Butterick 5567

Flora Flaunts a Jacket

A little more detail on the jacket I made during the Sew-In.  The pattern is Butterick 5567, which is featured in the September issue of Threads.  I picked up the pattern quite a while ago, so perhaps Threads is following my thread?

I found the fabric on sale at a local upholstery shop.  While I was sewing, several folks came up to ask if it was drapery material.  I have no idea.  I just liked it.  It has a fairly beefy cotton for the weft, and a much finer polyester for the warp, making the jacquard design.  I just really liked the color, and it looks good on me.

Overall very simple to sew.  I made my usual forward shoulder adjustment (darned computer work!), and cut down the collar about 1/2 inch.  I no longer have the swan neck of my youth, so a shorter collar felt better.

Deviations from the pattern: lining.  The jacket is supposed to be unlined, which would make it even easier to sew!  I decided to line it.  The body fabric is a bit course (though with nice drape) and I didn’t want the jacket to be catching against t-shirts when worn.  There’s nothing quite so off-putting as struggling to get into one’s clothes, hence the lining.  I only lined the body, as that was all I needed.

Somewhere out there in Internet-land I read an article on sewing a Chanel style jacket where the lining is right to the edge.  No facings.  That’s what I tried to do with this one, but got flummoxed when it came to the hem.  So, I jury-rigged something which works nicely enough, but I still want to find that article and see how to do it properly.  And maybe I’ll rework that section.  Or maybe not.

So, what do you think,? Does this remind you of Great Aunt Coraline’s draperies?  Does it matter?

Taking Flight

This is a shirt for GrandMeow (aka Mom).  Now that it is wending its way westward, I can finally post about  it.  There’s nothing like putting up a picture of something when the recipient must wait and wait to receive it.  Frustrating for the recipient, and unkind of the sewist.

GrandMeow likes butterflies.  I think there are enough of them on this shirt to float her off to wherever she would like to go.  Do you think they would have to flutter in unison?

De Tails:  printed quilting cotton constructed using the tried-and-true Butterick 3210 (out of print these many years).  Alterations consisted of adding pockets.  A girls’ gotta have a place to store her stuff!

Butterick 5525

Or the shirt that almost wasn’t.

I thought about calling this post Butterick or Bust, then decided to try a few more things, like actually stitching the side seams and trying the shirt on a second time, before declaring it a total wadder.  I even tried it on right-side out.  Am I the only one who tries on muslins wrong side out, so I can fiddle with the seams?

Imagine my surprise when doing so produced something almost wearable, and not the tweak infested nightmare I had during the first try out.  There are still some things that need to be modified – like raising the neckline in front, and reducing the curve in the body, but these are minor and simple to achieve.

Other things I took note of – this fabric is a cotton knit.  While it has enough stretch according to the pattern envelope, the recovery is not as nice as it could be.  I think this pattern would benefit from a stretchier knit.

I am undecided if I need to make a forward shoulder adjustment.  Probably, but then I’ll have to get out the fitting books to learn how.  The back neck gaps a little as well, so perhaps taking the seams in there.

Overall, what has surprised me the most about this is my attitude towards it.  I had thought it would be a fast & dirty shirt to sew…and was disappointed when it didn’t turn out perfectly the first time.

Having set it aside for a while, then tried it on the way I would wear it in real life (right side vs. wrong side – and what is this life if not real?  surreal?) I am more likely to twiddle and see if I can get it to fit.

See, there’s nice fabric in the stash waiting for this pattern.  In particular the gathered light-blue version in the envelope picture.  A nice soft printed knit.  Maybe a stretch lace, with the body backed by a different color, and the sleeves left lacy.  I like the combination of raglan sleeves and a quasi-cowl neck.  It’s a nice variation from the standard knit styles.

Butterfly and Goodnight

Another nightie from Butterick 6838.  I twiddled a bit with attaching the yoke on this one, so though you can’t see it, the inside is much nicer and less Beckly-Home-Ecky looking than the first one.  (No offense to any Becky reading this blog)

The fabric, from Fabric.com was originally intended to be a shirt.  But after washing, it just seemed a bit too thin for that.  Then, I remembered Mom saying what a difficult time she had finding thin cotton nighties to wear during the Summer.  That led to Butterfly and Goodnight.  I think it turned out quite well.

I suppose I could peruse a lepidoptera book, to see if these are real butterflies, or an artists’ rendition, but don’t think I will.  Some mystery needs to remain in the world, don’t you think?

Mom will get this when she comes to visit in November, as part of her holiday presents.  Yes, she reads this blog.

Sorry Mom!  You have to wait.

Do you Club BMV?

Club BMV is an online offering through the Vogue / Butterick / McCall’s pattern web site.  For a $15 annual membership, you get 10% off all patterns, all the time, as well as special sales, which  are comparable to what Joann’s runs periodically.

I have been thinking about joining ever since my local Joann’s closed down.   There are only Joann’s Etc left here in Cactusville.  Now, rather than a pop down the street, it’s a major drive to get to  the only place in town that carries any of the Big 4.  10 miles one direction, or 35 and/or 25 in another.  With the rising cost of petrol, I’m starting to wonder if all this driving about is worthwhile.

Not to mention that I have been quite disappointed by the stock.  Either the latest and greatest releases haven’t arrived, or the bins are in such a state of disarray that it would take days to find something.  Yes, I have contacted Joann’s about this.  3 months later I got a form e-mail saying they would check into it.

Granted, I don’t need any new patterns, as  I could easily spend the rest of the year sewing up the ones I do have (and I probably should!).  Still, a girl likes to have options.

So, the question for all the garment sewists out there is:

• Do you Club BMV?
• If you do, is it worth it?

Butterick 6838

Hello, and Happy New Year! In following through on the premise of quality over quantity, this is Mom’s Christmas present, which wasn’t completed until she came to town so I could fit it properly.

A couple months back, she mentioned how difficult it was to find nighties that had wide straps and were comfortable (sans synthetics) to wear.  I saw this pattern during one of the pattern sales, and thought it would be most appropriate.

Mom came to visit for New Year’s, as she usually does, and I took the opportunity to fit the pattern to her.  The result was this nifty number:

It was a delight to sew, being made from a silk/cotton twill fabric from Fabric Mart Fabrics.  The yoke lining is a cotton/poly weave to counteract the stretch of the twill.

Besides a couple of tweaks to compensate for body versus stylistic issues, this was a very easy pattern to put together.  Being a nightie, there weren’t a whole lot of fitting issues to consider, beyond making sure the yoke fit appropriately.  It was an easy pattern to sew up, all straight seams on the serger for the most part.  I skipped much of the pattern instructions, since the yoke went together the same as a stand-based collar.  What can I say?

Merry Giftmas Mom! Maybe another for your birthday, perhaps?