Two For One: Butterick 5997 and McCalls 7204

Friends, these are two projects that have been sewn for ages, but I just hadn't gotten around to photographing!

McCalls 7204 and Butterick 5997

Occasionally, I sew something that my husband just goes ga ga for.  This is one of those outfits!  When I downloaded the pictures, I realized that he had taken over 200 shots.  I can always tell how much he likes something I have sewn by the amount of photos he takes.

Butterick 5997 View B is actually quite long

As you can see here, McCalls 7204 (the cardigan) ended up being quite long.  I am five foot six inches tall.  This thing nearly drags the ground!  I did sew view B which is the longer of the two cardigans, but I was expecting mid thigh to knee, not mid shin!  I love it though.  I wish I remembered where I had purchased this Cerulean Blue knit fabric, because I would order more.  I just love it!

The tunic underneath is Butterick 5997.  This isn't the first Butterick 5997 that I have made.  I went sleeveless with this version though and it is so comfy.

Butterick 5997 Tunic in a Nani Iro Japanese Print

The fabric for this tunic is a double gauze that was purchased from a local quilt and fabric shop called Crimson Tate.  It is a Nani Iro print, and I love the combination of flowers and birds.  The color palette is just beautiful, too.  Unfortunately, it does not appear to still be available on the Crimson Tate website, but there are some other great Nani Iro prints still available.

I added three inch side slits to the shirt since I made it tunic length.  That just helps with some extra space for when you sit down.

Couldn't resist throwing in this photo taken during the golden hour!  Probably should have pressed the center line out before taking the photos, but I kind of forgot.

Would you believe that in August I cut almost 8 inches off my hair?

Yes, my Sperry's match.  The ground was much too soft for cute shoes.  In this photo you can see how the waist comes down at an angle on the cardigan.  You can also see just how long the cardigan really turned out.

One last photo for good measure!  The cardigan is so soft and lovely.  It will get plenty of use this Fall and Winter.

I won't go much in to the construction of Butterick 5997.  Aside from making the shirt sleeveless and using self binding to finish the armscye, I didn't make any changes from my previous version.  I keep saying I am going to make the pintuck version, and then I get lazy.

For McCalls 7204, I mostly followed the directions on the pattern.  I did add clear elastic to stabilize the shoulder seams and the waist seam.  I am really glad that I did this.  I think with this fabric the waist especially would have gone all wonky had I not.  I also cut the width of the front band/collar in half.  I didn't want it to fold back on itself.  I am glad that I made this change, and would continue it in to the next time I make McCalls 7204.  This was a really quick cut and sew.  Even with me hand rolling the hem (I also hand rolled the hem on Butterick 5997), the cardigan was made cut to finish in less than 3 hours.

I am really enjoying hand sewing lately.  Have any of you been doing much hand sewing?  I started my sewing career (ha) hand sewing at four years old.  I did a lot of embroidery and cross stitch back then.  I think now, I like the control that hand stitching gives me.  Sometimes I feel like my machine has a mind of it's own, and I am it's muse.

I think that I would like to next sew McCalls 7204 in a chunky sweater knit.  Let me know in the comments if you have seen any great sweater knits that I should have a look at.

Running a Little Behind...Construction of B5997

Hello, Friends!  I know I am running behind getting this post up.  I have been in back to school mode for the last two weeks, and it seems like everything has revolved around that.  Somewhere in the middle of all that, we took a long weekend to celebrate my husband's birthday!  It has all been kind of a whirlwind.

As for the construction of B5997, here goes!

After reading about Mary's trials and tribulations while making this shirt on Idle Fancy and the Curvy Sewing Collective, I formed a plan.  I decided to use the Hugh Jass sleeves aka View D, but removed 4 inches from the width of the sleeve to get rid of that hideous puff at the shoulder.

B5997 folded to remove 4 inches of sleeve width

Then to reshape the shoulder edge of the sleeve, I used the sleeve from View B, to round the sleeve off nicely.

B5997 Sleeve being reshaped

Then, I just trimmed off the excess, and my new sleeve shape was born.  I was worried that I may have messed up the size of the sleeve at the armcsye, but I have to say this was probably one of the easiest sleeves I have ever set in.  Did I mention that this shirt was constructed with French seams?

B5997 Trimmed Sleeve

The lower edge of the sleeve also needed reshaping and I just chose to do that by eye.

B5997 Freehand trimming the lower sleeve edge.

