New Look Skirt 0119

 When I was in Cotton Creek, Alabama this Christmas, Mother and I went through her old linens to see if there was anything I was interested in.  I said yes to this old striped tablecloth that screamed 1970s to me:

Mother has confirmed that she got this in the early 80s.  I don't remember it, so it has been a long, long time since she used it.  It was in pretty good shape, though, and on Saturday I got the inspiration to make a 1970's skirt - which had to be A-line (of course!).  I got New Look 0119, and selected version D, which is the black and white skirt in the upper right hand corner:

The pattern was perfect for my vision - here it is:

The skirt is above the knee, A-line, with no waistband, just a facing.  From the time I opened the pattern until I finished the hem was about three hours.  It's been so long since I made a quick project like this, I had forgotten how fun it is to start and finish a project in one day!

While cutting out, I thought I was very careful to arrange the pattern pieces around any stains or holes, but I overlooked a small stain.  I solved this mistake and made it into a design feature by adding a very 1970's patch pocket:

 I used a patch pattern piece from an apron pattern I made several years ago.  I cut the outer garment fabric on the bias, just for visual interest, and made the inside of pocket with leftover Liberty lawn I literally had lying on the sewing room floor. Then I just edgestitched around it.  I love it, and it reminds me of when I was a little girl and I insisted that all my dresses have pockets on them.  My grandmother obliged, of course!  I've thought about what I found so fascinating about pockets when I young, and I think it was just the possibility that pockets represent: is there anything in the pocket and what could it be????

I used some quilting fabric for the facings as this tablecloth was quite thick.  

I used the quilting fabric because the tablecloth was quite substantial fabric - I didn't want multiple layers of it.  It isn't denim or twill, it is more like canvas that has been washed hundreds of times.  Very comfortable.

I made size 12, but I used 1/2 inch seams to make sure it was big enough.  The pattern had the finished hip measurements on it, but not the waist.  In the end, I should have used 5/8 inch seams (or larger) because the skirt was plenty big.  But I really enjoyed wearing it and it was a quick make.  A winner!

Liberty Hawthorn!

I've been wanting to make a shirtdress from Liberty's Tana Lawn since I saw Gertie's version in her new book.  But Liberty's lawn fabrics run about $ 36 to $ 46 dollars a yard, depending on whether you buy online or at a brick-and-mortar, so I didn't want to spend that kind of money on a sub-standard pattern.  Enter the Holy Grail of shirtdress patterns, the Hawthorn shirtdress pattern that I blogged about here.  (Oh my love for you is true, Hawthorn!)

Having found the perfect pattern, I had to move on to the perfect Liberty fabric.  Many Liberty fabrics are small scale, which are perfect for blouses, but seem to be a little busy for dresses.  I finally settled for Liberty's "Mabelle" I ordered from B&J Fabrics:  

 With my linen version being essentially a test version, I was looking forward to this Liberty lawn version to confirm that size 6 was the proper size.  It was.  Here's the back:

 Pay no attention to those wrinkles on my back - it's just how I am standing.  Here's a close up of the collar and the fabric:

With this busy pattern, the collar doesn't quite stand out like my white linen test version.  I still love it.

As with the linen version, I cut both skirt pieces on the fold and used a 12 inch zipper on the left side to allow myself to get in and out of the dress, reducing the number of buttons from 13 to 5.  Essentially, you only need buttons for the bodice.

Unlike my last post, where I was so besotted by my love for this pattern, I couldn't form a coherent pattern review analysis, I've managed to calm down enough today to make a few considered observations:

1.  If you cut your skirt pieces on the fold like I did (my previous post shows your how, here), you can make the complete bodice before attaching the skirt, including making the buttonholes, attaching the buttons, and sewing in the sleeves.  As a matter of fact, the last thing you would do is attach the skirt, put in the zipper, and hem it.  All the work is in the bodice.

2.  I would recommend that you edgestitch your collar before you attach it to bodice - it will help you maintain the roll of your collar so the undercollar won't show.  I didn't do this for the white linen dress, and the process of attaching it allowed my collar pieces to shift.

3.  If you cut your skirt pieces on the fold, you can finish the unfinished facing edge before you attach it to the bodice.  Like the collar, this is much easier if you do it before than after.

4.  I put the sleeves in flat from notch to notch before I sewed the bodice side seams.  Rather than put in gathering stitches from notch to notch, I just used a lot of pins, and then sewed from notch to notch.  Then I sewed the side seams of the bodice.  Then I sewed the sleeve side seams.  THEN I finished putting the sleeves in the round.  It sounds complicated, but I like it better.

