outcome is that I have a whole envelope of various fronts, backs, collars, and sleeves that all fit together and that I can mix and match depending on whether I want an empire seam, a bib front, a stand collar, or a regular collar.

I have been trying to find a shirt that I would like to use my Liberty fabric for, I think that one more try with some minor tweaks and I might be ready to break into the expensive stuff:


I have a white lawn with black embroidery that might make it's way into the next version, maybe with some black piping around the bib:

More Vintage Patterns!!

Today I have just been doing things around the house in preparation for work on Monday. The second half of last week I was at an academic conference, and didn't get back until late yesterday. Which is ok, my colleague and I had a good presentation that was well-recieved and we got a lot of good information to take back to our colleagues at home.

One one hand, I really enjoyed the conference, but on the other hand, the preparation and the conference meant that I was a bad, bad blog-friend and haven't been reading or commenting on anything. I hope I will catch up this week.

But, there was a nice present waiting for me when I got home...a huge pile of vintage patterns that I had bid on and won on Ebay. 80 patterns...all from the 50's, 60's, and 70's. I am going to have such fun with these!!!

Here are a few of the highlights....

A great shirtdress with monogram, the pattern even still has the monogram transfers in what is left of the envelope. I am SO going to have a monogrammed dress!! I think charcoal grey, with a red monogram and red belt.


Also this shirtdress...I really like it because it lacks a waist seam. With my shape, I am better off without a horizontal seam across my waist, and this dress serves that purpose just perfectly.


The lot of patterns that I bid on also had a lot of mail order patterns, and this one was in there. I just love the combination of the raised waist and shirt styling for the top.


And what about his housedress? Seriously, why has the housedress fallen out of fashion? I am bringing it back:


Love skirt and collar on this dress, but can't for the life of me understand the love of the kimono sleeve in these vintage patterns. Soooo many of them have them! And I hate them! I hate that wad of fabric that ends up in your armpit:


This is my current favorite. And can anyone tell me why the girl in the front is throwing the "rap hands?" I checked with my friend Katherine and she belives that Li'l Shorty is giving a "shout out" to all her "homies" on the "west side."


Cuffs, and darts, and pleats, oh my!!


I have to say that Advance is probably my favorite vintage pattern company. I love every Advance in my collection, and this one is no exception:


And finally, a chengosam...how cool is that??? This one is definitely getting made, and soon!


If you would like to see the rest of the lot, there is a photobucket album here, I think a lot of them will be made. There are some real gems in there...of course, some totally crazy ones, too. But inbetween the gems! All in all, a great little surprise to come home and see the box of patterns waiting by the front door. I got to spend the rest of the day happily ratting through them. Now, just to prioritize which I would like to make!

Burda 08-2009-122, Test Run

This weekend I was so happy to read everyone's incredibly thoughtful comments, and two of my ideas for outfits for the reunion definitely came out on top...the Cavalli zebra-print skirt, and the Teri Jon retro silk dress:


I am definitely leaning towards the dress, but I got such a response about that skirt, I think I will make it, too! Whether or not I wear it to the reunion, I think it would be a great skirt for any event.

Since my poor brain wasn't up to alterations on a vintage pattern 4 sizes smaller than me and a completely different shape, I decided to trace Burda 08-2009-122, which Burda describes as a "short denim skirt with clever front slit. It’s cut super-slim yet is very figure-flattering."


You can't really see many details of the skirt in the photo, so here is the line drawing:



I made this from some black denim that I had left from a pair of pants I made during my "fitting odyssey." The denim was ultimately too heavy and stiff to be comfortable as pants...I felt like the Tin Man walking around it my stiff pants...but for this skirt I figured that it would be just fine.

As for the instructions, they were mind-meltingly unclear. I used them for the order of construction, but couldn't decipher much else. So, I just did the best that I could, and put it together how I thought it should go together.

I did make a few changes. For one, I extended the seam that attached the front center/pocket piece because I thought that the pockets might gap on my round stomach if I attached them where they instructed. It made the pocket openings smaller, but not so small that I can't comfortably get my hand in.

Here is where I placed the tack reinforcing the pocket opening:


And here is where the pattern instructs you to do it:


I also topstitched the entire skirt in a contrasting color. Normally, when I topstitch I use thread that matches the fabric. I rarely make anything that calls for contrast topstitching. But, I thought that since this was, in essence, a muslin....why not? To do this, I threaded my 401 with two spools of khaki-colored thread, but kept black thread in the bobbin. I had read that this makes the topstitching "pop."


I am moderately proud of my topstitching on this skirt. Normally my topstitching looks like it was done by a pack of drunken monkeys. This looks like perhaps the monkeys in my sewing room were only mildly tipsy. I especially like the diagonal pockets on the back.


Overall, I am very happy with this skirt. It was very easy to alter, and after doing flat pattern measurements I decided to widen the side front and the back by 3/4 inch at the waist and grading out to 1 inch at the hips. To keep the skirt slim, I graded back down to the line for the size 44 towards the hem.

Surprisingly, the skirt fit nearly perfectly. So no more tissue fitting for me...I'm pretty ok with the flat-pattern measurements it would seem. In my final version, I need to decide what I want to do with the topstitching, and whether I want to use the front slit, or switch to a back slit instead.


Since I am using a black and white zebra print, for topstitching I could use just black thread, which would probably be just fine. On the other hand, I could get a little wild, and use a red topstitching. That would, of course, limit what the skirt could be worn with. That is something I will have to think about.

Here is the skirt ready to go to work this morning. From the front:


And the back:

Some Inspiration....Needed!!

