A New Gown for a Gala/A New Pattern From Pattern Union

The highlight of the holiday season, for me, is the American Opera Society of Chicago's Holiday Gala. It's held at The Fortnightly, and it is simply an enchanting evening. Pictured below is Whitney Morrison, an incredibly lovely, and talented woman. So...you know what that means :), I needed a new dress. Yeah right...I "needed" a new dress ;)   

About a month ago, I shared with you 2 free patterns from Pattern Union, the Maisie Dress, and the Phoebe Jumpsuit. That prompted me to begin following Sarah on Instagram. She posted a request for pattern testers for a new pattern, and I thought, "oh, why not?" She promptly sent me a note with all the particulars, and the time frame worked for me, so I agreed to test the pattern.

The pattern is the Sumekko Dress. I was surprised to see that it only has 1 seam. How great is that?!! It has the option of no darts, 2 darts, or a more fitted version with 4 darts, so you can easily customize the fit.  

Another special aspect of the dress is that it comes with 4 fabulous stencils. I haven't had a chance to try them out yet, but I can't wait to get my hands dirty :) My only difficulty is choosing which one to try first. 

Since I "needed" a new dress for the gala, and I also needed to get my test pattern made up, I decided to combine the 2.

I loved how the dress has a slight racer back.

The pattern is intended for a jersey knit. I used a knit, but a much heavier knit. I wanted something with sparkle, and this piece has lots of sparkle, and I already had it in my "collection." To give it just a bit more pizzazz, I added the beaded motifs to the neckline, and then added the rhinestones as well. I had both, so nothing was purchased. But, I really wished that I had some larger rhinestones to mix in with the smaller. This is something I am planning to add.   

If I had worn flat shoes, the hem length would have been fine, but I wanted to wear heels, so I added the lace to the bottom of the dress. I loved how it just seemed to finish it off.   

The pattern has not been released yet, but Sarah is planning to release it later this week. You can find Pattern Union HERE. 

The pattern has so many possibilities. You can make it a casual garment, or dress it up for a gala event. Then, there's the opportunity to really make it special with the 4 stencils. You could cut it off and make a tank as well as a knee length dress. So, a pattern that is well worth adding to your collection.

Have a wonderful day!
Hope you have time to do something fun. I'm on my way to see the dentist :/ 
 Rhonda

The Stephen Burrows Challenge Coat

Today is cataract removal day :(  I was told to call the day before the surgery to find out what time I should arrive. To my great disappointment, I have to wait until 3 this afternoon to arrive, so the surgery probably won't take place at least until 4. Here I sit, hungry, thirsty, and thinking. Regardless of what everyone has told me about it being such a simple procedure, it's concerning when it's happening to you. Oh well, I've been through worse, and this too shall pass. 

I had promised to share my Stephen Burrows coat that I did for the Haute Couture fashion show. This was such a fun project!

The 2 pieces below are the original garments designed by Stephen Burrows. I've read conflicting stories on the piece. Some call it a coat, while others called it a coat dress. I decided that I would make the piece as a true coat as I would get more wear out of it.  

The first step was to find the fabric. I went with merino wool, so the colors are not as vibrant as those that Stephen Burrows used.

Next was the pattern. In retrospect, I probably should have drafted it myself, but I came across the Butterick pattern below, 6143. With some changes, I thought I would get the basic shape that I wanted. 

The skirt of the coat was far too full, so I pinned out some of the fullness to get the shape that I wanted.

For the bodice, since it is knit fabric, I ended up using Londa's Creative Threads Terrific 'T" pattern as a base. The shoulder was changed a bit. Below you can see how I laid the sleeve over the sleeve of the original coat pattern. I used the width of the sleeve, and lowered the cap to halfway between the top of the t-shirt sleeve and the coat sleeve cap.  

I used a fusible knit interfacing on the knit fabric where there were not multiple layers of fabric. Since I made a coat rather than a dress, the fabric needed a bit more stability.
   

I determined where I would use the different colors. The green knit was laid over the yellow, and then the band of navy blue knit was laid in place. I sewed the navy to the green and then flipped it over and hand sewed the bottom edge to the green.

The same process was done on the bodice. I also basted all the pieces together around the edge so that everything would remain in place.

