Simplicity 2724, Ruffled Project Runway Shirtdress

I loved Simplicity 2724 as soon as it came out, and the cute versions that have been made since then (such as Story of E and Danville Girl). Meanwhile, back when I received the amazing Carol Collection I fell in love with these two fabrics together. I'm not really sure why they were so adamant in being used together; while the blouse fabric is the same color family as the skirt obviously they are many shades apart. But I really wanted them together in some sort of shirtdress arrangement. When I thought of cutting the ruffles out of the striped fabric on the bias, I had to use this pattern.

The first thing, of course, was to alter for a small bust. I narrowed the bust dart, but decided to leave the lower pleat alone. It is not very wide and seemed suited to my bust size. After sewing up the dress, I had to shorten the bust dart by about an inch and a half, as it was overshooting my bust. I don't do many horizontal bust darts (or many bust darts period!) so I don't know if that should be part of my standard SBA or is a quirk of this particular pattern.

Now it was on to construction. The instructions for the ruffles are needlessly complicated, though they will spare you a visible line of stitching (I think). You are supposed to first press in your fold lines. Then sew one gathering stitch through both the ruffle and the turned under allowance, and one gather stitch just through the ruffle. You're the supposed to sew the single layered gathering long edge of the ruffle down right sides together, then turn it right side up and topstitch the other long edge (as far as I can tell). With a lot of gathering plus a bias cut ruffle this was just not going to work for me. I just ran the rows of gathering stitches through both thicknesses on both long edges of the ruffle and topstitched both sides in place. I don't feel like I lost anything by having two rows of stitching, though I it does change the look a bit from the way it was drafted (which Story of E and Danville Girl faithfully followed).

When I read through the directions a while back, I was very confused. I had in my head that this was a shirtdress, and it was having you do all this finishing at the neckline and I was wondering how in the world you were going to put in the button loops after you'd already applied the facing.

When I sat down to actually make the dress, I realized that it wasn't designed as a shirtdress, it only has the look of it. The bodice center front is sewn to the neckline, and the facing is short and goes only to the center front seam line. I had my heart set on this being a shirtdress, so I lengthened the facing to extend all the way to the bottom of the blouse portion and sewed button loops to the right side and sandwiched them between the facing and the fashion fabric.

After I completed the dress I saw that I needed an underlap as my skin was showing between the buttons. Very tacky! So I just cut a rectangle of fabric, sewed the top edges, turned, and serged the long edge. LOVE my serger for this. If I didn't have it, I would have to have turned in that long edge, which would have created bulk. However, serging raw edges is a very RTW technique so it doesn't look homemade (I think) this way. I topstiched it in place by sewing over the inner row of stitching on the ruffle, so there is no visible stitching line. Had I thought about it before applying the ruffle, I could have hidden the stitching line underneath.

I intended to make this sleevless, but when I was getting close to finishing I thought sleeves would make it a little more professional for the office. Although the pattern offers several options for sleeves, they were not enough for me! I have been curious recently about what kind of sleeve a half-ellipse would make. Using an Ikea sheet as muslin, I cut out the shape on the fold (so it's actually a full ellipse, with the fold serving as the sleeve hem). I pinned it in place and found it cute, but trying it on I saw that even a sleeve like this benefits from more fullness in front and less in back. If you click on the photo to enlarge, you see that while the muslin is symmetrical, the actual sleeve is narrower at the back and fuller at the front.

When I installed the final sleeve, it was sticking straight out a little too much for my taste, so I folded out and sewed down some inverted pleats to tame the futuristic look. I finished the armhole edges by running bias tape all the way around the armscye.

Making this pattern, I realized that the Big 4 armscye does not fit me at all. The past several projects I've made it is just SO TIGHT and I have to lower by about half and inch and scoop out from the front and back. What I need to do is start narrowing the shoulders (which I think would be the same thing as scooping out from the front and back) and lowering the armscye as a matter of course. Cidell keeps getting on my case to make a sloper, and after this I definitely see the value in having a reliable armscye that I can slap on top of any project and trace out.

This was the most time consuming of my Four Projects in Four Days. I wasn't sure I was going to make it and I probably sewed a little later than I should have (I have instituted a strict "pencils down" rule at midnight), but I got it done and was ready to do the next project the next day!

I am really loving the result. It's cute, but because it has traditional blouse shaping at the top is completely appropriate for the office. I feel like it's a less formal, more everyday wearable version of the BWOF 11-2007-106 shirtdress, which I wear for meetings with opposing counsel and visiting dignitaries.

All photos are here and the review is here.

Stashoholism Confessional: Internet Edition

I have resisted the lure of online fabric shopping for half the year. However, when I found myself without the right fabric in my stash for the BWOF 06-2009-110 kimono dress and had to do the muslin out of the grody polyester crepe, I decided that once I finished the muslin, if I liked the dress I could go online to order some charcoal cotton for the real version.

