Two of Sixteen....Which May Become Fifteen

This weekend I was able to finish Butterick 5526, fitted shirt with shaped hemline, princess seams, front placket, and pleated sleeves with button cuffs. That I was able to finish it was quite surprising considering everything else we were doing this weekend, but more on that later...first, the pattern.

I made the shirt using a stretch poplin in an orchid color that is almost identical in color and weight to a JCrew shirt that I bought probably 10 years ago and wore until the seams popped. The fabric is the one in the center:


The reason that this may be two of fifteen rather than two of sixteen is that the purple and ivory stripe to the left is sheer, and also washed up the texture of a gauze. I am not sure what the heck to do with it now...underline? Starch and always dry clean? I'll think on it...but it might be the last thing in this group that gets sewn.

Since my sewing is never smooth, I'll let you know the problems that I found first....issue one is something that I find with a lot of Butterick and also Simplicity patterns, the excess of ease. I take issue with the description of "fitted." I found that the pattern has a ridiculous amount of ease at the bust. My bust measurement (42 inches) falls in a size 20, and my hip measurement at size 22...but flat pattern measurements showed as much as 10 inches of ease at the bust. I cursed my inabilities with "the maths" and measured again...and again...and got a calculator. And then finally went down to a 16 and then recontoured the princess seams for a bit of extra room right along the bustline, given the smaller size (don't want the buttons gaping).

I will note here that I do not do typical full bust adjustments, even though I am a 34DDD. Based on guidelines for most full bust adjustments, my high bust measurement indicates that I should start with a size 14, and alter from there. However...my wide shoulders mean that if I were to do that, I would burst out of my clothes like the Incredible Hulk, splitting the seams every time I moved.

My opinion may be met with dissent (and you know what they say about opinions and assholes...), but I think that the typical full bust adjustments work well on individuals who are otherwise petite, yet have a large bust. I, on the other hand, could be described as petite only in comparison to a football team. I have broad hips, broad shoulders, and am of slightly greater than average height (that average being 5' 5" for caucasian American females, 20-39). Therefore, to fit my underlying bone structure as opposed to fitting my full bust measurement (the goal of an FBA), the size will not be as much different from my full bust, which is quite different than it would be in a more petite person.

I have also found that when I do the traditional full bust adjustment, I also end up doing a lot of adjustments to fit a smaller waist (something that the FBA does not take into account, most instructions have you enlarging the waist as well) and if I narrow the pattern from the FBA to the waist, I end up with an excess of fabric immediately under the bust, which makes me look like an inverted triangle (see FBA post).

So, I have reverted to doing my "lazy FBA," which amounts to blending between sizes to accommodate a larger bust than shoulders/ribcage and a smaller waist than hips. Typically with the "Big 4" I start by tracing an 18 at the shoulders, blend out to a 20 at the bust, and back in to an 18 or even 16 at the waist, and back out to 20 at the hips. For this pattern, I did flat pattern measurements and determined that due to the excess of ease, I would follow my typical distribution of sizes, but starting with a 16 instead, and only blending out to 18 at the hips.

Here is the final product:


I made a couple of changes to the pattern, namely, I added a menswear-style gauntlet to the sleeves rather than using the continuous lap. To do this, I just used a smaller verson of the one that I drafted for the shirts that I make for my husband:


As always, I redistributed the buttons. I never pay attention to the recommended button sizes. I also have read that patterns typically recommend a button size larger than what is used in RTW, and if you want a RTW look, select smaller buttons. But, if you use smaller buttons, you should also redistribute the button holes, otherwise you will get the dreaded "boob-gape." I also place my buttons closer together than the pattern suggests. I always start by placing my first button right at the fullest part of the bust and then measuring up and down from there:


See? No gape! The back has no center back seam, but does have armhole princess seams, which give some nice shaping. There are not fitting problems back there, I am just not standing with both feet flat on the floor, so my right hip is higher than the left:


Now for what kept me from my sewing this weekend....plumbing! My dad and I replaced the upstairs toilet.


A bit of background, I bought this house from "flippers" who had run out of money and needed to unload it before the completed the repairs. They got as far as updating the electrical system, new water heater, installing main floor washer and dryer hookups, removing the radiators and installing central heat and air....but then they ran out of money. So, they painted everything white, covered the floors they had no money to refinish in "realtor beige" carpet and put the house on the market, cheap. I was happy to have a house with new mechanicals, but had not been stripped of it's historical details (I got it before they could do something stupid...like rip out the butler's pantry).

