Vogue 9023 - sung to a Gershwin tune....

You know the one?

"...they're writing songs of love, but not for me".

I'll sew this dress once again, all the while singing "I'm sewing Vogue 9023 , but not for me".

Will I wear it again? Almost certainly not.

So, what's going on? Well, my mum rang me and announced that she required a dress for a formal dinner party and she had decided that I should make it for her.

I protested as best I could that I wasn't up to the task, but she wasn't believing it. I tried to convince her that fitting fancy dresses to adult women was a vastly different ball game to sewing for my flat, plank shaped children. She still wasn't buying it. Out of kindness I stopped short of using frightening phrases like "round shoulders" and "thick waists" to highlight the fitting issues....

Instead I insisted it would be a knit dress. Bear in mind she lives out in the country and there would be no chance for fitting. I think i was justified and I'm comfortable sewing with stretchy stuff. It might just work...

So I trawled the internet for a suitable pattern. Mum's requirements were that the dress should have sleeves, preferably just above elbow length, an empire waist and a full front skirt to hide her tummy.

Vogue 9023 seemed to fit the bill perfectly.

We are pretty much the same size in the shoulders, so I thought I'd sew up a version in a suitable size, with no alterations that might be wearable for me and would work as a muslin to see any fit changes required for her version. I picked fabrics from the stash, and started to get quite excited about the dress. It came together easily and I was thoroughly enjoying myself, and then I put it on....

Not too dreadful from the front. The bodice is definitely too short for me and I think my choice of using the skirt fabric for the waistband has visually shortened it even more. If i tug it down it looks a bit better, but then the neck facing wants to roll out even more than it's already inclined to do.

The pattern suggested a fabric with four way stretch and my thick knit stripe has plenty of 2 way stretch but nothing vertically. With the weight of the skirt it may not have needed extra length if the bodice would stretch downwards... 

The back is probably passable also. In this view the choice of a denim jegging type knit for the skirt is looking like a wise choice. Not too lumpy or clingy. I've found only two other reviews of this dress online, and neither are positive - both perhaps due to fabric choice and having too lightweight a jersey. The review on Idle Fancy is worth a read as it's quite amusing in the way that a well blogged dress fail can be. If you can read French then L'Atelier de Sybelle seems to have picked a jersey that was too light as well.

The pattern suggested hook and eye closures for the back facing, but since mine was a more casual dress I used some navy buttons and hair tie elastic loops.

Where my jegging, front pleated, empire waist skirt comes a massive cropper is in the side view:

The combination of high waist, pleated front and the sticky out jegging fabric is not working for me at all. Hello maternity wear!

A little while ago, Jennifer of ParrishPlatz posted a lovely top on her blog with a final photo that showed her looking "like" she was pregnant and had a sore back. I missed reading that one important word and set about congratulating her in a comment. Of course she set me straight and I was suitably embarrassed.

Anyway, here's the photo that was needed for this blog post!

I'm pretty certain that there will be leggings for the girl made out of that skirt come next winter. the top part was only a small amount of fabric and so no great sacrifice.

Now, I need to get cracking and start over with the required changes to try and make this work for my mum.

By this weekend...

Pattern: Vogue 9023 view A
Size: 16
Modifications: None.
For mum I will 1. Lengthen the bodice, 2 lengthen the sleeve to elbow, 3. Pinch out about 1 inch from the centre back below shoulders down to her flat bum.
Fabric: stripe ponte knit from Stylish fabrics. Stretch denim knit remnant from Rathdowne fabrics

Gone troppo: Jalie times two and a Cosi

 

There comes a time, if you're endeavouring to sew all your kid's clothes, when you're going to have to make some swimmers.....

Perversely, while I sewed Roger's Newcastle cardigan the weather was stinking hot. The following week, as I set to sewing swimmers it cooled right down and I wondered if they'd ever get worn. While I'm obviously not a born local (or I'd call them bathers, right?) I love my adopted city's changeable weather!

