Fall Vogue 2015 Top Picks

Ah! Fall is in the air!

Wait! In July, you say?

Well, according to Vogue Patterns autumn is just around the corner!

In case you didn't know, Vogue just came out with their new line of fall patterns.  There are a couple things I may never make, but I thought I'd give my two cents on the highlights of the group.

Firstly, new vintage!  Yay!! I adore vintage patterns and Vogue's newest releases will most likely be finding their way into my collection.

Here is Vogue pattern V9127:

Vogue Pattern V9127

It seems to be 1940's (ish?) and it might not be my all time favorite vintage silhouette, but look at that detailing:

How?  Just, how?

I'd just buy the pattern to figure out how one recreates that arrow-like stitching.  And is that a pocket on the lapel?  And how does that belt-thing work?  It's a pattern chock-full of mysteries!

An even better question, what the heck would I use a pocket there for?

My only beef with it is it doesn't seem to fix the model in the back.  Take a look for yourself:

Something seems a bit off...

Maybe it's just me, but if I were to make this pattern, I'd like it to be more closely fitted and less wrinkly in the back.  I think it would give it a cleaner look and allow for the eye to have complete focus on the beautiful tailoring.

  

It also has a short-sleeved option (minus the belt of mystery):

But I like the other vintage dress even more, Vogue pattern V9126:

Vogue Pattern V9126

 I'm not sure if it's the pattern itself or the styling of the pattern that I'm in love with.  Very glamorous, and the model is incredibly (and maybe intentionally) similar to Dita Von Teese!

Up Close - look at her perfect make up!

Leopard Print Love!!

Imagine going to a cocktail party dressed like that!  You'd surely be the talk of the town (and for all the right reasons!).  

Although it does remind me an awful lot of this Simplicity pattern 1777:

But shhhh, we'll just keep that between us and Vogue...

Other than the vintage patterns, I have to say that the only other pattern I had a hankering for was Vogue pattern V1460:

Vogue Pattern V1460

I love how simple it is, but I do have one concern.  Is it just me, or does it seem to strangely emphasize the belly?

I'm sure that model is as thin as can be, but the dress makes it look like she's got something in the oven!  It makes me a bit wary of the pattern, so I'm a bit hesitant to buy it...

Anyways, those are my top three picks for Vogue's 2015 Fall Collection!  Are there any favorites you have?

Until next time,

-The Gretchen

Simplicity 1425 Completed

And just like that, it's finished!  Aside from my goofs, it took very little time and the result is lovely.  Take a look:

I think it's pretty spiffy!

As you may have noticed, I added a bit of overstitching to edges of the cotton.  I had to make a decision between hiding the stitching (which didn't work well with small polka dots) or emphasizing it.  I chose the latter and was so happy with the result, I added some more.  It also helps to keep some of my seams in place; a double win!

Even though this pattern was relatively simple, I still learned a lot.  Firstly, do not use a really hot iron on chiffon.  Or at least the chiffon I used (from JoAnn Fabrics).  It will melt and melted clothing is not cute!  In my defense, I had the iron set on high for the cotton part of the blouse and didn't even think about what havoc it would wreck on the chiffon part.  Fortunately, the little hole it created isn't noticeable (other than to me).  Unfortunately, it is in such a spot that I determined it really isn't worth the effort to completely replace that section.

I also learned, simultaneously in fact, that chiffon is not the easiest material to work with.  It looks lovely, but the fraying (even with zig-zagging and pinking the edges) was quite a challenge.  As was cutting out.  And sewing together.  It was all challenging for me!  I do not think I'll be using chiffon again for anything that is supposed to be tailored or semi-tailored (like a collar) until I've gotten better acquainted with the material, But I'll still use it for draping and gathering.

If I were to make this blouse again, I might use an organza or something else with a bit more body for the collar.  I would also line it, as I mentioned here in my beginning post. My fabric is slightly see-through and the added security would be nice.

Well, until next time.

-The Gretchen

Butterick B5603 Begun and Completed!

I'm back to good ole' Butterick!  I chose to make up B5603 for this year's Easter dress.  This is the pattern:

I did the middle view, view B on the pattern.

I completed it in record time (for me)! Only TWO days!!! And, if I may say so myself, the results are lovely:

The Front of the Dress

The Back of the Dress

My parents gifted me with some beautiful raw silk for my birthday and I could not wait to see how it looked in the fabric.  It's a beautiful green-blue; my favorite!  I made a muslin ahead of time and decided to make the bust a size 8 (for bust measurement 32 in.), my waist a size 10 (for waist measurement 25.5 in.) and the length of the torso a size 10 (I extended the shoulder seam to the size 10).  I also took off 3 in. from the bottom and did a skinny hem (I had less fabric than I thought, so I had to cut off the end of each skirt pattern piece by 3 in.).

