2014 round up

Here is a little summary of 2014, the year I joined RTW fast and sew my clothes instead of buying them. I managed to sew 15 garments for myself, 9 of them are dresses. 10 projects are made in knits, which means that I conquered my fear of knits forever.
New techniques I learned:
- baby hems,
- hand rolled hem,
- coverstiching - I bought coverstitch, which was a splurge, because I already owned a serger, but it took my sewing to next level,
- setting sleeves flat,
- full bust adjustment (for my sister)

Sewing goals for 2015:
- sew work appropriate wardrobe - during 2014 I sew mostly casual wardrobe, now I need some more office clothes,
- sew more separates - including shirts,
- sew more Burda patterns - in 2014 I sew only 3 garments. Burda is consistent with sizing, and I have a lot of experience in adjusting patterns to fit me.
- sew some loungewear (tunics, robe),

Parisienne dress

That's my last sewing project this year - dress from Burda 08-2009 model 128, so called Parisienne dress. It's the second time I sew with this pattern, this time in ponte knit.
I made the same alterations as before. I added waist seam at the back to make fitting easier. I removed 1,5 cm from waist area, make narrower shoulders and shorten skirt. I did swayback adjustment. All seams were sewn with sewing machine and finished with serger, hems were simply turned down and coverstichted.

Holiday sewing - silk top

This year I planned my holiday sewing in advance. The first thing I sew is silk top, which was meant to be worn during office holiday party.

I had very little yardage of silk satin in deep teal colour (this thing was quite expensive, so I bought only 75 cm). It's been in my stash since January, and almost became one of "too good to use it" fabrics. But finally I dared to cut into this precious fabric.

I used  New Look 6895 which I sew last year. Due to very limited yardage I only managed to cut cap sleeves.

I cut size 8 at shoulders  and added 1.5 cm in side seams.

I put a lot of effort into this project. I made muslin (which I rarely do) before cut into the fabric. I did French seams. I learned new technique of hemming - so called baby hem (very neat finish indeed). But I'm somehow  disappointed with the results, because silk satin wrinkles madly! I'll probably wear it under the jacket, where wrinkles will not be visible.

Dress for my sister and first FBA

This is the third time I sew a garment using Butterick 5873. My sister really liked my wool dress, and asked me to sew the one for her.

For the first time I did full bust adjustment (FBA) for the pattern. After reading several tutorials, I managed to do it myself. It was a bit tricky to figure out how to do it on wrap dress. I cut the pattern and make alterations on the bodice, and then adjusted skirt. I added 5 cm on each side of the bodice It ended up with extra 5 cm at the waist, but it was exactly what I needed.

I'm very glad with results.

Corduroy dress

As I was preparing 2014 round up, I noticed that some garments did not featured on the blog. In order to keep the record I will try post them before year end.
So I'm starting with the dress I made for little Gosia, my friend's daughter. I used New Look 6061. I cut the smallest size, but it turned out to be too big, so I don't have photos on the model. The fabric is cotton corduroy with cute flower print.

Wool dress

It's another dress made using Butterick 5873 (here is previous one). This time it's fall/winter version with three-quarter sleeves. I made it in wool blend in deept burgundy colour.
I sew this dress in October, and unfortunately I don't remember, if I made any alterions. I post it to keep some kind of record of my projects.

Back view:

Close up:

Sporty dress

I wanted casual or rather sporty dress for a long time. But I could not find the right pattern. I visualised dress with hood and kangaroo pockets. When I saw this sweatshirt knit online I instantly knew that it will be perfect for my project. All I needed was to create the pattern.

As a base I took Mc Calls 6612. The perfect hood  and pocket I found in Burda 11-2007-118.

As in previous versions of this pattern, I added back darts. All hems (including hood) are coverstiched.

 

Photos by my sister.

Business casual skirt

It has been no sewing in my life recently, but I have few pieces I haven't blogged about. One of them is pencil skirt for summer. 