I'd only had a vague ambition to sew swimwear, but I was hurried along by those little remnant packages at The Fabric Store where A found this lovely floral lycra. For $5 I had more than enough fabric for a pair of swimmers or two, and she declared that that was what she'd have, please.

 

The obvious pattern choice was Sewpony's Cosi Swimsuit as that seemed to be the one that everyone cut their teeth on. But when I went on to Rathdowne Remnants for some lining fabric I found other swimsuit lycras in the remnant sale and suddenly I had three different swimsuits in mind...

And so my first swimsuit was Jalie 3350. It struck me as amusing to sew the cross over bust view in a vintage-y floral fabric for a 4 year old (with obviously no bust!)

 

I sewed a straight 4 year old size (Size H on the pattern) and the fit is perfect. I used a soft, pale pink lycra for the front lining and sewed it with a combination of serger and sewing machine. I did the hems and straps with a plain old zig zag stitch, and while it looks a bit homemade on close inspection, it's behaved perfectly and stayed nice and flat during wear.

 

 

There are a few pieces to the swimsuit and it took a little while to piece them all together, but I adore this pattern, and I found the Jalie instructions and diagrams really easy to follow. There were also some nice steps showing how to baste the outer and lining fabrics together to make the construction easier. Time consuming, but worth it.

 

Flushed with success I headed straight into swimsuit number 2. This one was driven by the fabric. I'd found this remnant which had two repeats of the print on it and was spaced at exactly the right length for a well placed flower on a Cosi swimsuit:

 

 

Also a straight size 4, this swimsuit is a bit blockier in shape and has ended up looking a bit baggy around the belly and bottom. The length and the chest width were definitely correct for her size though. I bought some bra strap sliders and rings and left the straps as long as the pattern indicated since I was sewing after bedtime. They turned out to be very long and are doubled up almost all the way, so there's plenty of room to grow and this one should last a while! To finish the hems I got the double needle out and tried to make this pair look a bit more "pro" than the first.

 

 

Being nearly all white I lined this one front and back with the pale pink lycra and now it's plenty thick enough and really should last forever. I love the little leg frills, and A is super keen on the pattern version with the peplum skirt. Even though I'd already bought the Jalie patterns I couldn't help but buy the Cosi swimsuit just for the variety of costumes you can make from the one pattern.

 

I don't own a tablet computer and had to use Flippers' work tablet to view the instructions. That meant I got logged out every 5 minutes or so and had to keep logging back in. Personally, I prefer a good line drawing on an old fashioned piece of paper, but if you like colour photographs in your pattern instructions then this is a very well presented pattern with plenty of helpful instructions and images.

 

You know how when you look for one thing, you find another? Well, I wanted navy lycra for those leg frills and then I found this great stripe to go with it for a third pair of swimmers:

 

 

Another Jalie pattern, this one is Jalie 3134; a racer back style with options for colour blocking or even some faux piping.

 

 

I was fastidious about matching the stripes of the centre and side front panels, and then had a complete brain fade and just cut the back panel anyhow. Just thought I'd mention it so it's not the elephant in the room...

 

 

While she may not be showing it with that belly out pose, this is a really flattering swimsuit cut, and I might even be tempted to make this one for myself! Incredibly, these Jalie patterns go from a 2 year old size up to women's size 22 (I made the 4 year old size again here). That's probably the greatest size range of any pattern I've ever heard of!

 

 

The racer back is perfect for an active kids. Easy to put on by yourself and no straps dangling or slipping off your shoulders. I could make her a new version of this one every year for as long as I'm allowed to.

 

Thinking this one would be my best (until I flunked the stripe matching obviously) I did my very neatest, double needle hemming close to the edge of the folded under elastic, but sadly, it's tending to roll outwards around the neckline. Perhaps the elastic curve is too tight, or I should have stitched further from the edge.

 

After all the comments on my recent post suggesting I need a coverstitch machine I'm going to shrug and say whatever the problem with this swimsuit, a coverstitch machine would undoubtedly have resolved it. I want one. End of story.

