Hot Patterns Classix Nouveau Three Graces Rick Owen Knockoff

When the Hot Patterns Three Graces top came out I immediately loved it for the crossover view. I didn't realize until later that it was a knockoff the Rick Owens twist top we were talking about on the blogs last year and that's why I liked it so much.





Before I finally bit the bullet on this one, I hadn't purchased a Hot Patterns before but when Fabric.com had a 20% off sale on everything I went ahead and got the pattern. I was excited that it had not only the Rick Owens top but two other fun drapey views, but having never sewn a Hot Patterns pattern before, I had no idea how to do the sizing.

This pattern has been spectactularly popular but not so many people have made this view. Argh! However, it does appear to run large based on the small sample on PatternReview. Froggiegirl is most similar to my shape and her top fit quite well. She said that she went down two sizes from the envelope measurements (so, for her from a 10 to a 6) and the fit looks good on her. My bust is a 6 and my underbust is between a 6 and an 8, so I figured I had better at least grade this to a 4 at the top, and cut an 8 at the front hip rather than 10. However, I cut the back hip at a 10, based on suggestions from my pleat front knit dress that I might need more room in the back to accommodate my rear view.

Unfortunately, I think this pattern just is not designed to fit my body. I know that HP has drafted its own sloper, and I am guessing that it is designed with a very large cup size, perhaps a large C or even a D. Which I totally understand because Trudy is a large cup size, but I think those of us who are small of chest are kind of out of luck with this pattern line. You can see in the photo at left that once I finally (finally!) got this together there was SO MUCH fabric flapping around under the arm. In general it seems that when that happens it is because I am expected to have a bust large enough to push all that fabric toward the front. I took about four inches out from under each arm by re-stitching the sleeve and side seams as a quick and dirty fix, but the fit on this top just isn't great and I have NO idea how one would alter the crazy origami pattern to take out the extra fabric.

Speaking of the crazy origami pattern...OMG. Wow. This was SO HARD for me to put together. I spent two hours--literally, no exaggeration--with my dress form watching the YouTube video (instructions for this view start at 4:50) over and over. I watched it around a dozen times. I appreciate the video assist, but I found it very frustrating that Trudy used different numbering terminology for the seams in the video than those used in the instructions so I couldn't really match up what she was saying with the fabric in front of me. I do not have a 3D brain, as I've mentioned before, and this brought me to tears. I finally got it done, or so I thought, and sewed it all together, and then realized that somehow I had done it wrong and there was a twist that wouldn't come out. Luckily, the second round only took me half an hour.

My favorite feature of this pattern is the back collar. It's nicely drafted and gives a nice finish to the back neck. But I am otherwise not wowed. Well, I'm wowed that they figured out how the Rick Owens top works (mostly, although I think the crossover is too high and wide) but these patterns just do not work for my body. I thought I might try the other views but I think at this point I will cut my losses and move on from this pattern. I am just too different from their sloper. It's too bad because the line has some cute styles, but at least now I know I'm not missing out!

I made this in January but have procrastinated in posting because I can't get my camera to focus properly on this red top. I don't know what it is, but all the pictures came out a little fuzzy (I desaturated the thumbnail photo to try to show more details). So I can report that I've only worn the top a few times. The baggy fit just isn't me. Too bad!

All photos are here and the pattern review is here.

Burda 12-2008-121, Faux Shirtdress with 40s Flair

During the week of the Snowmageddon I decided that I should use the bonus sewing time to sew up some stash; with the stash contest going on I decided it was a good time to get some of that fabric that's been staring at me for so long off the shelves.

I bought this stripe rayon/poly/lycra (I think that's what it is) at PR Weekend in NYC in 2006!!!! Seriously, that was a long time ago. Before I sewed the dress I had only used 3 of the 8 fabrics I bought that weekend. At least now I've sewn up half of it. I bought the fabric to make a wearable pants muslin. Three and a half years later I still haven't made any pants so I decided to release it from its theoretical servitude and make it into something I actually wear, a dress.

I looked through back issues of Burda to find a pattern that would make the most of the stripes and ran across 12-2008-121. It's designed for a plaid but I figured it would work just as well in a stripe. I only later realized this came from the same issue as the Tuxedo Jacket of Doom, so it's good to have a success from that issue.