Well, I liked the dress.



So I checked out my usual suspects, Fabric.com, Fashion Fabrics Club, and Fabric Mart. I found a dark gray poplin at FFC and put it in the cart. There's no point in ordering just one fabric, so I tossed in some solid rayon knits in turquoise and red, and then I found a silk georgette and added that. Here's what I got:









Of course, the downside of fabric shopping online is that you don't always end up with what you think you're getting. The poplin was described as "dark gray" and the photo looked like a charcoal. In real life, it is on the olive side. So the whole justification for this order is kind of a fail. I don't hate the olive color, it's just not at all what I had in mind. While it works with the obi I've made, it would not work with a planned black and red obi. So I still need a charcoal cotton.

The turquoise rayon has a crinkle texture that was *not* disclosed on the website and is a bit of a disappointment as well. I love the color, but the texture is really not my style. I bought Simplicity 3536 a while back for the view with the ruched sides and center band. I'm not really sure I'm feeling the style of it anymore, but it's an option for a crinkle jersey. Suggestions are welcome!

I've been wanting to make a red dress for months, after a thread on Pattern Review linked to an article that said men find women in red more attractive than any other color. This is the perfect shade (though it hasn't yet gone through the wash; hopefully it keeps its color). I had it in mind for 06-2009-101, the pleat front dress. However, Dawn made it in a lightweight knit like this rayon and it didn't work for her. I'm going to experiment with fusing the bodice and midriff with stretch interfacing and see if that gives it enough texture to stand up to the pattern.

A while back Cidell sent me a link to Weekend Designer, whose blog I had somehow not yet come across. I scrolled through his archives and fell in love with this ruffle sleeve blouse; he featured the Lauren top by Abaete as an example (available at Bloomingdale's for $118).
**edited to fix incorrect gender pronouns--thanks LaKaribane!

I didn't have anything in stash that was quite right for the project, so I splurged on some silk georgette. The print is a little bit like those "paint with water" books I had as a kid (do they still make this?) with ink dots that smear when you wet them.

How lucky was I to find this vintage pattern in my stash? View 2 is the perfect starting point for this look. I'm going to have to grade it out at the waist and hips because I want a pull-on top with a single loop and button at the neck; this is designed with a full back button placket. To me, that style is just bragging that you're married and there is someone to button you up on the mornings. I'm not and there isn't. I may end up putting a zip at one of the side panel seams. We'll see.

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Then I got an email from Fabric Mart about bamboo knits. I absolutely fell in love with the avocado color, but there were only 10 yards left. Even though I placed my order very shortly after receiving the email, I feared I would miss out on the avocado, so I told them to sub in coral if it was out.



I lost out on the avocado. I have a bit of buyer's remorse about the coral. The only solid color jersey I have in stash is pink, and I have a couple colors of it. I was really, really looking forward to avocado and had it in mind for the Butterick 5130, the dress with all the ruching and elastic casings. But I don't like pink for it. Then I thought maybe a maxi length sundress and experiment with ombre dyeing in orange at the hem, and if it's awful then cut it off at the knee. But I don't have any need for a maxi-length sundress. It's not suitable for work (I just can't see it with wide straps or sleeves), you can't wear a long dress inside a bar, and I don't live near the beach. After I washed the coral and hung it up to dry I warmed a bit more to the color; it has a fair amount of orange in it which makes it more interesting than a pink in the same color value. I still don't know what to make it into, though.

I threw in the hot pink knit print because it was a good price and I never pass up a knit print. No specific idea on that, either.

The black is a silk linen-weave, very nice. I don't have a go-to little black dress. I made one many years ago; it was great in my 20s but is a little vampy for my 34 year old self. I'll make it into Butterick 5321. Vogue 1025, an Anne Klein designer pattern, is almost identical to the Butterick. I haven't checked out the envelope, only the online, but I think ultimately I like the Butterick better. The Vogue might have a more sophisticated pleat in the bodice front, which is a point in its favor. However, I like the unusual diagonal darts in the back of the Butterick, and I like that it has set-in rather than cut-on sleeves. I think they're a little more formal and timeless. Of course, all its exciting details means I'll have to muslin.

I got the blue print broadcloth because it was on sale and I am often wishing I had some cute lightweight cotton prints. I feel like this would look great in a vintage look. Unfortunately, most of my vintage patterns are from the late 60s and 70s and this really needs something from the 50s or early 60s. The Vogue 8446 is at the top of the list right now, although Simplicity 2601 entered the running when I saw the dress KatieN made on Pattern Review. The rounded collar struck me as ick on the illustration, but on her dress it has total 40s retro appeal.

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Of course, all this was before I decided to head to NYC next weekend for some shopping. There's a slight chance I won't be able to get out of work, but my bus ticket is purchased and fingers are crossed!