 

All the swimsuits had plenty of wear during our recent holiday (not the location of these beach pictures) but A's favourite is definitely her "booby crossing flower" one.

 

 

The kids swam almost every day and Flipper and I took it in turns to ride. He rode dirt tracks, I rode mountain roads.
 

I finished the supported alpine challenge ride that I entered and sent Flipper these pictures from the top of the second major climb. One is a picture of my legs, the other is custard. Can you tell the difference?

I have to mention Sewsquirrel where I bought the Jalie patterns. I'd been about to buy the PDF versions when I found this online Australian store selling a huge range of patterns with free postage within Australia. I ordered just before Christmas, and since there was some delay due to public holidays (completely reasonably) Sarah of SewSquirrel refunded the cost of one of the patterns to me. Brilliant!

Kwik Sew 3816: Pattern Review

This week was meant to be a "rest" week. After the excitement of Kid's Clothes Week and then the Easter long weekend out of town, I was planning to rest up and then get into some Selfish Sewing.

Those plans were laid aside, however, when my long sought navy windproof fleece arrived in the mail. P needed a windproof vest for the cold, morning bike rides to school and the weather was definitely turning....

 

I had thought I would adapt one of many patterns I already owned and draft my own vest, but then I found Kwik Sew 3816 which looked just perfect.

The school uniform is red and navy so the photo top right looked perfect, and my fabric which is a double sided red/navy fleece with a windproof membrane in the middle was spot on. But my son, ever the stickler for detail, said that the "real" school vests were all navy, so mine was made with all the "contrast" fabric navy side out. Secretly I was gutted 'cause having found reversible windproof fleece in red and navy to hide all the red just seemed a waste. Inside out, however, you get to see a fair bit of red:

 

 

The pattern recommends fleece or sweater fleece fabric and does mention windbreaker fleece, but I somehow doubt one was meant to use double sided windproof fleece for both the main and contrast fabrics. This was one tough sew!

 

 

The biggest challenge was creating a welt pocket with super thick fabric, the instructions for which were superb.

 

 

 I was surprised to realise that the small zipper listed amongst the notions was for that welt pocket. (I've heard some people read through patterns before they get started, how droll) What?! A welt with a zip? Heck...

 

 

 Not so tricky after all.

 

I added a label since it's for school:

 

 

And here he is, all ready for the cold, windy mornings:

 

 

I'm delighted with the fit, however I suspect by next winter it will be too small. I definitely won't be doing it again with both layers being windproof fleece. I think a drill or similar would be better for the over-layers.

 

 

Pattern: Kwik Sew 3816, vest view B

Size: S (6)

Fabric: Windproof fleece from Pennine Outdoor in the UK*

 

I was so delighted with the end result, and had enjoyed sewing the pattern so much I decided to make another straight away. Well, after going out to buy some new, straight, sharp pins and a couple more overlocker and sewing machine needles that is. How I forgot to buy a thimble is beyond me. I really do need one!

 

This time I went to the fabric pile and picked some fabrics that were gifted to me by a relative's neighbour who would have had no idea about my dislike of purple. My daughter apparently loves purple, and since I had purple fleece and some co-ordinating corduroy I wanted to see how the pattern would sew up in some more manageable fabrics. For the cost of a zipper I couldn't really go wrong.

 

 

This time I chose the jacket, view A.

 

The sleeves have the cute contrast overlays that remind me of an '80s ski jacket:

 

 

The zippered welt pocket was much, much easier in a fabric that was a reasonable thickness and which could be ironed into some semblance of a crease.

 

 

Given that the front has double fabric on the top sections, and the bottom sections by virtue of the pockets, this should be quite a warm jacket, even without the windproof fabric of her brother's version. The back also has a double yoke at the top and only the bottom of the back and the sleeve fronts are single layer fabric.

 

 

Curiously, for all it's purple-ness and the softness of the inside of the fleece, there has been no way of coaxing A to try it on. Instead she is happily wearing this dress, day after day after day. Maybe I should have pleased both of us and made her a brown jacket after all!