But, because of how the house was "repaired," I always hold my breath whenever I have fix anything...becuase it is guaranteed that it will always be more than I bargained for, and often...a complete disaster once I start digging around. Replacing the upstairs toilet was no exception. The spacer/ring that is attached to the flange...where the long bolts that come through the base of the toilet and are then covered by the little plastic caps are anchored....was completely bent into a saddle shape, was attached not to the flange, but to the subfloor with a single screw and flimsy washer. And then it was covered with sillicon, mortar, and I'm pretty sure some gravel from the back yard.

So, my dad and I spent the entire day pulling out the old mess, chiselling out a ridicuous ammount of mortar that had been used to level the subfloor, reattaching a replacement spacer using concrete screws and driving them directly into the mortar, and then using an angle grinder to level the tile underneath the tile...which resulted in a huge ammount of dust, a terrible smell, and all the smoke alarms in the house going off...only drowned out by the sound of my mother yelling up the stairs at us.

As for my mother...she brought over a pair of pajama pants that had worn out and wanted a new pair made "just like these." So, I cut them apart at the seams and turned them into a pattern. I did make a few changes...like only taking apart the inseam and making the resulting pattern a "one seam pant." So, between sewing pajama pants and running back and foth to help in the bathroom, yesterday was a busy day. Today I am going to work on my own stuff...I'm not even going to put away the tools from yesterday! I'll just deal with that later!

Hope you are all having a great sewing weekend. I am going to go to the fabric store for some thread and will probably work on a shirt or a jacket when I get back!

First of Sixteen

Or maybe 17, thanks to Carolyn. She is a naughty, naughty enabler who sent me a link to the most luscious brushed cotton/wool plaid from Sawyer Brook that would match the colors I have picked for my SWAP perfectly:


Wouldn't that be a fantastic jacket? Or possibly a pencil skirt? Oh, Carolyn, you naughty girl!!

In the meantime, after nearly a full day of hemming and hawing over which fabric to start with, and then agonizing over what pattern to use, I finally settled on using the purple knit with the woven diamond pattern for Butterick 5525, view C, the long sleeve version with the cowl front:


First, the good. I have made raglan sleeves two different ways...one, with a two-piece sleeve, which is how the Vogue top I struggled with recently was made, and also the way the Hot Patterns Uptown Downtown dress (which I adore) is constructed. The second way that I have made raglan sleeves is using a one piece sleeve with a dart that extends from the neck down over the shoulder. The only other time that I had used these were in a New Look shirt I had made for my niece, and they made little pointy shoulders. So, to say the least, I was wary of them in this shirt. One thing that I did do as I was sewing the dart was to deliberately curve the seam to imitate the curve of the shoulder, and that seemed to work well. So, in the end, for a one-piece raglan sleeve, this is a good draft.

Here is a photo of the finished shirt, on my hipless, buttless dressform:


The cowl worked very well, you baste in pleats which helps with making sure that the cowl drapes just right. On the other hand, the neckline is very broad, and in my muslin, my bra straps peeked out of the "corners" of the neckline. However, there were some changes that I made that rectified this.

The most major change that I made was to add a center back seam, something that I have learned that I need in a fitted shirt. When I added the center back seam, using my last knit shirt to trace, I ended up taking a significant amount (2.5 inches) out of the back neckline, tapering down to the center back, and then curving in at the waist and back out at the hips. This meant that the front neckline lifted slightly and tightened up, completely hiding the bra straps.


Second, I shortened the shirt. I ended up removing 3 inches in length. Otherwise it was just as saggy and frumpy as that last Vogue shirt that I made. The best length on me is when the hem hits right at the top of my hip bones. Anything longer makes me look like shorter and rounder. The sleeves were also shortened by 1 inch.

Here is the top "On the Hoof" so to speak:



Overall, I am quite happy with the way that it turned out, and I like the subtle diamond pattern. I will say, though, that that pattern dealt me fits in sewing. One thing that I didn't notice until I was cutting the fabric is that the diamonds are varying thicknesses. The ones that appear lighter in the photo are actually woven in a way that makes the fabric thinner, and the darker ones are thicker. The thinner ones also stretch a different amount than the thicker ones, so it was impossible to have exactly the right thread, tension, etc. In the end, I was able to finish it without opening the window and tossing it out into the yard, but it was a close call.