B5997 Trimmed Lower Sleeve Edge

After getting my sleeve situation worked out, it was time to move on to the body of the tunic.  I had decided to use View A for the body with the gathered yoke shoulder.  As much as I love the look of pintucks, with the way my machine has been acting up, I was not sure that sewing pintucks was a good idea.

I was working from the size 24, but needed to add 1.5 inches to the bust (I decided to add a total of 3 inches for ease) and 12 inches at the hips.  I did a sort of modified FBA, that included adding the hip width all in one step.

To begin with, I drew my cutting lines on the pattern.  Because I needed to keep the armscye shape the same, and I wanted to keep the upper width that would connect to the yoke the same, I decided to hinge my pattern right at the corners of the armscye.

B5997 Adjustment Lines

After cutting the pattern on these lines, I taped the pattern to the table with the adjustments of +.75 inches at the bust line, and and +3 inches at the hip.  Over 4 seams that results in 3 inches at the bust and 12 inches at the hips.

B5997 Adjusted and Taped

Once the adjustments were made, I laid my Swedish tracing paper over top of the pattern and traced the outer edges, adjusting the bottom of the pattern to the correct shape.

B5997 Getting traced/being redrawn

This is the finished front pattern piece adjusted for my dimensions, and then reshaped at the bottom. When you adjust a pattern it is very important to transfer all the pattern markings to the correct places.

B5997 Finished Front Pattern Piece

Next up, I adjusted the back pattern piece with the same procedure as was used for the front pattern piece.  You will note that on the back piece there was no overlap between the armscye triangle and the lower right section.  Back pieces are shaped slightly different that front pieces (obviously), and in truth I probably could have drawn one line from the top of the armscye to the lower hem and adjusted the piece that way.  It just felt a bit more consistent to do the adjustment this way.

B5997 Back Pattern Piece Adjustment

This is the finished back piece.  Again, very important to transfer all those pattern markings.  Sorry, I didn't take a picture of the full piece.

B5997 Back Pattern Piece Adjusted and Marked

So, those were the adjustments that I made to Butterick's B5997 to make it better fit my plus size shape.

I would like to make this pattern in a sleeveless version, but will probably wait til next warm sewing season to do that.  I do intend to make a few more versions of this for the Fall.  Maybe if my machine will behave I will even make the pintuck version.  Some changes I will make:  I would like to add a little more fullness to the sleeve at the bicep.  Only maybe a half inch, and I would also like to open the armscye up about .75 inches.  Two minor tweaks that I think will make for a bit better fit through the biceps.  I can also see banding the sleeve now that we have taken the puffiness out.  I put a rubber band around the bottom of the sleeve to see how it would look, and I think that this is just the right amount of fullness for banding.

As touched on earlier, I used French seam construction for the entire garment, and finished my sleeves and hem with machine rolling.  In future makes of this pattern, I will continue to use the French seams (they just worked beautifully for this, even the gathers at the yoke went in like a dream) but will hand turn my hems.  Even with careful attention, I still have a slight ripple effect on the hem.

Just like Mary mentioned in her review, make sure to stay stitch your collar and v-neck edges, they can easily stretch.  Really, do it as soon as you cut the fabric!

All in all, I really like this pattern and am happy that I took the time to make the necessary adjustments.  This is the epitome of my style and I know it will get plenty of use.

So tell me friends, how do you go about drawing your pattern adjustments?  Do you trace, or put the pattern on top and draw around it?  Maybe you just add more paper to the actual pattern?

A Floral Tunic and Long Shorts - Butterick 5997 and Style Arc Jennifer City Shorts

Hello, Friends!  I have been so busy sewing the past few weeks, yet I haven't been posting many finished projects here.  With all the rain we have had lately, photo shoots have been near impossible.  So, when the sun peaked out this afternoon I knew it was time to photograph a few outfits!  Without further ado:

Please excuse my very squinty eyes, and extremely flat hair!  If ever there was a time that I should have worn sunglasses for a photo shoot, today was the day.  I had good Southern "higher the hair closer to God" hair going on, and the minute I walked in to the humidity it fell.  In less than a minute outside my hair and face were drenched.  Is it possible to have 110% humidity?  I told my husband we weren't breathing the air this afternoon, we were drinking it.

Enough about the weather, we are here to talk sewing.  Inspired my Mary over at Idle Fancy and her original version of Butterick 5997, I purchased this lovely floral voile from Mood Fabrics.  Let's talk about this fabric for a minute.  It is so soft and light and it just feels magnificent against the skin.  I am tempted to go back and buy it in the other color too!