Mary McFadden Exhibit at NMWA

The National Museum of Women in the Arts has an exhibit of work by designer Mary McFadden, called "Goddesses," through August 30, 2009. The Museum is not part of the Smithsonian system so admission is not free, which is why I'd never been. I am very spoiled by free museum entrance here in DC. The opportunity to see a fashion exhibition was well worth my $10.

My aesthetic is pretty much the exact opposite of McFadden's. She does plain, neutral colors in (for the most part) very simple designs, but with heavy embellishment either in the form of beading or elaborate hand painting. I prefer bright colors, mostly prints, and the details to be in the designs.

McFadden is sometimes referred to as a "fashion archaeologist." Her collections were inspired almost exclusively by ancient history, from Italy and Greece to India and China. To me, there is a very fine line to be walked between "inspiration" and "cultural appropriation," and for the most part she did an excellent job interpreting history without trying to claim it as her own or rely on the "noble savage" concept.

The collection on display at the Museum is the designer's own, and presumably includes some of her favorite pieces (or else the pieces that didn't sell???). Most of them are of her patented Marii fabric, a polyester blend with a permanent crinkle designed to mimic Fortuny's pleated silk for his Delphos gowns, as at right. McFadden patented the process for creating her fabric, which goes through six steps on a couple of different continents to get its texture. It is lightweight with a nice sheen; the air conditioning in the museum wafted the hems ever so slightly.

Although I appreciate the medium she created, I find it more interesting as a historical artifact than as a viable textile. Having grown up with the ubiquitous, cheap broomstick skirts of the 90s the fabric was nothing new to me and the polyester content makes it seem not very special. However, at the time it was introduced I imagine it was novel and exciting.

While I didn't find much to inspire me directly in the collection, with the exception of a draped white gown similar to one worn by Jackie Kennedy, it is so great to see a fashion exhibition in DC! I can appreciate the workmanship that went into the gowns, and you can get really up close and personal with them. They are not in cases and although you cannot touch them (obviously!) they are not alarmed so you can get very close without worrying anybody.

The collection is well-curated with good explanatory signage. There is a short video on loop with snippets of interviews with the designer and a slide show of some of her creations. The gowns are spaced well, so they are not overwhelming and you can appreciate each piece on its own. While they are clustered loosely by theme, the curator did not feel obligated to group all pieces of a particular collection or season together, which I appreciated.

The exhibit also includes several cases of jewelry, both historical pieces collected by McFadden and her own designs. I was a much bigger fan of her jewelry than her clothing. It's chunky and ethnic without being clownish or condescending. One bracelet in particular, a scrolled/floral cuff about 8 inches long, evoked some covetousness in me.

Here is a slideshow of this exhibition as displayed at Moore College of Art & Design in Philadelphia.

BWOF 03-2009-104, High Waist Pencil Skirt

Back when I didn't have much time to sew because I was a student or working a lot in the private sector I made mostly skirts. They're quick, easy, instant gratification. I made dozens of brightly colored print skirts and bought t-shirts in a rainbow of colors from H&M to wear with them. A print skirt with a (nice) t-shirt was my uniform for many years. Since I have had time to get into sewing more complicated garments, I've not made many skirts over the past few years and my skirt wardrobe has stayed stagnant. It's a little bit of a problem because I don't sew many solid-colored items, so although I own over 50 skirts (a friend made me count once when I said I didn't have a skirt to wear) I actually don't have many skirts that match the tops I've sewn because most of them are prints. Also, most of the skirts are A-line and I've been craving pencil skirts. When I saw the BWOF 03-2009-104, I was smitten--pencil skirt, high waist, yoke pockets, curved waistband princess panels. I loved everything about it.



I first discussed my pocket situation with this skirt in mid-May. When I made the white skirt as drafted, the pocket show-through was awful. I had fully lined the skirt, but most commenters suggested that I needed to underline the front between the fashion fabric and the pockets.




So I ripped some seams and cut out an underlining of a heavyweight stretch twill and pinned it in place. The situation was improved, but not fixed by any stretch. The pockets were not necessarily showing through per se, but the outline of the pocket was clearly visible because of the seam ridge. I had this same issue to a less disturbing extent with the Kasia Skirt; I didn't like it there but decided I could live with it. On this one, I felt the skirt was still unwearable

So I let it sit for a few days. As discussed in the original post, I considered just cutting the pockets out altogether and stitching the pocket opening closed. I really didn't want to lose the functionality of the pockets (not that I am one to actually put things in pockets). Cidell had pointed out on the phone that in jeans the fashion fabric extends about one inch below the pocket line and then the rest of the pocket is a lightweight cotton. So I decided to apply that principal.