So my 20th high school reunion is coming up and, of course, I have NO IDEA what I will wear.

Since it is unlikely that I will be successful in losing half my body weight between now and then, I suppose that I should just concentrate on looking my best as I am now. But I am completely unsure what to make. I want something somewhat dressy, but not too formal. And of course, it must make me look like I weight 40 pounds less than I do.

I spent some time with my stash and also did some snoop-shopping and I came up with a few things....

First, I LOVE this Pucci tunic. But at $885.00, it is more unlikely that I will acquire one than it is that I will lose half my body weight before the reunion:


On the other hand, I have a poly charmeuse in a similar colorway (see the far left):


And I could use this pattern from the January Burda:


I think that would look very nice belted, with a pair of slim black pants underneath. Which just means I have to procure a pair of black pants....

Another option would be to indulge my love of animal print. I have this zebra print pique from the most recent sale at Hancocks:


Which I could make into a pencil skirt ala this Cavalli, which can be had for a mere $390.00:


And I have DOZENS of patterns for pencil skirts! But, it looks like there are seams on the front that I could get a similar look by using this skirt in Burda, Aug 2009:

But that means I would still have to find a shirt. Perhaps a black jersey with drapey cowl neck? Goodness knows I have yards upon yards of black jersey, and recently purchased McCall's 6034:


I also have some of this black sateen from the last $1.95 sale at Fabric.com (top of pic):


Which could make a pretty good knockoff of this Alfani dress from Nordstrom, and at $109.00 it would cost about 10x as much as my super-cheap fabric.


It also seems that shirtdresses are EVERYWHERE, in both wovens and knits. I love the look of this DVF jersey shirtdress, but at $365.00 is a touch out of my price range (this is, if they even had my size available):


But I do have aging in my stash both this jersey:


And this Hot Patterns pattern:


Of course it is important to take into account what is most flattering for my body shape, and with wide hips, a full skirt is a good disguise. For this reason, I tend to look better in clothes with a bit of a "retro vibe," like this Kate Spade, which is available for $355.00 at Nordstrom:


Also available at Nordstrom is this Teri Jon, for $305.00:


I especially like the Teri Jon dress because I have a HUGE length of silver-blue silk that I could use for a kockoff:


And a vintage pattern (one of the hundreds that I have) would probably be great for that silhouette. Perhaps one of these, all of which live in my collection:




I am am really loving the look of the vintage pattern in the blue silk, but would that be TOO retro? Perhps I would be better off rocking the 70's vibe with the Hot Patterns shirt dress? Or head for the 80's with the zebra print skirt and slouchy Flashdance top?

Decisions, decisions!!

Why I Hate Tissue Fitting

I am completely incapable of tissue fitting. I either inhale too big and rip all my pattern tissue like the Incredible Hulk busting out of David Banner's clothes, or I make a bunch of alterations that I end up having to undo, and should have trusted my flat pattern measurements all along. The more I attempt to tissue fit, the more firmly I believe that muslins are the best way to fit.

I traced off Burda 02-2010-114. The shirt goes up to a 44, but I needed a 46. So, I traced a 44 and then laid that line on the next size down and then traced a new line...using the grading of the other pattern sizes as a guide for where to place the next size up...if there were a next size up.


I then proceeded to do a tissue fitting and BELIEVED based on that that I needed to add a full 3 inches of width to the front.

Upon trying on the shirt after sewing the front and back together, I found that not only was it too large, but should I unexpectedly find myself pregnant, I am all set. Because I figured out how to make maternity clothes! It was HUGE around the hem. DISASTER!!

So, I took it apart, cut down the front (essentially making it the exact pattern that I had started with, before my tissue fitting) and put the shirt back together.


Then I tried it on again, and had to take out a good 3 inches under each arm and then recut the armscyes...which after my machinations were now big enough for a wrist. Seriously, I HATE TISSUE FITTING. It is always an unmitigated disaster when I do it. Muslins. Muslins are definitely the way to go.

Anyway, here is the final product....

Burda 02-10-114 is a "classic long-sleeved blouse with button panel, shirt collar and cuffs...our version is slightly fitted" per the magazine description. I did not use the giant cuffs because I used the sleeves and cuffs from the bib-front shirt that I have been putting on everything. Plus, I tend to wear a lot of cardigans, and those giant cuffs won't work with that.

Something that neither the line drawing, nor the garment photo adequately illustrates though, is just how large the collar is, and also that the collar stand extends far out past the collar itself. You can see it if you look at the photo for pattern 113, the tunic-length version of the same shirt:


And in "real life" it looks like this:


To make the shirt, I used the last of the embroidered white lawn that I had purchased for the princely sum of $1.95 a yard on sale at Fashion Fabrics Club.

The shirt has darts in both the front and back, and is closely fitted. But of course, after my "tissue fitting travesty," there is still some extra width around the hem, which I hacked back off the pattern for the next version. I also need to deepen the darts on the back, but even though it bunches slightly it is ok for now, because it will always be under a cardigan or jacket:


The darts in the front extend all the way to the hem:


And the front button placket is actually cut onto the front and then folded over. It is a more simple construction than a placket cut as a separate strip, but also makes for an incredibly broad front pattern piece:


Ultimately I am happy with the results, but I nearly lost my mind getting there.

In other news, I did finally get a new ironing board cover!


My old cover was full of holes and was roasted to a lovely shade of golden brown. I got this one (and a backup!) for just $9.00 at Tuesday Morning. Much nicer than the blah blue ones that they had at Target.