As for progress on the Garanimals SWAP, here is the list:

1. Dark heather gray wool jersey, dress
2. Wool blend flannel, pants
3. Periwinkle charmeuse, blouse
   
4. Grey/black print charmeuse, blouse
5. Black and grey herringbone suiting, pants
6. White jersey knit, top
7. Purple jersey knit with diamond pattern, top, complete
   
8. Purple/ivory cotton shirting, shirt
9. Heather gray knit, top
10. Silk Tweed suiting, skirt
11. Plum jersey knit, top
12. Black jersey knit, top
13. Black boiled wool knit, jacket
14. Orchid stretch shirting, blouse
15. Plum and orchid striped jersey, top
16. Gray cashmere wool suiting, pants

I think that next up I will make a blouse, perhaps out of the orchid stretch shirting, that is almost identical in color to an old JCrew blouse that I had and wore until the seams frayed. The JCrew shirt had dark gray shell buttons, and for this one I have coordinating buttons. Depending on how I feel when it comes time to make the buttonholes, I might use gray since I liked the way it had looked on the other shirt.

Wherein I Actually Plan Ahead...

Last weekend I spent a full day cleaning out my closet and getting rid of anything that didn't fit, wasn't flattering, or hadn't been worn in at least a year. I decided that there would be no hanging on to something because either a) I made it or b) it cost a lot if it didn't fit, flatter, or appeal. In the end I had 3 giant trash bags of things to give away, and in looking at what was left and what was leaving, there were a couple things apparent:

1. While I tend to buy and sew a lot of crazy prints, I tend to wear mainly solids or very subtle prints (stripes, or tone on tone).
2. Although I sew a lot of dresses, I wear mostly pants and tops.
3. I tend to layer, preferring cardigans to jackets.
4. Shirts/dresses with princess seams are more flattering and get worn more than shirts/dresses with darts.
5. All the staples in my wardrobe are gray, black, and white

Given this, I decided that for my fall/winter sewing, I was going to both Shop, and Sew With a Plan...something that anyone who knows me knows I never do. I always thought, "oh, it's too restrictive, I just wan to sew what I want to sew." But where has that gotten me? 3 trashbags full of clothes for the Goodwill.

So, I am going to take a page from Carolyn and Ruthie and actually create a set of coordinates that can be interchanged (I like to think of it as Garanimals, but for Grown-Ups). Based on what was left in my closet when I was done with it, I decided that I would use the following colors:

1. Black
2. Grey
3. White
   
4. Plum
5. Lavender
6. Orchid

Using this as a guideline, I selected the following fabrics (click on the photo to enlarge):


This is a combination that I think will do well for both work, as well as the weekend. Here is a list of what I have:

1. Dark heather gray wool jersey, $10.20 per yard, from Fashion Fabrics Club
2. Wool blend flannel, $4.89 per yard, from Fashion Fabrics Club
3. Periwinkle charmeuse, $4.04 per yard, from Fashion Fabrics Club
4. Grey/black print charmeuse, $4.04 per yard, from Fashion Fabrics Club
5. Black and grey herringbone suiting, $6.37 per yard, from Fashion Fabrics Club
6. White jersey knit, $4.46 per yard, from Fashion Fabrics Club
7. Purple jersey knit with diamond pattern, $4.21 per yard, from Fashion Fabrics Club
8. Purple/ivory cotton shirting, $3.61 per yard, from Fashion Fabrics Club
9. Heather gray knit, $4.21 per yard, from Fashion Fabrics Club
10. Silk Tweed suiting, $7.98 per yard, from Fabric.com
11. Plum jersey knit, $3.98 per yard, from Fabric.com
12. Black jersey knit, $3.98 per yard, from Fabric.com
13. Black boiled wool knit, $11.98 per yard, from Fabric.com
14. Orchid stretch shirting, $1.95 per yard, from Hancock's Fabric
15. Plum and orchid striped jersey, $3.95 per yard, from Hancock's Fabric
16. Gray cashmere wool suiting, $32.50 per yard, from B Black and Sons

Ultimately, I have enough fabric for at least 16 separate garments. I am going to focus on tops and pants, but also have some fabric for at least one dress and one jacket. So here are my plans...