Copenhagen/Baby Blue Floral Printed Cotton Voile  Photo from Moodfabric.com

Raspberry/Copenhagen Floral Printed Cotton Voile  Photo from Moodfabric.com

Here are some of the details for the Butterick 5997 tunic.  I decided to sew the View A tunic, and make some modifications to get a bell sleeve.  I intend to do a full on construction post later in the week, and I will spill all the details there as to how I made this tunic fit (because it certainly doesn't go up to my size), as well as some things I would change next time around.

I love the neckline of this tunic.  I have always been a fan of v-necks and love the Mandarin collar.  I decided to go with the view that has front shoulder yokes with gathers, as opposed to the pintucks that Mary went with.  I love the look of the pintucks, but since my machine has been acting up, I didn't want to need to sew something more precise.

Butterick 5997 Tunic with Gathered Shoulders and Mandarin Collar

I added a six inch side slit for sitting ease through the hips.  I think it is a shame that this pattern was not drafted with this feature, as any longer tunic should offer this option.

Butterick 5997 with added Side Slit

The back of the tunic has a shirttail hem, which is another detail that I love.  It is actually long enough to cover my whole derriere.

Butterick 5997

This tunic is my start to bridging my wardrobe towards Fall.  It is cool enough to wear now when I need sleeves, but will give me some coverage in the Fall that will layer well with a long sweater vest.  Again, I LOVE this fabric!  The tunic needs a few minor tweaks, but I am quite happy with it as well.

On to the shorts.  These are the Style Arc Jennifer City Shorts.  You may remember the first time that I made them here.  The ladies at Style Arc went above and beyond to fix the issues that I has with the original pattern.  I decided that I would trust the ladies' from Style Arc work and dove in to making these shorts in a Cerulean Blue twill that was in the stash, which has no stretch.

StyleArc Jennifer City Shorts Plus Size

As you can see above, the Jennifer City Shorts have a low front waist band.  The slash pockets surprisingly don't bulge.  These shorts may be a little long for some people's taste, but I quite like the length.  They would be easy enough to shorten though.

StyleArc Jennifer City Shorts Plus Size

As you can see, I have a very ample and rounded plus size behind.  I was very surprised that without any adjustments these shorts fit in the behind.  That never happens!  I love that little side slit in these shorts as well.

StyleArc Jennifer City Shorts Plus Size

I find the yoke in the back of the shorts to be very flattering.  There are again just a few minor tweaks the pattern needs to look smooth.  These are issues specific to my body and not the pattern's fault.

So friends, tell me are you already sewing with an eye towards Fall?

Pattern Review Butterick B6224 - The Plus Size Jumpsuit

Hello, Friends!  With the world going crazy for jumpsuits, I decided to jump on the bandwagon in search of a good pattern for my very round body.  I decided to try out Butterick B6224.  Here it is:

Horrible quality cell phone pic of B6224

Friends, let me tell you that this picture shows this jumpsuit in a much more flattering light than it actually is.  Apologies for the crumby cell phone pic.  It was after 9:15 last night when we finally got around to taking this pic, and truly I didn't feel this jumpsuit really deserved the DSLR treatment.

Now, let's talk about the changes that were made and the construction of B6224.  I decided on making the size 30 based on my waist and bust measurements.  The problem with this is that my 64 inch hips were not even close to the 54 inch hips this size calls for.  Because I needed the bodice and pant to be the same at the waist, I decided to use the slash and spread method to get the extra width needed in the hips.

Slash and Spread Method on B6224

I wanted to add two inches to each pattern piece for a total of eight inches added, knowing that I would also sew narrow seam allowances through the hips to make up for the rest of the difference.  I slashed a straight line down from the top of the pocket and a line across from the bottom of the pocket to the first slash, because the pocket was the anchoring part of this pattern piece.  I then used my flexible ruler to add the two inches needed, and moved the bottom hem allowance to it's proper location.

Front Pants Piece of B6224 After Grading to My Measurements

This is what the finished piece looked like after I made my changes for grading to my hip measurements.  I graded the back pant piece in the same method, but forgot to take pictures.  The paper I am using here was from a roll of velum that I got at the art supply store.  I really like this paper because it is wider than Swedish tracing paper.  The back pattern piece didn't quite fit on the Swedish tracing paper so I had to tape two pieces together, and I don't like having to do that.

Construction on B6224 was pretty straight forward.  I decided to actually follow the pattern directions as if I were a newbie sewist.  I only veered from the directions in two ways.