All in all a wonderful pattern with clear directions and quick construction.  I would highly recommend it to any sewer, both beginning and advanced.  It looks complex, but really isn't!  A perfect balance for those who are a bit overly ambitious in their sewing ventures, like myself.

Until next time,

-The Gretchen

Burda 6853 Completed (for now..)

The lovely Iris (Iristrend on Instagram) recently asked me to post a picture on my blog of this finished Burda pattern that she also completed (you can find her blog here).  I am planning on getting better pictures (weather permitting) but here it is, all finished on the hanger!

Front of the dress

Detail of the fake pockets (I do so wish they were real!)

Detail of the elbow dart.

Side of the dress

I am so pleased with how it turned out!  Putting on all the vintage trim by hand was a lot of work, but I definitely think it was worth it in the end.  I hope to write more about it, but we'll see how the rest of the semester goes!

Until next time,

-The Gretchen

Simplicity 1254 Completed

A finished product, you say? How can this be?  I know; it's insane!  But I have decided to post a few of my projects I made before my blog or I just neglected to blog about.  And now I have evidence that I do get some things done! Ha!  I can't comment too much on what I did with the patterns and how I did it (I never kept track!) but I'll try to include as much information as I can.  Mostly, I hope this gives you a better feel for how some of these patterns look in real life.

Anyways, explanation done, here is Simplicity 1254!  I completed this about three weeks ago and never put anything up (so silly!).  You can find the pattern on the Simplicity website here.  This is the finished garment: 

Simplicity 1254, View B

It made up quite lovely and I'm thrilled with the result.  A few things I recall while making this pattern:

1.  The hips are very wide, so you may want to size them down.

2.  The sleeves are on the shorter side; I didn't hem mine at all and they're still a smidge short.

3.  The hood is much smaller than it looks; it's not really functional but more for show.

4.  The zipper was really easy to put in!

Overall, I'd say it would be smart to make some sort of muslin before to avoid any fitting issues.  But it's a really fun, really easy pattern!  I would highly recommend it for a beginning sewer.  I might go back and check what size I cut everything out, but if you have any specific questions, let me know.

Until next time!

-The Gretchen

Simplicity 1425 Beginning

What? Two posts in as many days?! Yes! It's true, I was quite industrious this weekend!

Because I had to halt construction on my Burda pattern (that post is here) I started yet another project.  This is the pattern (click here to see it on Simplicity's website):

I'll be doing view B with the sheer collar.  I debated doing view A, but I was worried about the chiffon fabric I chose raveling since I can't serge the edges (college problems!).  I absolutely adore the peplum style, but I have nothing of the sort in my wardrobe!  My neighbors gave me some lovely fabric that I've been dying to use for this pattern.

Materials:

As I mentioned before, my neighbor gifted me with fabric that I set aside to make this months ago.  It's a polka-dotted cotton and I'm tempted to say they're swiss dots?  I hesitate to call it that because I've only seen swiss dot on sheer fabric, but I think it goes for solids, too.  Anyways, each dot is a little velvety and gives the fabric an amazing texture.

The swiss dot is in the foreground and chiffon is in the background

For the sheer collar, I purchased some navy chiffon from JoAnn Fabrics; it matches the dots perfectly!

I have not yet bought the buttons, but they'll probably be navy and small (to match the polka dots).

Cutting Out and Fitting:

This pattern was super easy to cut out.  Not too many pieces and not too much fabric required.  I did use pinking shears to cut the edges since I am currently serger-less. It worked really well for both the cotton and chiffon.

Fitting this was interesting (as fitting always is).  In my Christmas dress post (which you can find here), I mentioned that I cut out my Simplicity pattern a size 6 in the bust and a size 10 at the waist.  I thought that this blouse might fit exactly the same, but alas, I was wrong!  I did not make a muslin this time around (naughty naughty!). To be fair, I had no extra material to  make one here in my dorm.  It was extra stressful not knowing for sure how it would fit, but I ended up just going off my gut, the finished measurements on the pattern pieces, and some good ole' internet digging.  

I ended up cutting out a straight size 6, meaning that all measurements were size 6.   According to the pattern, I should be a size 8 in the bust (I'm 31.5").  I checked the finished measurements and for bust size 8, which was 35".  That's 3.5" of ease! I usually like about 2" of ease at my bust, so that's why I decided on size 6, which has a finished bust measurement of 34" (2.5" of ease).