The pattern calls for a lining but I didn't think it was necessary as the fabric has enough weight to be worn alone. To give it a nicer finished look inside I used leftover fabric from the lining of my inauguration coat to make bias binding for the edges of the facing. I should do this treatment more often; I think it looks nice.










Seriously, how does this happen? I cut them both out with the same care and hand-basted *both* sides of the invisible zipper. The front is flawless and the back looks like I did it blindfolded. After fretting about it for a minute I decided that I really don't care that much and can live with it that way. The chevron effect is still there so whatevs. I am pretty proud of the front, though. However, it looked a little weird because with the faux placket the stripes meet perfectly...but off center. I think the (nonfunctional) buttons took care of that weirdness. In fact, I'm surprised nobody on PR had put on buttons before! To keep the little front flaps folded back I hand-tacked them down from the inside. The pin is merely decorative.

The cuffs are to be cut on the bias as well. I considered skipping them but in the end I'm glad I didn't. I cut them in two pieces so the stripes would chevron at both the inner seam and the outer edge.

The back has those dewlaps again. *sigh* I don't know why my back is so hard to fit! The swayback I understand and mostly have it covered now. But the narrow shoulders/wide back thing is a mysterious pain in my @ss and now this is the second time I've had this dewlap droopy back situation. I think I need to start cutting a size larger at the front hip, as you can see some pulling on the side, but the front otherwise looks good.

I don't wear a lot of dark colors but as I wrote several months ago I don't really have a funeral dress. I think that this is both kicky enough to feel like me but sober enough to wear to a funeral in a pinch. I was really pleased with the 40s vibe it has going on. I added some small shoulder pads because all the 40s patterns I've worked with call for them and it made the dress fit a little nicer.

All photos are here and the pattern review is here.

Patterns, Fabric, and Books...Oh my! And a Giveaway

I figured I should put a moratorium on fabric buying for February after my gluttonous online extravaganza in January, but February is over, baby! I headed to the pattern sale at Joann on Saturday and couldn't resist a quick peek at G Street. I found this gorgeous silk on the remnant rack, and remnants were 25% off, so I got 1 yard of this 45" wide silk print for $7.50. I definitely see it as a Spring blouse/top, but I don't have any immediate ideas considering the limited fabric. Simplicity 2936 might work, but I would need to test out the pattern and it calls for 1 3/4 yard in 45 wide. That seems like a lot for a simple blouse, and I wonder if I might manage to squeeze it out. The other issue is that the motif is huge (12 inch quilting ruler is on there for reference), so it might be better to do a pullover top rather than a button front. I am ok with pullover woven tops for now, but it's not a durable style, in my opinion. I think they'll only work for about 3 years and then be passe again. But I suppose three years out of a $7.50 length of fabric isn't a *total* loss.



I've purchased, ahem, a fair number of patterns lately. This isn't all of them but these are the ones I am currently obsessed with.

Vogue 1170, Rachel Comey Knot Blouse. It has a little of the same feel as 1935 Vintage Vogue 2859; I made that one of a printed silk and LOVE. I may use my floral silk from Vietnam. I'm not wild about the back buttons. I might change that to a back neck slit with single button at the neck and side zip.

Vogue 8633, Shift dress with little built-in collar. I guess this is one of the new patterns, as there are no reviews for it. I totally love it. That little collar is so fancy. I am into straight/pencil skirts and dresses right now and have (relatively) few of either in my closet. I just have to decide on a fabric. There is a fabric in my stash that would work, I think, but I've had it in my head for another pattern for at least three years. But the other pattern is kind of novelty and possibly a little sexy for work. But it will be a psychological journey to give up the idea of that dress.

Butterick 5382, pleat neck dress. To me, this is a better version of Vogue 8593, or better for me, at any rate. I've learned that my pear shape really needs a waist seam so that the skirt can be larger than the bodice. Vertical darts are not enough.

Butterick 5455, Maggy London shift with pleated V neck. I was going to pass this up because it seems similar to several other things I have. But hey, it was only 99 cents. This is how I end up with too many patterns. I'm thinking it will be good for the vintagey floral cotton I got in Hong Kong.

Butterick 5454, Wrap dress for border prints. Little Hunting Creek suggested this pattern for the gorgeous fabric I got from Marji and I am digging the suggestion. I also have a polka dot border print knit to make up, so if it doesn't go for Marji's fabric then maybe the polka dot.