I used the same pattern as for silk skirt I sewed earlier this year (from Burda 08-2007). The fabric is cotton-lycra twill I bought online at NATAN store. I like the colour combination very much.

Back view:

It starts with fabric ....

I bought this bold print knit in January, during my first fabric shopping in Warsaw. I didn't have any specific pattern in mind, but I wanted to make a dress from it. Unfortunately, each time I tried to find pattern, it turned out, that I don't have enough fabric. Luckily, the next time I visited that shop, I managed to buy additional yardage.

I decided to make maxi dress with McCall's 6700.

 I cut size 10, and I did not make any alteration apart from 1.5 cm short waist adjustment. Next time I should lenghten bodice front (circa 2.5 cm at center front, tapering to nothing at side seams).

The neckline is cut very low, and gaping a bit, I could have overlap front pieces by few more centimetres (I think I might rip waist seam and correct it, because it's annoying).

In order to stabilise neckline I fused a strip of knit interfacing. Then I finished it with coverstich. To make shoulder gathers I stitched clear elastic over shoulder seam (it looks more like RTW clothes)

Back view:

Eventually I added back ties, to keep back in place.

I wish I sewed this dress earlier this year, not in the end of summer. Despite minor imperfections I think this is lovely dress and will get a lot of wear next year.

Perfect summer dress

I wonder why this pattern (Butterick 5873) is not very popular among Pattern Review members. It's such any easy and stylish dress.
Here is my review:

 Pattern Description: Close-fitting, above mid-knee length dress has mock wrap front, gathered at left side, collar, collar band, raglan sleeve, side zipper and stitched hems. I made view B with short sleeves but without sash.

Pattern Sizing: I cut bodice 10, and graded to 12 at waist and hips.

Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you were done sewing with it? Yes

Were the instructions easy to follow? Yes, there were fairly easy. Although I changed order of construction, first sew attached sleeves to the bodice, then serged side seams. I also used coverstich machine to finish hems

What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern? I like the silhouette of the dress, which is very slimming. I like side gathers. No dislikes

Fabric Used: Raoyn lycra knit. I think it was perfect fabric-pattern combination, the knit has just enough weight for gathers.

Pattern alterations or any design changes you made: My usual alteration ie removing 1.5 cm from waist area. I also took in 1 cm at sleeves seam.

Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others? I might sew view A with longer sleeves for fall.

Conclusion: I wonder why this pattern is not very popular at PR. For me it's a winner, the best summer dress! It's comfortable to wear, yet stylish. 

And photos:

Side gathers:

Back view:

Cotton cardigan

Have you ever sew something you did not like? Not because of fit, but because it does not fit your style. It happened to me with this cadigan. The pattern is McCall's 6844, the one with many positive reviews on Pattern Review.

So why it did not work for me? Firstly, I cut it too short. I did short waist alteration and removed 2.5 cm, but forgot to add the same amount to the length.

Secondly - wrong fabric choce. I chose thin cotton knit in light grey colour, which would be more suitable for sweatshirt.

No photo on me this time.

It looks more like loungewear. However the pattern itself is ok, and I might sew it sometime, only with different fabric. It will look great in lightweight wool knit.

Vogue 8724 again

Here is the second version of Vogue 8724, made for my sister. This time I used size D cup for bodice. It was almost OK, but if sew this dress next time, I will do FBA. I cut size 14, but added 1.5cm to side seams (next time add 2 cm). The construction was the same as for the dress I made for myself.

 

Easy knit dres

This is a dress I made 3 times in a row. I didn't planned it, it just happened. I sew one dress for myself. When I showed finished garment to my sisters, both of them requested that I sew one for them.

The pattern is Vogue 8724. The pattern is rated easy, which is very true. It comes with separate bodice pieces for A,B,C and D bra cups. I used B-cup for myself, and D-cup for my sisters' dresses.

I cut size 12 and graded to 14 at waist and hips. Grading was not necessary, as I ended taking side seams in. I did my usual short waist alteration (1.5 cm) and shortened skirt by 5 cm.