Interfaced Pieces for B6224

First, I trimmed my interfacing smaller than my pattern pieces.  Do you do this?  I remember reading in one of my sewing books that you should always do this, and now I always do.  It helps to cut down on bulk.  The second thing that I changed was the pattern has a tie at the waist band that is just for show.  I left that off, because I don't want to add anything extra in that area.

Pinning the Bodkin Inside the Casing for Stability on B6224

There was a lot of elastic to fish through the waist seam.  I used my trusty bodkin.  There were many times I had to put a pin through the head of the bodkin to hold it in place while I fiddled with the elastic and the casing trying to get the elastic to spread out evenly in the casing.  If I make this pattern again I will probably leave the elastic out and plan to wear the jumpsuit with a belt instead.

There are a few other things I will change if I decide to make this jumpsuit again.  The bodice is quite low cut in the v-neck.  I am not one to be overly modest, but this was a bit deep for me, so next time I would make the v-neck a bit more shallow.

This jumpsuit has a 22" zipper and a hook and eye closure in the back.  The thought of trying to get these undone in a public bathroom with no assistance from my hubby kind of scares me.  Next time I put the zipper in the front and use an exposed zipper!  I think that would be a nice design element.  My husband says just leave off the hook and eye and add a pull to the zipper to keep it in the back.  It isn't a bad idea and something I may have to do if I plan to wear this version outside the house.

Though my bust is a half inch smaller than the pattern calls for in the size 30, this needs a FBA.  You can see the drag lines beside the bust in the picture, but this pattern was almost uncomfortable in the bust.  Feels like it is smashing the bust flat like a sports bra does.  The dart is slightly too low for my bust and needs to move up about 3/4 of an inch.

I would take an inch out of the bodice in length, and add 3 inches to the pants/crotch curve in length.  I am pulling down on the pockets for a reason!  Also, the arm holes on this pattern are a bit tight.  This is not a problem I have ever had before with a pattern.  Generally pattern armholes are gaping open showing off my underthings.  The directions have you turn in a narrow hem for the arms to finish them off.  I think next time I would use bias binding, and this would help with the tightness there.

So Friends, what do you think?  Can a plus size gal wear a jumpsuit?  I personally believe curvy divas can wear whatever they want as long as they can get a good fit.

In case you are wondering the fabric I used is a 100% cotton quilt backing from Windham Fabrics that was in the fashion fabric section at my local Hancock.  At 108 inches wide and $4.95 a yard plus a percent off coupon, I grabbed up some yardage to use for wearable muslins.  It feels and behaves much like chambray but with a little more heft.

A Throw Back to My Youth - Simplicity 3799 and Butterick 6071

Friends, I actually finished this ensemble a few weeks back, but have yet to blog about it.  Please excuse the wrinkles, because this colorful duo is getting a lot of action!  It reminds me of the play clothes that I wore as a small child in the early 80s.

B6071 and S3799

The top is Simplicity pattern S3799.  I love this style shirt for the warm months, as it is light and breezy and just feels great.  This pattern would also make a cute nightgown or house dress in a similar material.  Speaking of which, the material used here is a 100% cotton crinkle gauze that I picked up at Hancock a few months back.  It was one of those reduced priced bolts that had never been pulled.  I had been watching it since last Spring, and when I finally decided to get it, it was 80% off because of someone's over sight.  My gain, I guess!  This kind of bright multi color pattern is a bit uncharacteristic for me, but this season I have really been craving these sorts of prints.

S3799 is a quick sew.  It fit straight from the envelope in a XXL, because honestly these style patterns offer a lot of ease.  I think that I did alright on the pattern placement, though in hindsight I probably would have gotten the center medallion a little more off center.  This pattern was cut and sewn in about an hour and a half.  I suppose it would have gone even faster had I not used a crinkle fabric.

S3799

For my dress loving friends out there, S3799 would sew up in to a perfectly fast Summer sundress.  Just add a belt to get the definition that you are looking for.  Though if you were to use a thin fabric like this, you would probably need a slip or lining.

I finished the underarms with burgundy bias tape (sorry no pics).  You might notice that I have been using a lot of bias tape lately, that is because I have a stockpile of the stuff from my thrifty shopping efforts and I figure I need to use it.  Plus, cutting bias makes pattern layout a pain.