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I picked up You Know You Want It by Eric Daman from the library's new book shelf when I was browsing for non-fiction. Daman is the costume designer for Gossip Girl. I watched a season of the show because a friend's sister's then-now-ex-husband is the producer and the friend had viewing parties for it. I was amused by the teenagers who lead lives more sophisticated than I will ever have, and the clothes are fantastic. Daman knows his stuff when it comes to costuming a cast.

Unfortunately, it does not seem that writing is one of his gifts. The book is not so much a style manual as a current fashion magazine without ads. Now don't get me wrong, the fashion spreads are gorgeous and he shows a lot of cute, current clothes. It's more like a fashion primer--this is a boat neck, this is a V neck, etc. etc.--than a style manual. The spreads below showcase a season and a style. They're gorgeous, but they don't really tell you anything.







Beautiful styling, little content, anchored firmly in current trends. I recommend a flip through the book in the bookstore, but I don't know that it would be worth owning.

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To make room for my new patterns I finally went through my stash and culled out a couple of dozen. In an attempt to make Spring sprung already, I'm giving away a grouping of sundress patterns. To enter the giveaway, please comment, clearly indicate that you are entering the drawing, and tell me what you are most looking forward to about Spring, your favorite Spring colors, your must-have Spring piece, or just how much you hate winter. The winner will be chosen by drawing.



The patterns are all uncut and in the smaller size range; the giveaway is for the whole group (i.e., one person will win all four patterns).

Butterick 6586 (OOP)
Simplicity 4531
McCall 5655
New Look 6146 (OOP)

Newsboy Cap

So I love my pink sweater newsboy cap from last year; the color is cheerful and it is so warm with the angora sweater shell and tie silk lining. However, the style is a bit dated; it is more "marshmallowy" than the lower profile newsboy caps people are wearing today. I did a bunch of experiments with the Vera Wang winter white boucle I got from fabric.com for $1.95/yd (more on that later) to determine what level of felting I wanted. I did a fairly large piece in a hot water wash and a tumble dry. It turned out more felted than I want for a coat (can you believe I'm actually experimenting rather than jumping in willy nilly?), but I didn't just want to throw it away as it was so thick and warm. So I got the idea to make it into a hat.

Because I didn't want to use the Saturday Night Hat marshmallowy pattern again, and couldn't find a decent pattern anywhere else, I decided I'd have to draft one. Keep in mind that (1) I am the Slapdash Sewist, and (2) I have no idea how to draft. I don't necessarily recommend you do this at home.

So first, I put a tape measure on the top of my head measured down to my ear to get the "radius" of my head. It was 6 inches. So I scrounged around my kitchen and found a bowl with a 12 inch diameter and traced it. I cut out the twelve inch circle and folded it into 8ths, and then cut out one of the wedges. Thus endeth the scientific portion of my pattern drafting.

Then I sort of added some width and length and cut out the lining (also a Vera Wang fabric, the silk/rayon satin) based on this pattern. I put it together and found that I needed more width and a little more length and kept adjusting the pattern little by little until it was where I wanted. Here is the evolution.



The Saturday Night Hat pattern piece is on the right for reference; that hat is a 4 panel with darts in each panel to mimic an 8 panel. I folded the SNH pattern in half to better show how the shape compares. My final pattern did not end up so very different from the SNH, but is narrower and starts the peak higher by enough to take out the marshmallow factor.



After making up the lining, I understood why the SNH pattern is a 4 panel rather than 8 panel. Man, that is a lot of triangle points. I sewed them up to the top as close as I could, trimmed off every other point, and then on the outside of the hat did a couple of circular stitches around the meeting point to keep everything in place.


I didn't have enough fabric for the band around the hat, so I added "hand wash in hot with 5 minutes of agitation, hang dry" to my experiment list. It made the fabric a little tighter and less floppy, and I decided I liked the texture contrast with the rest of the hat. Because the hat fabric was SO thick, I couldn't sew the band around the hat right sides together then turn down because the seam allowance would have been ridonkulous. So I stitched the CB seam of the band, folded the band in half wrong sides together, and layered the upper folded edge of the band over the lower edge of the crown (both fashion fabric and lining) and stitched in place.