5.  The "cuffs" of the sleeves are just bias strips initially sewn to the wrong side of the sleeve, then flipped to the right side and edgestitched to the right side of the sleeve.  Do yourself a favor, and press the top edge 1/4 inch before you attach it, rather than after.  It's easier to press while flat than in the round.

6.  Ready made wide bias hem tape is a lifesaver on this semi-circle skirt - I recommend it for your sanity.  

7.  The instructions tell you to staystitch your bodice pieces first thing after cutting out, which I never do.  You really need to do this for this pattern - the front bodice collar edges are on the bias.  Do as I say, not as I do and staystich them!

What else?  I'm sure I have way more thoughts, but they will have to wait for my next version.  If you make a Hawthorn, let me know; I would love to see it!

Oh Hawthorn, I Love Thee . . .

I am seriously in love.  As soon as I saw Collette Patterns' new shirtdress, the Hawthorn, I ordered it immediately.  I have never made a dress from Collette although I have admired them from afar.  But you know that nothing gets between me and the search for the perfect shirtdress pattern.

It's the collar, the darling collar on this dress that knocks me out.  As soon as I saw it, I knew I wanted to make it in white linen.  I've been wanting to make something this summer in white linen ever since I saw Peter's white linen trousers.  So while waiting for the pattern to arrive, I bought some white linen at Hancock's.  The fact that I have never sewn with linen was no impediment; I was obsessed with this project from the get-go.  I made a size 6 based on the finished garment measurements and never looked back - no muslin, no tracing - throwing all caution to the winds!  Here it is:

I don't normally wear my hair up, but I wanted to make sure you got a good view of the collar, the major reason I made this dress:

As you can see, linen tends to wrinkle:

The linen I chose is not an even-weave; it has stripes running through it, with little dots between the stripes:

Let me tell you that this type of weave does not lend itself to precise cutting, sewing, or pressing.  It probably would have been smarter to begin with an even-weave linen for my first linen project, but no, I had to have this.  Given the loose weave, the fabric had a tendency to stretch - which was great while putting in the sleeves, not so good for everything else.

One thing you may have noticed is that my Hawthorn does not have buttons from collar to hem; the buttons only go to the waist.  I cut both the front and back skirt pieces on the fold of the fabric so as to create a smooth front and back.  I put a 12 inch zipper on the left side to help get in and out of the dress, which is how Simplicity 1880 worked:

I again went with a centered slot zipper rather than the invisible.  I have tried to love invisible zippers, but I just can't cotton to 'em.

To hem the dress, the instructions direct you to turn up the hem 2 inches and slipstitch in place, and I thought, "Nope, not going to do that."  The skirt on this dress is a half circle skirt - turning it 2 inches requires major easing to get the hem to lay flat.  Plus, I liked those two inches.  And this uneven weave doesn't exactly press so accurately. So I picked up some extra wide single fold bias hem tape at Joanns to hem this baby, and all I can say, is "wow, why haven't I ever used this stuff before?"

It worked like a dream and was much faster.  I love it.  The hem tape is part cotton, part polyester, and gives the hem a little more body, which for this drapey fabric, is a plus.

My decision not to make the dress with buttons all the way to the hem stemmed from several factors, not the least of which was laziness.  By limiting the buttons to the bodice portion of the dress it reduced the number of buttons (and buttonholes from 13 to 5!) Plus, it eliminated any possibility of gaposis at the waist, which I hate, or any possible wardrobe malfunction.  Here's how to draft the skirt pieces if you want to do this:

For the back skirt, all you need to do is eliminate the 5/8 inch back center seam allowance and cut on the fold.  Here you can see I positioned the pattern 5/8 inch from the fold:

For the front skirt, you just need to determine where the center of the skirt pattern is and place that on the fold.  For this pattern, the skirt center front is where the buttons are to be located, which Collette so thoughtfully indicated on the pattern.  Just align the fold of your fabric where the buttons are supposed to go:

I hope you can see this.  Just one word of advice though:  cutting on the fold for the skirt pieces is only going to work if your fabric is a wider width of 52 inches or greater.  If you are working with 45 inch wide fabric, you are going to have to cut the skirt pieces separately, adding seam allowances, and then sew the back and front center seams to create your back and front skirt pieces, like Simplicity 1880.

When I first saw these photos, I thought maybe size 6 was a little large, but I realized that this drapey linen was not a fair test of fit.  I love this pattern so much, I have deemed it Liberty fabric worthy, and have made a Liberty lawn version which confirmed that size 6 was the correct size, and any looseness in the linen dress is due to the fabric, not the pattern size.  (Photos of the Liberty version are mysteriously locked in my camera - I can't get them to download, but will keep working on it.)

