Coffee date dress...finally!

I've been intending to make the Coffee Date dress by Pattern Runway for years.  Then, I finally broke down and bought the pattern, and it has taken me months to figure out what fabric to make it from.  Once I determined I'd use some less-expensive fabric to give the pattern a go, it took me ages to start.  And then once I started sewing, all the numerous fitting issues stalled me for a while.  So in short, this dress is way too long in the making!

So let's talk about this pattern.  I love the idea of this dress (fitted waist!  pockets!  kick pleat!), but I struggled with the fit a little and the end product isn't really flattering on me.   For the fit, I tried to reduce the volume of the pleats on top by essentially not grading out at the bottom of the bodice like I normally would, and instead using some of the pleat volume to "stretch" the bodice to fit the waistband (does that make sense to anyone but me? :) I think it could use even more reduction of pleating for my shape (both at the top and shirt parts).  I shortened the bodice while adjusting the paper pattern, again while sewing, and finally took in the shoulder seams by 1/2" to get the waistline to fall at the right spot and avoid a really wacky blousing effect.

I didn't care for the longish short sleeves, so they were shortened as well as removing some of the gathers at the cap.

I wore the dress to work yesterday and it's a solid, professional-type garment (I wore a cream colored cardigan with a defined waist most of the day), but I felt like it was unflattering.  The pleats below the waist are a little voluminous and don't hit quite right.  The photo above looks pretty good only because my hands in the pockets are pulling them down a little! I don't know...maybe my belly fluff is the really culprit :)

The back is fitted nicely, at least!    The back kick pleat is very cool and functional!  And I do love the pockets (especially since putting your hands in them pulls the pleating down in a slightly more flattering way :)

The fabric was a new one for me: peach skin.  I bought heaps of this pretty cheap fabric thinking it was stretchy and it most definitely is not (my fault completely!).  Benefits: wrinkle resistant, fairly easy to work with, and cheap.  I also totally love the print (and there are loads of others!).  I can imagine it being hot in the summer, it is polyester after all, but it also feels light and airy, so we'll see when it gets steamy.

I may try this pattern again, but with a ponte knit.  I have some lovely Boden dresses with a pretty similar style, but in a weighty knit. I'd love to recreate those and wear them constantly.  Anyhow, I'll wear this one again, so I guess that counts as a success!

Fun fact: I bought my awesome orange necklace from a jewelry vendor at the farmer's market in Homer, Alaska.  $6!

2015 Resewlution, April garment #1 (I need to do more sewing!)

Stella blouse in stretch silk

This Brilliant Abstract stretch silk charmeuse was seriously calling to me from the Britex website, so I chose it without a clear plan or pattern in mind.  Which, if we're being honest, pretty much describes 95% of my fabric acquisitions.

In the hunt for a fabulous top pattern to go with it, I kept coming back to the Stella blouse, by Pattern Runway.  I've adored the Coffee Date dress pattern for years (don't ask me why I don't own it), sewed up the Scalloped Hem of shorts (my version here), and have just generally liked the slightly more complex designs of PR.  Given my lovely drapey silk, this softly pleated peplumed blouse seemed a perfect match.

The one thing that made me hesitate before pressing "Buy" were the triple-layer sleeves, though. They was just a little too much for me and my broad shoulders.  But you know what?  Therein lies the beauty of making your own clothing; I could just leave off the top, ruffly layer on my version!  Done.

My favorite feature?  The tiny band of trim around the waist.

The pleats around the waist aren't super flattering from the side view, I have to say. But the blouse pulls in at the sides nicely when viewed from the front.

The hem dips in the front and back--so feminine and adorable!

I made a 1" reduction in the bodice length for my petite adjustment, sewing a size 36 in the bust and hips and grading to 38 in the waist.  With those adjustments, I was super happy with the final fit and didn't have to make any "post-production" changes.

I used a combination of French seams (side and shoulders) and serged finish (waist and armholes). Probably not the classiest look inside, but I didn't want to mess with Frenching all the seams, especially with the trim at the waistband.

The neckline is faced and I finished the raw edge with rayon seam binding, and there's an invisible zip at CB.

Definitely a top that can be worn with jeans or a pencil skirt (like this one!  Too matchy-matchy?)

Resewlution 2015: February garment #1

Thanks to Britex Fabrics for supplying the lovely and decadent silk fabric!

Scalloped Hem Shorts: pattern review

I've been ogling Pattern Runway's selection of offerings for a while (this one especially, not sure why I haven't pulled the trigger on it yet!), so when I realized I needed a pair of shorts, I finally purchased the Scalloped Hem Shorts.  They are interesting without being odd, and have some sewing details that make them truly feel better than store-bought.

First off, the printed pattern was awesome!  There's a 1x1" grid behind all of the pattern pieces, which made assembly super easy.  Great idea!  The instructions were pretty good, though I did have some trouble with the welt pockets.  It seems as though there are a billion ways to make a welt pocket, and this is yet another, slightly complicated way.  I'm actually certain I didn't assemble them properly (from the inside), but I'm okay with that :)

As for the pattern itself, I had some fit issues.  Mostly, I should have done the crotch length measurement (and didn't), so I didn't shorted the rise (like I should have).  The waist was hitting at my natural waistline, and the crotch was still a little long.  Anyhow, after setting the shorts aside for a while, I decided to chop the waist down by about 1.5" and draft a new waistband.  This helps considerably, but the crotch is still a little long (though not unwearable!).  Next time, I'll be smarter!  I also raised the back leg hem--on me, they seemed oddly long compared to the scalloped hem of the front.

Some of the best parts of this pattern are the pockets!  They are designed purposefully and incorporate some more upper-level sewing skills to ensure a beautiful product.  I am really appreciating indie pattern companies that don't dumb-down their styles for their consumers!

Overall, I'll definitely make another version of these, with some additional fit modifications and perhaps a bottomweight with some stretch.  I don't wear shorts too often, but these are cute and can be dressed up.  Here's a view of how I might actually wear these (think of it like the "serving suggestion" on a food package....)

Fabric is Robert Kaufman's Brussels Washer linen/cotton blend in natural.  I'm owning the slightly rumpled linen look. The pocket bags are Bemberg.

Resewlution 2014: Garment #3.