I used the bill pattern from SNH, shortening it to fit with current styles. I used heavy interfacing on the upper and lower pieces, but did not add any internal structure as I did with the pink hat because the fabric is thick enough to stand on its own. I pinned the bill to the lower edge of the band and stitched in place. I finished the inside by hand-stitching a ribbon to the lower edge of the band, turning up, and hand-stitching the upper edge of the ribbon to the lining. This covered all the ugly mess of seam allowances (and is apparently the traditional way to finish hats, based on the reading I've done).

When it was done it needed something, but I couldn't figure out what. I could kind of see brass or gold studs around the band, but I didn't have any and didn't think that would really be me. Then I remembered about a hand-made flower pin I'd bought at a fair trade store. I never wore it as a pin but thought it might work on the hat. I took it off the pin back and sewed in placeI think it added just the right touch.

The reason I am interested in making hats is that I have a freakishly small head, and ready-to-wear hats do not fit me. Even the SNH is a smidge too big. So I was determined to fix that problem with this hat. I was a wee bit overzealous and did not add quite enough wearing ease, but luckily I was able to stretch it out a bit on my hat block so it is comfortable to wear, though it is snug when I pull it over my ears. I'm not sure I'd make this again; when I was researching current newsboy styles I came across several that are not panelled at all--they have a round or oval tip and then a one piece crown, like this one. I bought McCall 5995 in that style, though I would shorten the high peaked front crown which screams "sexy policewoman."

Cidell took the photos so there are a bunch of good ones here and the pattern review is here.


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It's hard to photograph white fabric to show differences in texture, and of course I forgot to save a piece of untreated fabric, but this is what I've got on how this fabric felts. I did not like the original texture as it was very floppy and loose. I am picturing this as outerwear, so I wanted something more substantial.

Hand wash hot, with about 5 minutes of agitation: 6 inches length to 5 1/2 inches length, about 10% shrinkage; negligible width loss (it's possible I didn't measure very precisely when cutting).

Machine wash cold, hang dry. Original swatch was 6 inches long and 25 inches wide. After treatment was 5 1/2 inches long, but I forgot to record the width before cutting out my band (dumb!). I don't think it lost much.

Machine wash cold, tumble dry. This is the final treatment I decided on and have done the whole piece. I didn't measure the length before putting it in, but I'm sure I lost some. The width is now 47 1/2 inches. Of course, I didn't measure how wide it was to begin with and fabric.com doesn't have the info cached, but I think it was 54".

Machine wash hot, tumble dry: shrank from 15 inches to 10 1/2 inches in length, and from 57 to 40 inches in width, almost identical shrinkage rate of 30% in length and width.

Burda 12-2008-116, Tuxedo Jacket of Doom

All right, it's done. The Tuxedo Jacket of Doom from Burda 12-2008-116 that I wrote about last April, having abandoned it in early March, is no longer wadded up on my sewing table as it has been the past year. I can't say it looks a whole lot better than when it was wadded up on my sewing table, but it will look fine on a lectern from 10 feet. I have a couple of speeches coming up so I will wear it to at least one of them. I made the dress way back at the beginning of last year (will try to review soon) and have the skirt cut out, which should be a nice, normal, easy project!

I had planned this for a conference I was running March 2009. I don't have to wear a suit too often at work (thank goodness), but I really hate wearing personality-less clothes even on an occasional basis. So I wanted a suit-ish outfit that reflected my style. Unfortunately, I just didn't leave myself enough time, nor did I have enough psychic energy, to complete the project while I was also doing the work for the conference. My final stumbling block was the welt pockets with flap. For some reason, I had in my head that you had to sew the flap on at the same time as the welt and I just couldn't figure it out and it seemed like way too much marking with basting thread, millions of times even.

I am not ready to switch to Spring sewing yet, because I have many Spring/Summer clothes but I am still not happy with my Fall/Winter wardrobe (though much happier than in years past). Once I go Spring, I don't go back so I need to capitalize on my Fall/Winter motivation while I can. However, I couldn't think of what project I wanted to do next. I took it as a sign (along with PR's UFO Contest that I should return to this jacket.

I happen to have Claire Shaeffer's Complete Book of Sewing Shortcuts out from the library, so I decided just to check and see what she has to say about welt pockets with flaps. And duh, there it was. You make the welt as per usual, and once it's completed you slip the flap inside and stitch it to the excess welt allowance. Well, I understand welt pockets so that was no big thing. I stitched the flap down when I stitched-in-the-ditch to keep the welt in place. Unfortunately, I didn't have enough fabric to make a practice welt; after managing to squeeze a dress, jacket, and skirt out of 3 yards there were no scraps larger than a few square inches. So I made the welt lips too wide and the ends are all squinched and it looks pretty homemade. But at least the placement matches up and I can keep business cards in the pockets.