Collette is having a dress sew-along for the Hawthorn, and check out these wonderful versions from sewing bloggers who have already made this dress:

1.  Erica's cute blue sleeveless dress.

2.  Sanne's adorable polka dot blouse.

3.  The Lazy Seamstress' yummy rose dress.

4.  Katrina's unique heart version.

5.  Elizabeth's cool floral blouse.

6.  Z's test version - wow, is she tall and thin!

7.  Amazingtaracat's longer dress version - with swimmers on it.

8.  Melanie's blue bird seersucker dress.

9.  Kristin's pirate head dress.

10.  The Queen City Stitcher's red seersucker dress.

11. Daniela's dress with contrast collar and sleeves.

I can't overstate this:  I want this dress in every color and fabric imaginable.  I have another linen dress planned (sleeveless this time) and at least two blouse versions dancing in my head.  It might be the perfect shirtdress pattern, but I am taking a break to try out another vintage pattern soon.

Update:  I've posted on my Liberty version here!

A Fourth of July Finish - Simplicity 1880

Can you believe there is a shirtdress pattern out there that was unknown and un-possessed by me?  I don't know how I missed Simplicity 1880, but I spotted it while reading another blog (that's the problem with the internet - you see something someone has made and you suddenly have to make it too) and knew I had to have it:

 Simplicity patterns went on sale for $ 1.99 at Joanns on June 26th, so I high-tailed it down there to pick up my copy - I think the "Project Runway" designation caused me to pass this one by previously.  I cut it out last weekend (Friday night) and worked on it all day Saturday.  During the week, I put in the zipper and hemmed it.  All I had to do this Independence Day weekend was put in the sleeves.  Ta da!

I made view "A" but it was difficult to discern which version was "A" and which was "B" - the pattern envelope didn't identify one from the other.  I had to figure it out by studying the illustrations in the instructions.  I made a size 12 with no alterations.

 There's a lot going on in this shirtdress.  There are gathers, pleats, and tucks (oh, my!), attached to the yoke, waist, and sleeves, respectively.  There are buttons and a zipper on the left side:

 I had hoped to use fabric from the stash, but no luck.  All my fabric seemed to be three yards or less, and this dress took all of four.  This pattern requires a very light cotton or a rayon, something drapey.  I ended up buying a very lightweight, inexpensive lawn from Joanns (their "Lissette" collection), and it was the right weight for this dress, given the gathers, pleats and tucks.  Unfortunately, it wrinkles pretty easily, but that is the price you pay for lightweight.  And cheap.

There's just something about polka dots and shirtdresses that go together! The dots on this dress are white, with a mint green center. It occurred to me as I was finishing that if I had used red buttons, I would have a patriotic dress, but I wanted minty green buttons to match the dots.  

Of course, as per usual, I did way more edgestitching on this dress than the instructions called for.  Also, as usual, the pattern only had you cut one back yoke and two front yokes; I doubled the number so the inside was as nice as the front:

I was seriously tempted to leave the sleeves off, but I'm glad I didn't.  The blousiness of the bodice wouldn't have looked right without the sleeves, so I'm glad I put the sleeves in even though they were a huge PITA.  First up, the tucks in the sleeves:

Which required a hemming technique I had never heard of before:  using a ribbon to hem the sleeves:

(This photo is of the second sleeve I did - my first one had all kinds of wonky stitching due to the satiny finish of the ribbon.)  I used a yellow ribbon because I like yellow, but I look like death in it, so I incorporate yellow whenever it doesn't show next to my face.  In the end, it wasn't a bad finishing technique but I don't think I'll use it on a regular basis.

The pattern called for an invisible zipper, but I had a bad feeling about trying to wrangle an invisible zipper in this very lightweight cotton that had a tendency to run like rayon.  So I put in a slot (centered) zipper instead.  Easy-peasy:

This shirtdress pattern has a lot to recommend it - I like the fact that the skirt is closed and not buttoned down the front - much less chance of a wardrobe malfunction, not to mention a lot less buttonholes and buttons to sew.  Also, the waist on this dress is actually about 5/8 of inch below where the bodice and the skirt meet - making a more flattering fit, I think.  The smooth skirt, without gathers or pleats, also makes this a flattering dress.

My take:  a winner, in terms of flattering the figure, less buttonholes and buttons to make, and fairly easy.  The only drawback: those sleeves.  They took a long time to make and attach.  If I make this again, I'll probably steal some easier sleeves from another pattern.

We have bound buttonholes . . . and more!