 

I interfaced neckline with strip of knit interfacing, and finished it with binding. I sew all seams on my sewing machine with narrow zig-zag, and then serged them.

The unique feature of this dress are back princess seams. They are easy for fitting.

I have worn this dress few times during May and it's definitely a winner. I'm thinking of tweaking the pattern a bit, and sewing tunic with flared skirt. If I figure out how to add sleeves, it will be great dress for coller weather.

Vogue 1250 revisited

I ordered  1m of this rayon knit for summer top. When fabric arrived, it was so generously cut, that I managed to sew a dress from it. I took Vogue 1250, the pattern I used last year for my  first knit project. The only difference was that I shortened skirt by 4 cm due to shortage of fabric. (Note to myself - don't do it again. Skirt is a bit too short for my taste).

It was quick and easy project. I started on Friday evening and finished on Sunday morning, so that I could wear it to my mom's birthday party.

 

Close up of fabric:

 

Silk pencil skirt

I bought this silk fabric online at bargain price with the idea of using it as lining. When it arrived, it turned out to be so beautiful, so I wanted to sew skirt with it. At first I wanted to sew pleated skirt, but that fabric doesn't holds pleats well. So I decided to make pencil skirt instead.

I took pattern from Burda 08/2007, the one I used before. There was nothing difficult about construction, but fabric was tricky to handle. That is why I spent on it more time, than I usually do on basic skirt, and it's the only garment finished in April.

Firstly, when I basted the skirt and tried it on, it clinged to my bare legs, because of static. It was impossible to check the fit. I washed the fabric in fabric softener and it solved the problem.

Then I had no idea how to hem the skirt. I searched over internet, and suggested method for hemming silk is so called baby-hem. I was afraid it wouldn't work on skirt with back vent. I tried to use seam-a-steam, and I almost ruined the garment. I need to cut off few centimetres. Eventually I turned the hem under and stitched.

Me Made May 2014

I, Malgorzata of http://attagirl-pl.blogspot.com, sign up as a participant of Me-Made-May '14. I endeavour to wear at least 1 handmade garment three days a week for the duration of May 2014

More info on Zoe's blog

Skirt for spring

I recently learned the concept of "capsule wardrobe". Basically, it's an idea of creating the collection of essential items of clothing that will not go out of fashion and then update with seasonal pieces. Those basis items should be interchengable in order to maximise the number of outfits.

I started my capsule wardrobe with a skirt. I bought the lightweight wool during my trip to Warszaw in January, and thought it would make great skirt for transitional season. The pattern is good old Simplicity 2451.

I was making the skirt for the third time, so all alterations had been done previously. I lenghten back darts. I also lined the skirt using the same pattern as for fashion fabric.

The skirt is comfortable to wear and very versatile. It can be worn in casual outfits, or dressed up for office.

Back view

Kay Unger dress aka birthday dress.

I started this dress in November, intending to wear it on Christmas. Then I wanted it to finish before New Years Eve, and then before the theatre performance in February. In the meantime I managed to finish few knit projects. I finally finished it just before my birthday, so it became birthday dress.

The pattern is Vogue 1183, Kay Unger dress. It's my second designer pattern, the first one was famous Vogue 1250 (DKNY). The line drawings are misleading, because the bodice is much shorter, it hits under the bust.

I made a lot of changes for that pattern. I shortem midriff, lengthen the bodice front, and did swayback adjustment for the back. I also lengthen the skirt. I changed the shape of front darts, they looked weird as drafted. Instead of slit I made a vent.

The pattern is rated easy, but for me it wasn't. I had fitting issues, even though I made a muslin (it's something I rarely do). Few times I needed to rip the topstiching.

I 

I used wool crepe in bright red colour. I lined the dress with silk lining. If I was to sew it again, I would underline with silk organza to control wrinkling (provided I could buy silk organza somewhere).

 

I'm happy that I finally finished this dress. I'm glad with result , the dress looks elegant, and silk lining gives the feeling of luxury.