Tops:

For tops I have two different types of fabrics, knit and woven. For the woven tops, the fabrics are an ivory and purple striped cotton (left), that has the feel of an organdy and has a bit of a sheen. The orchid cotton (center) has a bit of lycra, and the final two (periwinkle and black/grey pattern) are both poly charmeuse.


So, what are my plans for these? The two cottons will be princess seamed blouses, using a pattern like McCalls 6124. I am considering a pussy-bow blouse, of which there are about a hundred patterns for in Burda Style, for the black and grey. The perwinkle will be a fitted blouse with pearl snaps, almost in the style of a western shirt.


The rest of the fabrics for shirts are all knits:


The knits are all rayon/lycra or cotton/lycra blends, and all have a nice drape. Given this, I would like to use the dark purple, white, or gray for one of the Hot Patterns 3 Graces tops:


The rest will be either long-sleeved tees or turtlenecks. The light purple has a diamond pattern woven into it:


So I will need to find a pattern that will work well with that. Perhaps something like Butterick 5283:



Bottoms:

For the bottoms, I have all wool or silk. For the silk tweed suiting (the one with little purple threads in it), I will make a lined pencil skirt, something like McCalls 5523:

For the remainder of the fabrics, I will make pants using my TNT pants pattern, that began its life as a pants pattern from the July, 2009 issue of Burda. Unfortunately, their website is a complete disaster, so I can't link it, but this is the line drawing:


Dresses:

I know that the last thing that I need is another dress, but I have really been wanting to make the Hot Patterns Plain and Simple Iconic Shirtdress:


I was able to get a really nice wool/lycra jersey from FFC, it is much lighter weight than a sweater knit, so will be very nice for this dress without being too heavy:


Outerwear:

Finally, I got a length of a boiled wool knit. It does not have very much stretch so I might use it for a kind of unstructured jacket:


I like the looks of the Hot Patterns Riviera Boulevard Cardigan-Jacket, but it is described as a "gentle A-line shape," which in a jacket I do not think would be very flattering on me.


Therefore, I may use it for something with more shaping, like Vogue 7975, it has princess seams so I can tailor it:


Because the knit is a boiled wool, there is very little stretch, so I might be able to get away with using it for the jacket. If I get really fancy, I can put a little braid around the edge.

So there you have it...my first attempt at Sewing With a Plan...or, Garanimals for Grown-Ups. Maybe if I get through this set this winter, I can put a little purple monkey label in all of them...and then next year, they all get a giraffe. That way, I will know what matches what.

Wish me luck! I hope I can stick to the plan!

Area 51

There are so many UFOs in my sewing room I am just going to start referring to it as "Area 51."

As I was cleaning and organizing the other day, I found this pattern...everything was cut out, still pinned to the pattern pieces....and completely missing the instructions. No chance of grabbing a cheap one at the fabric store (to get the instructions) because it is out of print!

So...I can't really comment on whether or not the instructions were any good, because I just muddled through and put it together however. It somewhat resembles a dress, so I must have been close!


Anyway, I used a poly ITY from Fashion Fabrics Club that I would be astounded if I paid more than $4.00 a yard for. It is super-slithery, but fortunately didn't roll up on the cut edges. It also stretches in both directions, so rather than interfacing the yoke/collar pieces, I just used a coordinating cotton woven for the inside layer, so it would be fully supported.

I also sewed the waist seams using only the serger, rather than sewing with a straight-stitch and then finishing the seam allowance with the serger. The reason that I did that is because I cut this out SOOOOO long ago, I was cutting a 16 instead of a 20...and I knew that I would need that waist seam to streeeeetch.....

Here is the finished dress:


A little boob-tastic, but hey, when you are my size...even turtlenecks have a tendency to boob-tasticness. For the lack of instructions, the wrong size, and the somewhat questionable fabric choice....


I'll probably wear it anyway!!

In other news, I am waiting for two shipments of fabric...I am planning my winter sewing, and for once...I am Sewing With A Plan! More to come....

Oh, Vogue...Why Must You Do This To Me?