I hadn't cut out the lining before abandoning this project. I chose this nice silk from The Carol Collection but was dreading cutting it out as it is a slippery, fiddly silk. Actually, cutting and constructing the lining turned out to be no biggie and a quick part of the project. So that was a small mercy!

Let's talk about the sleeves, shall we? Wow. Easing in sleeves is a common sewing dislike/complaint, but it has never really been a problem for me. I have a fairly high tolerance for tiny tucks and wrinkles so I just don't get exercised over it. But this. This was a whole other level. The back sleevecap is just HUGE. The front sleeve eases in no problem, very smooth and lovely looking. The back sleevecap is about twice as large as the opening it is supposed to go into. Seriously. I attempted it three times, using various methods to reduce the size and the armscye kept getting more and more distorted, with attendant pulling along the back and discomfort, that I finally gave up and just gathered the sleeve. It does not fit with the style and it does not look good. I used a large shoulder pad to give even more emphasis to the shoulder, in the hopes of fitting into the "strong shoulder" trend, but really it is a disaster.

I cut the center back with a seam rather than on the fold to give me better swayback fitting. I should learn to take photos of the backs of projects before I finish them so I know what they look like! This seemed fine in the mirror but is pretty ick. I think eventually I will need to open out the lining (there was a reason I stitched the hem by hand) and take some of that bulk out of there.

And now let's talk about the rest of the sleeve, with the bagging and bunching at the inner elbow and the spiraling of the sleeve down the arm. It is so terrible!!!! Given my shortness of fabric, it is certainly conceivable that I did not cut the sleeve pieces exactly on grain. So perhaps the spiraling is my fault, although the back sleeve seam appears to run straight down the arm. But that bunching is a drafting issue. There is an elbow dart and it doesn't make a dent in that baggy mess. It looks like I've been wearing it for two weeks straight. If there is a quick-and-dirty fix to take out some of that bulk by taking in either the upper or lower sleeve seam, I'm all ears.

I couldn't decide what to do about the closure. I didn't want to make a bound buttonhole because I just wanted it done. I didn't have a good button to match anyway. I finally decided on a covered snap. I used this tutorial from Threads Magazine (thank goodness I saved those tiny scraps). I interfaced the circles for covering the snaps because the fabric is not a tight weave and subject to breaking. I fray-checked around the post of the post side, and inside the hole of the hole side so hopefully they will hold up. I actually like this snap treatment.

(At least the jacket looks cute in this view.) This project was about getting it done, not getting it perfect. It was a total nightmare and I don't think I sewed a single seam of the body jacket only once, and only a few of them a mere two times. It was two steps forward and one step back the whole way. I think even Tim Gunn would have abandoned "Make it work" for "I'm very concerned."

But I kept thinking, I'm never going to learn if I don't do it. It was my first successful notch collar in a jacket. My oldest UFO is a notch-collar jacket I started shortly after graduating college in 1996 in which the collar went horribly wrong; I finally threw that one away this year. Without sewing diagrams, I first sewed--and serged--the wrong edges together (you sew the widest edges together in a collar, right?). So I had to unpick that and use what was left of my seam allowances. Then I accidentally put it in upside down, with the undercollar on top. I had diligently trimmed the seam allowances a fraction to allow for a good turn of cloth, so the undercollar was different from the upper. I left the collar that way until the end, when I acknowledged that it just wasn't going to work. So I ripped it out and fray-checked the heck out of the spot where I had clipped the facings down to the stitching and put it back in. The entire unit is not perfect, but I will give myself that the notch on that collar is sharp.

I am, if I may be immodest, good at the sewing things I do. I'm good at dresses and skirts, my invisible zippers come out perfect 98% of the time, and I have an eye for prints and colors and styles that will flatter me. But I rarely stray from my comfort zone. I don't feel bad about this. Sewing is my hobby, not a test of my character. However, finishing a project like this, that is quite outside my comfort zone, is an accomplishment and I feel that the practice will help me expand my skillset. Whether I ever want to use those (rudimentary) skills again is a whole other matter!

All photos of this project are here and the pattern review is here.