Kick-start

Since I can’t seem to get going on much sewing–other than a couple of pillows that I’m putting together for a local weaver (yawn), I’ve decided to set myself a challenge to get me busy in the sewing room.

Now my personal challenges rarely play out all the way, but I do usually get off to a good start and make *some* progress before something sparkly catches my attention and I head off in another direction.

This time I’ve decided that my Ottobre Woman magazines need deserve some attention.  Most of their patterns suit my classic tastes and even the ones that are a stretch aren’t too far out there.  For the most part, they are good wearable basics that suit my amateur stroke therapist/part-time dog walker lifestyle.

So.  What to do with that?  My plan is to work through all the patterns in the latest issue until I run out of steam or the next issue comes.  I think the next one comes in late August or early September, so I doubt I’ll finish everything.  This should help me update my wardrobe a bit, and best of all, get me sewing!

If there are multiple versions of the same basic pattern, I only have to make one of them.  For instance, in my current magazine there are both pants and shorts using the same pieces.  I will only make the pants.  There is a dress and a tunic from the same pattern.   I won’t make both.

I had first thought I would try to use stash–and I may use some, but  my stash has dwindled to the point that I will have to buy fabric for most of the pieces.  I will also try to use the recommended fabrics and notions, including invisible zippers when they specify them, and I’ll try to puzzle out the methods they outline instead of going off on my own.  I will use fabric colors and prints that I like, rather than sticking slavishly to the magazine suggestions.  I’m hoping to sew in coordinating fabrics so that I come out with a workable wardrobe.

I no longer have all the tools for making nice images that I used to have, but I’ll try to put something together so that you can see what I’m planning.  The first pattern is traced and the first few fabrics are headed my way.

We’ll see how it goes!

McCall’s M6503, First try

Project: Sleeveless shift
Pattern: McCall’s 6503
Size: 12
Fabric: Quilter’s cotton

Before I forget it, here’s the dress from another pattern that I made a couple of weeks ago, McCall’s 6503.

M6503 Front, take 1

M6503 Back

When I read the reviews, I almost didn’t make the thing. One of the young reviewers described it as “baby doll”.

Wha?? Yuck!!

The last look I want to wear is baby doll.

Fortunately I disagreed with her and went ahead with it.  I really like the dress–wearing and sewing it.  It was one of those projects that I was on fire to sew.  I made it very quickly and enjoyed sewing it from start to finish.

The bodice of this one is a bit big, but I can fix that next time.  I almost started right in on a seersucker version, but got sidetracked by a woodworking project.

Now that I’ve got that out of my system, the Scout Woven Tee from Grainline Studio has caught my eye.  I don’t know if I’ll buy the pattern and make that particular one, but I’m thinking of simple woven tops.  I already have patterns…

I’ve been following a discussion on upper chest width on Stitcher’s Guild.  The poster has the exact problem I have of sleeveless garments cutting into the fronts of her shoulders when she raises her arms toward the front.  I’m considering the alteration for Forward Shoulder Joint from Leichty, Pottberg, and Rasband’s fitting tome (I’m actually using the newer edition than the one linked, but I think it’s in this one, too).  I’ll be trying it on my McCall’s 9172 shift pattern.

There’s a sleeve included with the pattern.  I’m thinking that pattern, cut off at hip level with a sleeve inserted would make a good approximation of a woven tee.  If I didn’t want a bust dart, it could certainly be rotated out.

eh?

Times like this I miss Patternmaster Boutique…

2nd shift

Project: Sleeveless shift
Pattern: McCall’s 9172
Size: 12
Fabric: Quilter’s cotton

2nd shift...

Got it!  I traced the pattern, bringing in the shoulders about 1/4″, and down-sizing the back in the process.  I didn’t just narrow the shoulders, I brought them more in to the center of the dress.  They were almost showing bra straps before.  This time, I’m very happy with them.