This past week I worked on a pattern I picked up at the last sale at Hancock's, Vogue 8670. I thought, here is a quick shirt that I can zip together really quickly, and I will be nice for this fall. Oh, how wrong I was....


I picked up a length of green knit from the bargain table to put together a quick muslin. Interestingly, almost the same shade as the one in the illustration. The pattern looked promising, there were bust darts which were a nice touch. I could live without the buttons at the shoulder...does it remind anyone else of a baby's onesie?

Anyway, I set off on my muslin, and based on my measurements I cut a size 20 at the bust, morphing out to 22 at the hips. Here is the finished shirt:


The first issue is immediately apparent, the neck. According to the drawing, it is supposed to fit similarly to a turtleneck. But that is not what I ended up with. The pattern describes it as a "scrunch turtleneck collar," and the illustration shows a much closer fit:


However, there are a couple of indications that the collar was never going to look like that. For one, the "turtleneck" collar piece is just a giant rectangle. However, for the turtleneck to fit like the drawing, the pattern piece would have to be contoured in some way. For example, in the recent (September) Burda magazine there was a turtleneck pattern, and according to the line drawing, there is a clear contour to the turtleneck...almost like an hourglass shape:


Also, in the vogue top, the turtleneck collar is sewn directly onto the same neck countour that is used for the crew neck:


So as a result, you end up not with a turtleneck, but with a little bitty cowl:


Which, is not exactly a bad thing. I have other shirts in my closet with similar collars. But one remaining issue is that it is HUGE:


Just look at that mess! Why am I smiling?? And it is just as bad from the back. Look how much extra room is at the hips:


And darts or no, it is utterly shapeless. So, back to the drawing board. I decided that it needed a couple of things, a center back seam for contouring, overall shortening, more contouring at the side seams, and a smaller size overall.

Because I am inherently lazy....I decided to use a pattern that I was already satisfied with and use it as a template to redraft the body of the shirt. I decided to use New Look 6735, a pattern that had been selected a "Best Pattern of 2008" at Pattern Review.


The pattern consists of a close-fitting tee, a skirt, pants, and cardigan. The tee also has the advantage of a center-back seam:


I had made the tee before and was very happy with the outcome so I set out on morphing together two patterns. I used the sleeves and neckline from the Vogue pattern and the body of the shirt from New Look. Morphing together a shirt with raglan sleeves (Vogue) and set in sleeves (New Look) does present a challenge, so as I was tracing, I aligned the pattern using the top of the side seam (armpit) as a marker.

I also ended up going down from a 20 to a 16 in the Vogue top, grading out to what was an 18 at the hips for the New Look top, as opposed to grading out to a 22 as I had in the Vogue muslin. I also cut the sleeves and neckline in the Vogue top down to a 16. I also shortened the pattern significantly. I had some knit left over from my Butterick 5522 dress and my BurdaStyle 08.2010.140 dress, so decided to make a bi-color version:


Here is the final verison:


The center back seam allows for a much-needed contour:


For the crew neck, I just cut a strip of fabric on the cross-grain (with the stretch), folded it over, and stretched it as I sewed it, just like I normally do collar bands:


But of course, the proof is how it fits, not how it fits my butt-less dress form:


Some of the differences in the new pattern includes a lack of bust darts, but the New Look pattern accomodates some extra space for the bust by making the front pattern piece longer than the back, and that extra length is eased in during sewing. The contoured waist makes a HUGE difference, as well, and the shorter length is a vast improvement.

So, what was initially a quick, easy pattern turned out to be a two-week-long odyssey but ultimately yielded good results.

Does Sewing Save You Money?

From time to time, a thread will pop up on PR regarding whether or not sewing saves money. I have to admit, that I am always surprised at the answers. Some say that the cost of the machines means that they save nothing (being viscerally averse to spending more than $100.00 on a machine, the idea of a multi-thousand dollar sewing machine is completely foreign to me. If a machine costs as much as a good used car, it needs to do the sewing for me while I watch tv and eat chocolates). Others say they don't even care if sewing saves anything, they do it so they can have exactly the clothing they want, and with a precise fit.