 My personal coat sew-along continues with Butterick 5824, and if you recall, I felt my two biggest challenges would be 1) all the cutting out, and 2) the bound buttonholes.  Well, after the cutting out, the first thing you do is the buttonholes.  So for better or worse, I would be getting the hardest part (I felt) out of the way at the beginning of this project.  I used Gertie's instructions from her book, and practiced with some cotton from one of my shirtdress projects about a month ago.  Not bad for a first try, although I machine stitched around these; I just wanted to get the order of the technique at first, so I didn't bother with handstitching:

Gertie recommends that you use scissors called tailor points to cut your buttonholes.  Gingher makes some good ones, but has re-named them "craft scissors" these days, probably as a wider marketing technique since there are few tailors out there, but lots and lots of crafters.  I bought them at Joannes and they are the most awesome scissors ever made because they are wickedly sharp right up to the points.  You need them to cut the little triangles in the ends of the buttonholes.  

I found that making the buttonholes in my drapey camelhair fabric more fiddly than making them in stable, and thinner, quilting cotton.  But I pressed onward, and was reminded once again that perfectionism is not only the death of creativity, but the death of productivity as well.  So without further ado, here are my coat bound buttonholes:

 Okay, not great.  But they will be covered by, you know, actual buttons.  Plus, I am fairly confident that these bound bottonholes will not become unbound, so I think we have achieved the goal.  In the end, I was pleased enough, but then I remembered, I'm not done with these bound bottonholes - stage II occurs at the end of this project went you have to make the corresponding openings in the facings.  I'll worry about that later.

After the bound buttonholes were done, the bodice came together fairly easily.  I was very glad that Gertie posted a video on how to sew the bodice front to the bodice back at the neckline.  I guessed right, but I liked having the video to confirm I was on the right track, rather than silently worrying that I had done it all wrong and one day my coat would fall apart.

After getting the bodice together, the only thing left to do was sew the skirt portion to the bodice portion (because, remember, I sewed the skirt first) and voila, I have a coat facsimile:

 The above photo was taken indoors.  This photo was taken out of doors:

 I tried it on and it looks awesome, but the 90 degree heat did not allow any photographs of me actually wearing it - one of the drawbacks of sewing your winter coat six months early.  I am really pleased the way this project is coming along.  My biggest challenge has actually ended up being trying to mark the fabric.  Alone, my usual white pen is useless, as is carbon paper, and tailors' chalk.  I ended up using all of these devices to mark darts, circles, and buttonholes:

I used the red thread to mark the circles - I don't know if my thread marks could be call tailors' tacks, since I'm not sure I did them right, but I got 'er done.  I found the best method of marking on this fabric was to use the tailor point scissors for marking notches, and then, right before I was going to sew a dart, use the carbon paper and tracing wheel between the pattern and fabric.  As soon as I removed the pattern, I traced over the dart with the tailors chalk, and then immediately pinned and sewed the dart.  Even as I pinned and sewed the lines were disappearing on me.  And ironing removed all marking entirely. 

So steps 1 through 16 are done!  I'm letting the coat hang for awhile to see if the skirt stretches before I interface the hem.  The next steps for me will be to cut out the lining (cutting out again, sigh), and making the lining bodice and skirt, attaching them together.  Bascially, I have do everything I just did, but with lining fabric.  It's like making the coat twice.  Good thing I started this six months early!

Parting shot:  A photo from the early 1930's from the Library of Congress.  It was taken in Coffee County, Alabama, which is one county over from Cotton Creek, AL, and I like it because it reminds me of the house my father grew up in.  (He was born in 1936.)  His childhood home looked just like this - no paint, with a fire place and a stove.  I imagine this is how his mother cooked:

The Shirtdresses Continue . . .

After my last post, Gwen asked if I was doing a study of shirtwaist dresses . . . why, yes I am!  Actually, I'm hoping to produce the definitive work.  So in the interest of research, I reached in the far recesses of my closet and found a shirtdress that I probably made in 2008 or maybe 2007, before I started blogging.  I made it from this vintage Simplicity pattern, number 5877, circa 1965:

 I have no idea where I got this pattern - probably Etsy.  Maybe.  I can see what I liked about it - the buttons only went to the waist, the full skirt is pleated and not gathered, and there is a side zip.  I made it up in a cheery striped fabric that had a great hand and a slight brushed nap:

 Please forgive these photos in office cubicle-land;  Aimee and I were just too busy at work to find some place with natural light.  I made the dress with yellow buttons just because I could, and who doesn't like yellow buttons?

 I even made my first (and only belt) to match!