The fabric is some el-cheapo cotton from Hancock Fabrics this season.  I looked all over town thinking I would find an appealing linen print , but came up empty-handed.  My comfort-level with prints has gone a bit more conservative lately.  I want a cheery print, but not too bold.  This cotton looked about right for my freshly-altered pattern.

Certainly I’ll tweak it for each future iteration, but I’ve found my sleeveless shift pattern!

I just put 5 less-loved dresses in the Goodwill box to make space in my closet.  That’s good because I’ve already sewn another dress–from a different pattern–that I’ll show you when I get a photograph.  My cool summer dress needs may be entirely met for this year.

I’m taking the Tilton sisters’ Craftsy T-shirt class, so I expect to be constructing knit tops next.  Who can say?  Right now I’m thinking of building a pineapple upside down cake.

Yummm.

This may be the one!

Project: Sleeveless shift
Pattern: McCall’s 9172
Size: 12
Fabric: Printed linen blend

In my search for the perfect summer dress pattern, I came across a McCall’s pattern that had been hanging around for a while.  It doesn’t even have an “M” on the pattern number.

It’s copyright 1998.  This one:

McCall's 9172

McCall’s says it’s out of print, but I’ve only had it a year or two. I bought it to replace an old Butterick pattern that I made a couple of times long ago. I still have the old Butterick, but it’s for a smaller woman and altered before I had much of a clue.

Anyway, I found a linen print in my closet and whipped up a version of it.

Pockets!

(If you recognize the print, I’ve used it before…)

And, if you can make any kind of a wearable dress in an hour, I salute you!  This 1 Hour dress took me two afternoons.  I added a lapped zipper, which took more time than the back neckline slit that the pattern offers, plus I ripped the whole thing apart and recut it smaller.

Initially I cut the 14.  Yes, I know that’s not the size I usually sew with, but I was so delighted with my Butterick cardigan that I was able to sew almost straight out of the envelope, that I decided to give it another whirl.

Didn’t work.

It seemed a tiny bit big in the tissue-fit, but it was downright huge in this fabric!  At the end of that first afternoon, I was considering where to donate it.  Overnight I came to my senses.

It only took about an hour to rip the side seams, recut the thing smaller, and resew.  It helped that the pattern has the smaller sizes printed inside one another, rather than overlapping.  (Does that make sense?)

Anyway, I cut the shoulders the width of the 10 and curved out to the 12 by the bottom of the armhole.  (It’s still too long on the shoulders and too wide in back despite my recutting and adding some back darts.)

Bit large

But I like it!

Salvage job

Project: Chambray skirt
Pattern: Simplicity 5723
Size: 14 1/2
Fabric: 100% cotton from stash

Some projects just don’t turn out like you planned. Agreed? This is one of those

Chambray skirt

It being summer and my requiring appropriately-pocketed dresses had me perusing sewing blogs for inspiration.  I found this 1964 vintage dress pattern at A Dress A Day, and it looked perfect–not too full, waistline seam, cap sleeves.  All I had to do was add some pockets, which I’ve done plenty of times.

An Etsy vendor offered the pattern in my size and I quickly clicked “Add to cart”. When it arrived, I *knew* I had found the holy grail of summer dresses.

When something seems to be too good to be true, it usually is, right?

The completed dress was the most unflattering rag I have put on in a long time!  I joke about having prison matron tastes, but that dress was beyond anything even *I* could consider wearing outside my sewing room.  Though it looked a lot like the vintage Vogue 7618 dress I made a while back, it was much less flattering thanks to the higher neckline and the plain chambray fabric.

The offensive beast didn’t hit the trash can immediately because I loved the skirt!  Like any sewing wo/man with a sharp seam ripper, I considered the options:   I could recut the bodice from a flattering pattern.  I could modify the neckline.  I could sew on a scarf to decorate the boring neckline.

In the end, the easiest thing to do was to simply cut off the bodice and let it be a skirt.

Now I’m back on the hunt for a summer dress pattern with pockets.  I’ll let you know if I come up with anything.