Given that the title of this blog includes the word "Cheap," this is a question that warrants an answer. On one hand, I don't spend nearly as much on machines as some folks do (even my serger was less than $200.00). On the other hand, I don't want to waste money by making things from cheap fabric (although I should clarify, cheap fabric is not necessarily inexpensive...nor is expensive fabric always high-quality. I've gotten beautiful silk for as little as $1.95 a yard, and paid upwards of $15.00 a yard for suiting that shredded the first time it was worn).

If someone were to ask me if sewing saves me money, my answer would be both yes and no.

Please allow me to explain how sewing saves me absolutely no money whatsoever....

I will use as an example the trench coat that I made recently.


Here is the breakdown of the costs for the coat:

4 yards twill for shell: $20.00 (on sale for $5.00 per yard)
3 yards charmeuse for lining: $15.00 (on sale, 30% off)
14 buttons (from stash): $5.00
Interfacing (from stash): $10.00
Shoulder pads: $2.90
Sleeve heads: $1.10
Thread (3 spools): $7.50
Denim needles: $4.39
Pattern: $1.99

Total: $67.88

Keep in mind, that that is just for the materials, no value for labor is added. Overall, I would estimate that the coat took me a total of 7 hours of work, spread out over the course of three weeks. Now, if I pay myself at the rate of $10.57 per hour (which is what the poverty level in the United States breaks down to if you divide it into an hourly rate, poverty level being $22,000.00 per year per family), that means that the cost of the actual construction is $74.00.

That means that the total amount for the coat is $141.88.

Now, compare this to:


This is a twill, fully-lined trench coat from Target. The price is $49.95. No, it is not the grey color that I wanted, and the fit may be slightly off (as RTW usually is), but it is one third the cost of the coat that I made (with labor, at a poverty-level rate).

Now let's consider labor at a rate that I would find acceptable: $20.00 per hour. This is still significantly less than I make at my "real" job, but payment at a rate reasonable for a "side job," and a rate that I would find acceptable should someone wish to commission a coat made by me. That means that the cost of labor becomes $140.00, so the total cost of the coat would be $207.88, more akin to the cost of this Banana Republic version, which retails for $198.00:


The Banana Republic trench is the same color that I wanted, also has similar details such as pocket flaps, sleeve bands, and epaulettes. However, if I pay myself a fair rate for my labor, my version still cost $10.00 more than the Banana Republic version, and if I pay nothing at all for labor, just my materials cost more than the Target version. So, the conclusion must be that sewing saves me absolutely no money.

Now, let me tell you how sewing does save me money....

I am a complete fashion whore. Love it. Love designer clothes. Love luxe fabrics. Love expensive shoes. I adore every thing about fashion. When I can afford it (and can fit into it), I do buy "the expensive stuff."

If I had the money (and it were available in anything larger than a size 12), this is the coat I would have:


This coat is by Burberry, and available through NetaPorter.com. It sells for $995.00, but is very similar to the coat that I made. It is described as a "shower-proof gabardine" and the shell is 65% polyester/35% cotton. I also made the decision to use a poly/cotton blend for durability and stain resistance.

Many of the details are also similar:

"Black shower-proof gabardine trench coat with double-breasted button fastenings at front. Burberry trench coat has a small collar, long sleeves with buckle-fastening tabs at cuffs, buckle-fastening belt at waist, button-fastening epaulets, storm and wind flaps, slanted pockets at front, a vent at back and is fully lined in signature check. 65% polyester, 35% cotton; lining: 50% cotton, 50% polyester; sleeve lining: 100% viscose."

Given that this is my preference, I can save money by sewing a coat for $67.88 (or $141.88, or $207.88) as opposed to purchasing one for $995.00. Sewing also allows for advantages over even the most expensive of coats, namely I can custom-fit what I am sewing as opposed to paying for expensive alterations after purchase, or doing the alterations myself.

On the other hand, why do I care whether or not sewing saves me money? Why do I have to justify spending money on my hobby? My father collects toy trains. Does he have to justify the money he spends on that? My aunt makes her own silver jewelry. She has a huge set-up in her basement, complete with torches and lapidary tools. Does she have to justify the expense? NO! Neither of them do! So why should any of us have to justify the expense of our hobby by saying "Oh, but sewing saves me money." Or should we just say "Screw the money, it's my hobby. I'm not spending the grocery money, so who cares?"

So what do you say? Does sewing save you money? Do you care? Or does even asking the question imply that somehow we have to justify our hobby?