The pattern also says I should be a size 12 at the waist (I'm 26.5").  My spidey-senses tingling, I though I should check those measurements, too.  For size 12, it's 30.5"!  Wow!  I prefer 1 or 2 inches at the waist, but not 4.  I am, however, beginning to see a trend in Simplicity's sizing, which will definitely help for subsequent projects.  Size 6 at the waist is 27.5" for the finished measurement, which sounded a little small but I did some digging online and I came across the Llaydbird blog (I highly recommend visiting here). She mentions there being extra space in the waist of the pattern.  That made me feel better about making the waist such a tiny size, and so I stuck with the size 6 and cut it out.

Beginning Construction:

This was really straightforward.  I haven't come across any surprises yet and it seems perfect for both the discerning fashionista and beginning sewer.  The only thing I added was zig-zagging to the edges of chiffon.  I had already pinked them, but I wanted to be extra safe!  Here's my progress:

I don't have much more to go, but I have to wait until I get some bias tape to finish it off. I'm loving the results so far and it fits wonderfully (even the waist!).  The only thing I wish I had done was line it, although it doesn't say to in the directions.  My cotton is a wee bit see-through.  I think it'll be fine, you can't see my undergarments so it's not too scandalous.

Let me know if you have any questions!

Until next time,

-The Gretchen

Burda 6853 Beginning

Hello!

I'm back!  Yes, I haven't posted the finished product of my Christmas dress, I had to leave for college before I got around to it.  But I swear it's done!  Pictures will come eventually! I have since moved on, as you may have guessed, to Burda 6853 (you can find it online here). This is what the pattern looks like:

The pattern!

I'll be doing view "B".  I absolutely fell in love when I saw it!  I love how Chanel inspired it is while also being youthful (hence Burda "young," haha).  Here's a picture of some classic Chanel suits, for reference (and so you don't think I'm a total nutcase!):

The suits!

The pattern definitely isn't an exact replication, but in my mind it takes the idea of the classic suit in a different direction.  I love the black trim and clean lines of the original, but I also love the pleats of the pattern!

Now onto my work....

The Materials

I chose this bluish-greenish-grayish wool (if you can think of a more exact name for the color, let me know!) from JoAnn Fabrics.  I absolutely loved the weight and unique color; perfect for the winter season.

I initially had some trouble deciding on trim.  The trim on the pattern cover is quite wide and I thought it looked considerably wider than the 3/4 in. trim called for.  I couldn't find exactly what I was looking for at the store so I ended up buying this 1 1/2 in. Project Runway-inspired trim:

It's nice, but I soon discovered that it was way too wide!  I should've known, but I was so excited to get started.  I ended up icks-naying that and bought this trim from Etsy:

I haven't gotten it in the mail yet, but I'm hopeful!  It's 1 inch wide and supposedly vintage, which always makes me happy.  I wasn't sure how I felt about the open chain concept and being able to see the fabric underneath (not very Chanel).  But in the end I decided that it was such a unique trim along with being the only one I liked, so it was worth the risk.

Finally, the buttons:

Just your sort of run-of-the mill, classic gold buttons.

Cutting and Fitting

I don't have too much to say about cutting out or fitting.  Burda usually does an excellent job sizing its garments to the way I like them to fit on me (they run very true to size).  I cut out the bust a size 8 and my hips a size 10.  From what I've made so far, it fits like a dream!

Construction

Once again, not too much to say.  The directions are relatively straightforward and I had no issues.  But pleating can be tedious!  It's worth it in the end, but keep in mind if you've never pleated or are ironing-adverse, you may be in for quite a learning curve.

 I understitched the collar even though the directions don't tell you to.  My lining was flipping outside, so if you have that problem, understitiching may help!

And then there's putting on the trim...  I couldn't figure out when to do that, but I found that the very last direction is to put all the trim on after the garment is constructed (other than the trim on the pockets).  I didn't really want to do that, partially because I don't want to see the trim stitching on my lining.  I've halted construction until I get the trim, but here it is so far:

The threads on the bottom are basting to keep the pleats in place!

I've put together the body of the dress and attached the lining to the neck, but not the arm holes.  I've also put together the sleeves but not attached them yet. And I put in my label!

So gratifying to get it in!! Officially mine!

That's it!  I'll be posting pictures of the finished product after I get my trim, but if you have any questions in the meantime, let me know.

Until next time!

-The Gretchen