Wrap dress

Wrap dress czyli sukienka kopertowa. Ten fason nie jest chyba teraz popularny, a szkoda, bo sukienki kopertowe uszyte z dzianiny są wygodne w noszeniu.

Wybrałam wykrój Butterick 5454, dość popularny w świecie anglosaskim, ma kilkanaście recenzji na stronie Pattern Review. Dużą zaletą wykroju jest to, że wymaga tylko 1,8m dzianiny, zwykle zużycie materiału na kopertówki to około 2,5m. Ja zużyłam 2m, ze względu na duży wzór, który chciałam dopasować.

Sukienka szyła się lekko, łatwo i przyjemnie. Do wykroju wprowadziłam kilka poprawek, m.in. skróciłam górę sukienki o 1,5cm, wydłużyłam dół o 3 cm i zwęziłam pasek.

Dzianina to wiskoza z dodatkiem lycry, kupiona on-line w Bławatku (powinnam mieć u nich jakąś zniżkę za reklamę).

 

Here is my pattern review for Butterick 5454 wrap dress.

Pattern Description: Close fitting dress, has wrap fronts, front tucks, front and back pleats, self ties

Pattern Sizing:8-14. I cut 12 and was OK for me.

Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you were done sewing with it?Yes

Were the instructions easy to follow?There were OK. The only issue I had that I couldn't figure out how to attach ties, so I did it my way.

What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern? I like the front tucks, even though in my printed fabric they are not very noticeable. Bodice front lies flat and is not gaping. I don't like the ties because the add bulk in waist area.

Fabric Used:Rayon lycra knit

Pattern alterations or any design changes you made: I shortened the bodice by 1.5cm (but please bear in mind that I'm short waisted and usually need to shorten by 2.5cm). I lenghten the skirt by 3 cm (for me it was too short as drafted). I used binding for front/back necline. I topstiched hem with twinneedle.

Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others? I'm not sure if I would sew it again, because I have many other patterns to sew. But I recommend it to others because it easy pattern.

Conclusion: It was my first wrap dress, and I'm note sure if the style works for me. Maybe I need to wear it few times and get used to it.

Urodzinowa sukienka

Sukienkę uszyłam jeszcze w styczniu, na urodziny mojej siostrzenicy. Skorzystałam z wykroju New Look 6957.

W swoich zapasach znalazłam tkaninę w groszki, najprawdopodobniej elanobawełnę, którą kiedyś kupiłam bez specjalnego pomysłu na wykorzystanie. Ale właśnie nadszedł jej czas. Ponieważ materiał jest dość przezroczysty, wszyłam podszewkę z cienkiego batystu bawełnianego.

This is the dress I sew in January, as birthday dress for my niece. I used New Look 6957.

The fabric is cotton blend from my stash. I bought it some time ago, with no specific project in my mind.  Now it came in handy. The fabric is sheer, so I lined the dress with cotton voile.

Ciepły sweter

Dziś pierwsza rzecz, którą w tym roku uszyłam dla siebie. Jest to kolejny projekt z wykorzystaniem wykroju McCall's  6612, tym razem w postaci ciepłego sweterka z dużym golfem. Szyłam go w zasadzie tak samo, jak sukienkę w panterkę. Jedyne zmiany, jakie wprowadziłam tym razem, to podniesienie linii podkroju szyi o 2,5 cm i zwężenie golfu po 4 cm z każdej strony. Myślę, że golf lepiej się układa przy mniejszym dekolcie.
Dzianinę kupiłam w sklepie stacjonarnym w Białymstoku. Jest to mieszanka akrylu i poliamidu z małym dodatkiem wełny.

This is the first finished garment I sew for myself this year. It's another version of McCall's 6612, which seems to be my TNT knit pattern. I sew it the same way as leopard print dress. I made some minor changes, like raising neckline by 2.5 cm, and narrowed the cowl  by 4 cm from each side. I think the cowl looks better now.

The fabric I bought in store i Białystok. It's acrylic-poliamid-wool blend.