On to the shorts!  Friends, do yourself a favor and challenge yourself with sewing some shorts this Summer.  It will be a great learning experience!  These shorts are Butterick B6071.  This pattern is actually intended for trousers or capris, but I chopped it off right at the knee line printed on the pattern and lo and behold, we have shorts!

B6071

This is all you are going to get to see of the front, because no one wants to see all that jiggly stuff, but I did want to show off my zipper insert and button hole.  If you look on the right side, you can see where I ended up with a tiny pucker on the waist band.  Little errors like that drive me crazy.  This fabric is a stretch twill, and I promise it doesn't look as wrinkly in person, nor do the front seams look stressed.  If anything it looks too loose.

B6071 has a really weird thing happening at the rear waist band.  When the pattern is laying flat, the waistband curves up.  Like picture the way a camel back sofa curves up.  When I finished sewing these, that weird back waistband stood out from my body.  So I opened the waistband up and inserted elastic.  I am NOT a fan of elastic waist pants.  If I decide to keep this pattern around I will be making some changes to the waistband for sure.

B6071

One interesting detail of these pants/shorts was that they have a welt pocket that runs through darts.  It made me a little nervous at first, but it worked out fine.  I only made faux welt pockets though.  I don't like the the bulk that real welts add, but me arse is such a large piece of real estate that it needs a little something to break up the landscape!

B6071

The faux welts were lined with a quilting cotton from the stash.  Peekaboo!

B6071

I used the same lining for the front pockets.  I think I have gone mad with lining pockets with cute cotton prints!

B6071 and S3799

S3799 is a pattern that I will use over and over again because it will keep me cool during those dog days of Summer.  B6071 may not see the light of day again.  Beware too, that this is a Connie Crawford pattern and they notoriously run large if you decide to give it a try.  I will wear these shorts because they are super comfy (due in part to the stretch twill), but honestly they just aren't very me.  I like tight bottoms that hold everything in.  I detest lycra in my denim!  Who's with me?  At least this pair went over my thighs.

What great things are you sewing up as the mercury rises?  Can't believe the unofficial start to Summer is only a week away!!  Any fun Memorial Day plans, ya'll??

Fall Sewing List 2014

With my wrist and hand injury, since I can’t really sew (though I did finish off a t-shirt yesterday and am paying for it today) I am working on things like organizing my sewing area, making my Fall sewing list, and cooing over fabric that I want to buy but can’t justify at this time.

I am normally not one to deprive myself when I find a fabric that really grabs me.  But, there is a lot of potential change that is happening around here, and the thought of adding to my stash and having to drag it half way across the country is just not appealing at all.

There are a lot of great things that I want to sew for Fall 2014, and I have a lot of light sweater knits in the stash that are screaming at me right now to make something beautiful out of them.  Most of the things that are really inspiring me right now have nothing to do with sweater knits though.

A few weeks ago when the temperatures dropped in to the 40s at night, and before I went on the disabled sewers list, I sewed a red and white stripe sweater knit into a self drafted dolman style tunic.  It is really cute and is already getting a bit of rotation in the wardrobe.  It is great with jeans, which I wear a ton of this time of year.   It is just a really nice transitional piece that I have been .

So what am I looking forward to sewing this Fall?

First things first, I am looking forward to sewing my wrap dress for the Curvy Sewing Collective Wrap Dress Sewalong.  For the sewalong, I am sewing Butterick B5898 but I will be sewing it with either long sleeves or three quarter length sleeves (can't make up my mind).  This is going to be done in a great red and black ponte that I found at Hancock Fabric.

Green Style Creations has a great raglan t-shirt that I am looking forward to diving in to this Fall.  I see many great things in this pattern, including a spirited shirt for my favorite college football team.  I may split it down the middle and make a raglan cardigan out of it as well, but we will see if I manage to get to that.

Burda Style #7168 in view C is also on the list.  I have a piece of eggplant purple faux suede that is calling out to be made in to this casual jacket.  Paired with a fitted t-shirt, skinny jeans, and tall boots, this jacket will become a Fall Classic.

I also intend to make Burda Style Animal Print Dress #133b from the downloadable site.  Am I the only one that thinks things get confusing between the patterns in the magazine, the downloadables, and the paper patterns all from Burda Style?  I have a cream and black animal print ponte from Fabric Mart that I am going to use to make this.  I really like the shape of this dress, and think it will be very cute paired with tights and ankle boots.

I know there will be many more items that will be on my Fall 2014 sewing list, but these are the ones that I will be sewing as soon as my wrist heals.  

So, I gotta know is there something that you are looking most forward to sewing this Fall?