White Blouse Down

So, I went and entered the Wardrobe Contest on PR.

4 tops + 3 bottoms + 2 sewer's choice

All in 6 weeks.

This was the last top to complete, and I'm moving onto the skirts! (and jacket...and dress...)

Pattern: Simplicity 2892

Fabric: ivory linen, silk organza for facings

Notions: 1 cute button

Notes: 

I think I originally bought this pattern for this shirt, though I am not exactly sure (?)

This is mostly view A, minus the puffed sleeves--I used the sleeve lining as the sleeves, hemmed them at 5/8", and called it good.

The only other comment to add here, I guess, is that I pondered over the facings momentarily.  I didn't want them to show through, and I also didn't want to use a bias band and topstitch over those sweet pleats.  

(That phrase looks weird.)

Anyway, I had a lightbulb moment, cut my facings out of silk organza, and voila!

I finished the raw edge with a narrow zig-zag, where it only mildly itches at times.

This is also my only departure from the plan so far.  I had originally planned this to be a Sewaholic Pendrell blouse (lower right corner of shirts), but decided I just wasn't sure about the sleeves.  Same fabric, different pattern.

Irony

Irony: n. 

1) a state of affairs or an event that seems deliberately contrary to what one expects and is often amusing as a result.
2) after years of cringing at 80's culottes, even the ones your mom and teachers wore, making your own pair; thus a source of amusement to your family

Culottes + windy, overcast days = Full Sails

Calm breeze + weird hands = better picture(?)

...

You know what we did for Easter? 

Browse through my grandmother's old sewing magazines from the early 80's.

     

Yeowch.

And yet...

I was tempted. By culottes.

 

Pattern: Butterick 6183

Fabric: cotton/linen blend, 

camel colored bemberg for lining

Notions: invisible zipper, safety hook & eye

Notes: 

I should've used a size 16.  But I only had the size that goes to 14.  

I figured, eh, there's a lot of ease in these things; it'll be fine.

It'll be fine.

No.

First, there isn't enough ease, so I sewed the seam allowances at 3/8, adding 2" overall.  Then, I redrafted the waistband.

Wait, first I decided I needed to break up the real estate on the back, so I added a single welt pocket.

THEN I realized they were tight. Yada yada yada.

Then, I realized my fabric was sheer.

Teachers don't wear sheer pants.  Like, ever.

So I added a lining.  

(And honestly, they hang much better with the lining, so that is actually a win.)

Slightly out of focus, but you get the point.

Pocket fantastico.

Can I add here that I sluethed out a way to make my pocket bags out of nude lining so they didn't show?  Even the welted pocket bag?  I noticed and article on this in Sew Stylish (I think), and although I only thumbed through the article in the checkout, clearly, it stuck with me.

Finally, I bravely wore my new culottes to school.

Which prompted exactly one conversation.  About being the first to wear a new trend.

Honestly, I live in the midwest.  We are not known for being particularly fashion forward here.

But dang, these are comfortable.

Even if, as my Mom says, my kids were probably wondering what in the hell I was wearing.

Irony.

Lisette Top

Pattern: Lisette Butterick 6183

Fabric: some sort of cotton/poly blend (that may or may not be home dec?),

 plus cotton voile to underline

Notions: metal zipper

When I first saw that the Lisette line had switched to Butterick, I'll admit, I groaned a little inwardly.  I hadn't had much luck previously with Butterick patterns, and I was sad to see Lisette go the dark side that way.  However, I really like Liesl's esthetic, and I've never known her to make a stinker pattern. So when they went on sale, I went and snapped them all up.  This is the first one I've made, but I'm almost finished with the pants, and I'm going to be honest.  This is some good stuff.

The top has a boxy fit, but if you can picture a fitted boxy top, this is that.  The princess seams across the bust allow for shaping, but it's still a pull over your head top.  Also, the pattern includes separate pieces for different cup sizes, but hey, that doesn't really affect me.

For fitting adjustments, I did two things:

1.  I enlarged the sleeve by an inch overall.

2.  I barely turned a hem, and used bias tape instead.

Um, this is a cropped fitted boxy top.

A.  Clearly, I should stand straight.

B. This fabric collects every stray string, hair, fuzz ball, and small child with sticky fingers.

C.  I had just worn this shirt rollerskating before pictures.  Those are roller skating wrinkles.

The pattern calls for a metal zipper, and to be honest, metal zippers aren't that easy to come by here unless you order and wait for them to arrive.  This is a vintage metal zipper that I shortened with pliers (the pattern includes instructions on doing that), and since my zipper had painted teeth, a quick swipe with nail polish remover on a Q-tip took care of that.

I think this will look best with some higher-waisted bottoms, but overall, 

I'm pretty happy with the way it turned out.  

The 'Out the Door in 10 Minutes or Less' Dress

There is a lot to be said for quick outfits. 

Especially if you accidently hit the snooze button one too many times.

And drop kids off at two different places on the way in to work.

And have a meeting starting at "Holy crap I don't think I'm going to make it" o'clock.

And heaven forbid you realize the gas light is a hair's breadth away from dinging.

Some mornings are like that, and that's why God invented knit dresses.

Pattern: Simplicity 2054

Fabric: ponte knit from Mood (this one, which is sold out, I guess) 

I've made this pattern once before, but this time I added welt pockets to the front.

Secret, stealth pockets.

Can you see them if you squint?

Yep.  

I'm not even going to say how long it took to figure out

 how to line those welts up to match exactly.  

(This is the person who requires a 10 minute outfit.)

I used Poppykettle's tutorial, and folded the pocket bag back up to the top of the facing,

creating a little floating pocket bag.

Basting in place...

Evidence that I require notes to myself.

I'm totally happy with the pockets, and truthfully, have since been inspired to add single welt pockets to everything. Well, almost everything.  

They're not crazy large pockets; just big enough for a pen or marker, or a tube of lipstick that you forget about until you discover the remaining evidence all over the dryer and a load of clean jeans.

Hallelujah for Spray and Wash.

The back view could probably use a little more adjustment, but it works, and I'm not too stressed about it.  Eh, next time.

Notes: 

Since my last version, I shortened the sleeves to 3/4 length, narrowed the sleeves at the wrists, took in the side seams at the waist, and took in extra on the back piece only.  This ponte isn't quite as stretchy as the green stuff, and to be honest, I like it better.

And, it works perfectly for those last-minute mornings.