 

Pattern: Kwik Sew 3816, jacket view A

Size: XS (4/5)

Fabric: Sweater fleece and embroidered corduroy

 

The pattern is wonderful. There are a lot of steps and the sewing is fairly time consuming but the instructions are very clear. With heavier fabrics it would probably pay to increase the seam allowances (from the recommended 1/4") so that you could grade the seams, but for the second version using the overlocker to sew the seams worked perfectly. Pattern runs from XS (4/5) up to XL (10/12) and (I think) is also available in male or female Adult sizes.

 

*A note on international shipping: I found the Pennine Outdoor site to be wonderful and the shipping was very reasonable. In fact I priced shipping a similar fabric from the US and it was absurdly expensive. If I had shipped fabric to a US domestic mailbox, used a NZ on-shipping service to send it to my stalker (thanks for the offer), and then shipped from New Zealand to Aus it would have cost about 60% of what the US fabric store quoted for direct shipping! From the UK was a little cheaper again and I'll be looking at Pennine Outdoor for all those outerwear fabrics and buckles and bits from now on.



Fairy Tale Sewing

I finally did it, and, as often happens, I'm wondering why on earth I didn't do it earlier. I made the Oliver + S Fairy Tale Dress

When I bought the pattern A was only wearing pants and had no interest in twirls or dresses. I'd read all the lengthy discussions in the forum about fitting and darts and muslins. I figured it could wait...

Then I got the pattern out to draft the belt and bow to add to this dress and amazingly I bothered to draft the whole pattern in size 2.

A little while later Once Upon A Sewing Machine invited me to pattern test their wonderful Ruffled PJs (how my kid loves those pyjamas, I just can't tell you!) and that required me to measure my little tacker properly for the first time. What do you know, she was exactly the size 2 measurements.

Could I do away with making a muslin and just jump straight in? Well, when I found this sheer blue/grey fabric at that $3/metre shop the answer was yes, yes, yes!

Once I started sewing the fairy tale really started coming true. It fitted, it was fun to sew and the possibilities for the pattern just seemed endless. This is another of those patterns that, through the excellent instructions and the pattern itself, will cause you to be seriously impressed with what you can sew.

My main fabric is very sheer and I thought about hairline seams and what to do. Quite a bit of thinking for me, since I tend to cut first think later most of the time. I could do hairline seams, but what about the collars seam allowances, they'd show through? And what about the waist darts?

The answer, in the end, was to cut extra copies of everything out of the cotton lining (probably a batiste or similar) and treat one layer of sheer stuff and one layer of cotton as the single main fabric layer. I think it's an answer someone in the forum had already come up with (but of course I'd forgotten to check there), and Nicole then did exactly the same thing, so I was feeling very confident it would work.

I'd like to say it was a dream run sewing it up, but like most good fairy tales there was a sticky bit in the middle when I sewed the invisible zipper on such that the dress would have to be half upside down and inside out in order to close. No great problem, I mean it's not like I lost one really good shoe at a party. A bit of unpicking and slowing down to concentrate and then all really was happily ever after.

When I had sewn just the bodice and skirt I held it up to have a look and suddenly I was wanting to make a sleeveless, collarless version. Then after adding the collar I thought the one after that should be sleeveless, but with a collar. I set the sleeves in and obviously then wanted one just like that without the belt...

It's easy to see how Rachel at Nest Full of Eggs has managed to make ten of them! (well, no actually, it's easy to see how she could conceptualise ten of them, making them all is quite an extraordinary achievement)

Having the sheer fabric underlined with the cotton made it easy to hand sew the hem and make it truly invisible. This was my first time playing with tulle* and I decided to use two layers as the poofiness of a single layer just didn't seem sufficient. This is the nice, soft stuff but I guess a single layer of the stiffer, scratchier stuff would be fine as there's a lining layer to protect little legs.