 The belt is mostly held together with glue and velcro (no lie):

 Here's a shot of the side slot (centered) zipper:

But here is the thing:  this dress has been worn only about a half a dozen times in its lifespan.  Why?  Well, the bodice is a little too loose and too long; the pattern is a Bust 36, and I'm really more of a Bust 34 kind of gal.  In 2008, I wouldn't have known how to go about altering it to fit, and I can't say that I know now either.  Or that I am willing to learn - there are just too many shirtdress patterns out there made for a 34 Bust.  Also, the skirt is very full, and pressing this baby takes about 15 to 18 minutes, which doesn't sound like a lot, but we all know that in ironing time, one minute ironing is equal to about four minutes of your life that you will never get back.  My pressing patience is about 5 minutes per garment, max.

I feel sorry for this dress though because it is good dress and just doesn't get the wearing it deserves.  And the pattern is a very good shirtdress pattern and I believe such vintage shirtdress patterns are sacred relics that should be preserved and treasured, but because of the size, I know I will never make it again. 

So here is my solution:  I'm offering this dress, the belt, and the pattern to anyone who wants to have them (remember the size is Bust 36).  I would really love to give these orphans a good home. And since tens of people read my blog weekly, I am hoping someone can take them off my hands.  Just email me at:  kapayne3*at*verizon.net and tell me you will welcome this dress and pattern into your home and give me your address.  They'll be there before you know it.

Update:  This pattern and dress has been claimed by Debbie, who found an incomplete copy of the pattern at a yard sale.  She is currently planning her awesome version now!

New Look 6180

I finished my third shirtdress of 2013 last weekend, this time from New Look 6180, and wore it to work on Tuesday, with a belt, heels, and a gray cardigan.  (Didn't get a photo since I was in a meeting all day.)  But today I wore it the way it was meant to be worn:  sandles, no belt, no worries.  This is a run-errands-on-Saturday-afternoon-while-wearing-Keds sort of dress:

 (You can see who photo-bombed . . .)  It's no secret that this New Look pattern has crappy cover art:

 There is really no way the model can make the longer length dress attractive in any way.  I was drawn to the pattern though because the button front only went to the waist - I prefer this to a shirtdress that has buttons all the way down to the hem.  Of course, if your pattern doesn't call for buttons from collar to hem, then you will need either a zipper or elastic to get into the dress.  This dress has elastic, of which I am not a great fan, but I decided to give it a go.  I found a cotton I was mysteriously drawn to at Hancock's:

 It was cheap, probably about $ 5.00/yard, and I liked it in the weirdest way possible.  It whispered to me, "Psst, pick me; I promise I won't wrinkle, and I will become your coolest dress this hot, humid summer."  I believed it, and bought four yards, even though the pattern only called for about two and half.

And I am glad I did.  This pattern only instructs you to cut one back yoke and two front yokes, which would make your inner bodice a big ole' mess inside.  Instead, I doubled those numbers and used the burrito method to put it all together.  It made the inside much nicer:
 

 And I made my own bias french binding to bind the armholes, cutting the bias bands 2 1/8 inches wide and folding them in half to make double binding:

 I tried a new method of turning the collar I found out about through Brian.  Look at that collar point!

 I'll be using this method from now on.  I hadn't tried it before because the first step of the instructions is to reduce your seam allowances to 1/4 inch and I'm too lazy for that.  This pattern had 3/8 inch seam allowances for the collar, so I figured it was close enough to try it.  Worked like a charm.  I think this method will even work on collars with a 5/8 inch seam allowance - you just have to do a little more carefully trimming.  I recommend this method of turning a collar to everyone!

Of course, I attached the collar David Coffin style, and did way more edgestitching than the pattern called for - the collar, the stand, the yoke and shoulder seams, etc.  Since I was making the shorter version, I lengthened it by 2 1/8 inches to insure that the the skirt would cover my knees, and avoid that awkward right-in-the-middle-of-the-knee length.  Unfortunately, the gathering of the skirt and my slight miscalculation resulted in a skirt that was still an inch too short for my liking:

But I will live with it.  The elastic did prove to be the PITA that I thought it would be. It took multiple tryings-on to get the elastic snug enough to be presentable, but not so tight so as to be uncomfortable.  Interestingly enough, this skirt is pleated AND gathered.  You pleat first, attach the skirt to the bodice, and then insert the elastic.  I left the waist fairly loose for comfort as I expect to wear this through out the summer.

I won't even recount the dithering I did on the buttons, but I'll just say that in the end I went with my original choice - basic gray buttons from Hancocks.  I'm glad to report that this fabric did not lie - it is indeed cool and resists wrinkling (this dress has already been washed in the photos above).

I'm tempted to make another one of these, but my no repeat rule is still in effect and there are still way more shirtdress patterns out there!