I cut the pocket bag off one inch below the pocket line, and then I cut out replacement pocket bags of batiste. I cut them shorter than the original draft because if they were *still* going to show through I didn't want them to show through at the widest part of my saddlebag. The big thing was that I cut them on the fold so that the bottom edge is a fold and not a seam. I put the first one in sideways (don't ask me how) and panicked when the skirt was too distorted even to put on until I figured out what I had done, but then finally installed them both correctly and FINALLY had fixed the show through situation.

But of course, all was not well with this endless project of doom. Now I put on the skirt and saw that the side seams above the pocket edge and below the waistband were bunching horribly. It was still unwearable after all the work. I'm not really sure what caused this problem; it could have been the addition of the heavyweight underlining to the front. I think part of the issue is that I stabilized the pocket opening edge with ribbon, but I might have eased the fashion fabric too much onto the ribbon and shortened the pocket edge. I also think I might have gotten the pocket placement on the side seam wrong, and placed the pocket below where it should be.

At any rate, there is certainly some kind of problem in the pocket area. But I was absolutely not ripping up the whole thing again. So I decided to go slapdash. I sewed boning into the side seams. You can see the dramatic difference this made. I haven't yet worn the skirt and I don't know how the boning is going to be while I'm sitting at my desk for long periods of time. Hopefully it will hold. I hand-sewed it into the side seam allowances so my hand stitches will pop if there is too much pressure, rather than shredding the side seam (at least that's the plan).


You would think I'd be done with this pattern after that trauma, but I wanted to try it again without the pockets. I went into stash and pulled out the last piece I bought at PR Weekend 2007 that was still in stash. I have now officially completed sewing up all my purchases! The maroon knit was a horrible wadder I may or may not get around to documenting, and let us not speak of my disastrous velvet skirt, but everything else was more or less successful.

I didn't have exactly the right color of thread (which is sort of surprising, considering how many colors I *do* have). I liked the idea of doing a dressier denim-skirt substitute, so I topstitched using a light gray. For the curved seams on the waistband, I clicked the needle one click to the right or left and ran the foot down the center of the seam. This worked perfectly as a guide. I used a twin needle on the top and bottom of the waistband and the hem.

The blue version is a lot less fussy, but does not fit perfectly. I carefully walked the tissue to make sure that the yoke pockets did not include a rotated dart and they did not appear to. I don't know if I missed something, but the front does not fit smoothly. There are wrinkles just below the waistband from the center radiating toward the side. Said wrinkles basically form an arrow pointing to my tummy (I meant to take a picture standing straight but forgot; it's really obvious when I'm standing straight). As I cannot stomach (har har) the thought of doing a full belly adjustment, I'm going to let this pattern go. But I actually do like both versions of this skirt and look forward to wearing them this summer and beyond.

Some notes
-I did my usual BWOF sizing--36 at the waist, 38 at the hip and in this skirt it is rather snug. Had I not used fabrics with lycra, I doubt I could wear them at all. With the lycra they have a nicely hugging fit. I have been feeling bloated lately but I think objectively my measurements are the same as usual. The magazine calls for fabric with stretch, so I think it is designed with extremely minimal ease. Keep this in mind when choosing your fabric; size up if you don't have lycra.

-Rather than calling for lining, the original design is just for a waist facing. I think that would look chintzy in such a structured style and I fully lined both of mine (love the surprise maroon lining in the blue).

-This calls for a side seam zip. With the pocket, I felt that would definitely be too much going on at the side seam, so I moved it to the back for the white version. This allowed me to add a CB seam, which I needed for swayback adjustment. After the weird side seam crumpling issues in the white version, I kept it in the back for the blue version.

-I used heavy interfacing on the outer waistband pieces, and the waistband has no issue staying up or crumpling.

All photos are here and the pattern review is here.

June BWOF Podcast

Cidell and I were so excited about the June BWOF that we had to podcast about it right away. You can listen to the player below, download it here, or catch us on iTunes.

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I did a major photo shoot over the weekend--nine different looks--so I have some projects to review in the coming weeks!

In the "you know you're obsessed when..." category, last night I had a dream that I was on vacation with my family. We stopped at a Pucci outlet (????) where they had remnants of fabric. Many of them were small, 1/4 yard or less, but there were a few larger pieces. Even as remnants, they were in the $30+/yard price category, but there was a sign on the table that everything was $1.99/yard. I found a gorgeous white and orange cross-woven silk dupioni with a Pucci border print. I wasn't quite sure what I was going to make with it, but I had to have it. There was also a piece pre-shirred fabric, such as that sold at Joann, but it was silk jersey. There was only 1/4 yard, so no way to make a dress out of it, but I thought maybe if I picked out the elastic shirring I could make some use of it. But when I looked more closely I could see that the fabric was kind of disintegrating and there were tiny holes all over where the shirring was.

I wonder what Freud would make of such dreams.