*excepting my handmade bridal veil I wore on my bike helmet on the morning of my wedding day - who'd waste a perfectly good Saturday morning with hair and make up appointments when there's a bunch ride to join?!

My happy cup of joy was really spilling over when A was watching me sewing it and becoming increasingly excited about it. She absolutely LOVES this dress. Obviously she'd prefer if it was purple, or pink at a stretch. But with some persuasion, and the help of some theme branded Band-Aids she's come around to the idea that Cinderella wore blue and so will she (and "Cinderella has an ouchy on both her knees just like me too").

I'm not sure this is how Cinderella poses for pictures,....

But I am certain that this:...

...is how she does her bench dips to keep her triceps toned.

Ruffled PJs Pattern Testing

So obviously being selfish doesn't work so well for me....

Good thing I get to sew for others and even got asked to sew something by someone else, for someone else. I was absolutely delighted to have been asked to pattern test for Once Upon A Sewing Machine. I dig the idea that this is a mother/daughter sewing and blogging team and they create some beautiful things.

I was invited to test their new Ruffled PJs PDF pattern. I sewed a size 2 for A who is a pretty standard size 2 in almost every other pattern. I measured her for the first time in ages (ever?) and discovered she really is a plank, measuring 21 inches at chest, waist and hips.

 I think the pattern has already been adjusted to take a bit of length off the sleeves, but I quite liked the long sleeve I would just need to take a bit off the elastic at the cuff to keep them from slipping down over her hands.

As we're about to head into summer I ignored the suggested fabrics of quilting cotton or flannel and went for a lightweight Japanese lawn that  I had in the stash with some matching cotton batiste leftover from lining a Rollerskate dress. While mine are summer PJs I thought my nod to the Northern hemisphere autumn was apparent in the fabric print.

 

I love the pants with the cuff and the fit was perfect. I was somewhat baffled by the way the pants came together, being more familiar with the method of constructing each leg then sewing the crotch. But in dutifully following the instructions I found a new way of doing something that works every bit as well.



 

 The top can close with buttons, snaps, or even velcro. I chose buttons cause I happened to have some that I thought looked nice, but I'm not sure how comfortable these big wooden clunkers would be if she slept on her back.

 

 

 

Here's one spot where I broke with the instructions and I interfaced BOTH sides of the placket. I think that would be especially important if you were to use snaps. My fabric was so sheer I thought it would matter for my buttons to be sewn to something a little more substantial.

 



 My daughter can be decidedly difficult about wearing new clothes but she was totally won over by the twirly ruffle and skirt of the pyjama top and my Woodland fairy sales pitch. These pyjamas were a big hit.

She even asked for another pair in pink....

 

 At first I thought I'd do something different with the pattern, maybe some piping instead of the ruffle, not do the pants cuff....

 

But it was the ruffle that she'd loved, and I'd discovered that if you use a contrasting fabric for the body of the pants then 1 metre will suffice for the top bodice, top skirt and pants cuff. I'm still in the habit of buying 1 metre lots of fabric so the stash was raided for another Japanese lawn and some more matching lightweight cotton.

 

For me to make exactly the same thing, straight over again says a lot for the pattern! usually I would have lost interest after the first run through.

I even happened to have three matching buttons again.
I'm pretty new to PDF patterns and the whole metric/imperial paper size thing can be infuriating if you live outside of the US, but this pattern had a great little box that outlined the pattern pieces so you knew it was all printed and that essential 1" test square to check nothing had inadvertently scaled incorrectly

I'm definitely a word-y instructions type sewer and I did find myself adding some notes to the instructions as I went along to flesh them out a bit more to my liking. The colour photographs are superb and if you don't be cheap like me and print them grayscale on your printer you'll find they're quite helpful.

 These are gorgeous pyjamas and I think the top would make a great little tunic in it's own right. It's really only a pyjama top when you team it with the bottoms and then wear it to bed!

 

 

Which is what she did next!

 

Thanks to Rachel and Donna for inviting me to test their pattern and congratulations to them on their first pattern for sale.