With all the stripes coming together at center front, it makes inserting the zipper a little bit of a challenge. To ensure that the stripes did come together at center front, I basted the zipper in place prior to stitching. Once the zipper was stitched in place and I was happy with how the stripes matched, I did a catch stitch to hold the seam allowance in place.

Then came the challenge of the lining. Since the coat is a knit fabric, I needed a knit lining, but I still wanted to have some slip to it as a typical lining has so that it would slide on over whatever I wear underneath. A few years ago, the Haute Couture Club of Chicago celebrated our 50th anniversary. One of our members, Renee Liepins designed the fabric you see below. If you would like to see some of her other wonderful fabric designs, you can find them HERE on Spoonflower. This is a lovely knit that has a very nice slip to it. The only problem was that I didn't have enough to do the entire coat. But, I had the solid gray that matched, so all in all it worked out. 

Here's a closeup of the knit fabric. Look closely and you'll see the HC in the pattern. 

The back of my finished coat.

 The front unzipped. 

And finally, the front zipped. I really did match the stripes :)

I so enjoyed this project, so much so that I think I would like to copy another design. If I can find complimenting stripes, then this little outfit is in my future. I know, I know, I am not supposed to be shopping for fabric!!!

Thrifty Thursday/Super Cute Slouchy Hat

I have done a LOT of dumb things in my life ;) When I was in the 8th grade, I remember one particular day when it was so cold that I thought my ears would literally fall off of my head. Truth be told, had that happened, it would have been my own fault as I was just too vain to wear a hat on my head while walking to school. That day was a game changer though. As I walked, and my ears grew colder and colder, I vowed that I would never be this cold again, and yes, I would wear a hat. 

At the time, hats were just not the thing to wear, but after my experience, fashion or not, I was going to be warm. And so it has been ever since. I LOVE hats!!! If you were to look into my drawer, you would probably think I have more than 1 head since I have as many as I do. I have changed a lot since those days when I thought hats were horribly hideous. Having a hat for whatever the occasion may be is now just absolute fun! And soft hats fold down to nothing, so having a bunch is really not an issue. 

I recently saw a post from On The Cutting Room Floor for a free slouchy hat pattern and thought it was especially cute. A great little hat to wear, and when off, easily folded and stored in a coat pocket. It's intended for knit fabric, be it fleece, wool, or just a knit that you have left over from a t-shirt project. 

 

There are only 6 pages to print out, so quick and easy.

The pattern looks a little like church steeples to me ;)

I had a sweater that I had felted. I love the color and thought it would make into a fun hat. 

The sweater had side seams, so I couldn't cut the hat in one continuous piece, 

So I just cut it down the center and then added seam allowances to each side. 

I used the hem of the sweater for the bottom band. The instructions say to fold up the bottom 1 1/2". In the above picture, you can see that I placed the pattern right on the edge of the sweater, making it actually an 1 1/2" longer since I would not be turning up the bottom.If you aren't using a sweater with a finished edge, I would add at least 1" to the bottom of the pattern. You can always cut it off if you feel the hat is a little too long. But, it is supposed to be a slouchy hat, so a little more slouch is not such a bad thing :)  

I decided to have a little fun with the hat and add a tassel. All I did was take a piece of my sweater knit and cut it into fringe, leaving about 1 " at the top uncut. I then rolled the fringe around to make a tassel and stitched it securely together at the top. Once it was stitched together so that it would not open up, I then stitched it to the top of the hat.  

This is a very fast project, and something that would make a great, quick gift for just about everyone on your gift list. I made one for my husband, but shortened it so that there was no slouch. He loved it!

You can find the free pattern HERE. 

I plan on making a few more. A trip to the resale shop is on my agenda. Hopefully I'll find some fun sweaters that I can use. Our church usually has a request for hats, and or gloves at this time of year, so I thought I would use the pattern to make up a bunch. 

Enjoy!
Rhonda    

Islander Patterns Easy V Express Top Sew Along

This is the week of best laid plans going awry. Little did I know that the roofers were planning to arrive yesterday. So things were just a bit too noisy to try and get much done. But...better later than never, at least I hope :)

I just love getting new things to wear, but then, don't we all?!!! So I am so very excited about doing this sew along with the Islander Patterns Easy V Express Top. I get new things to wear, and you get to see a few things explained. The video isn't my best. I didn't sleep all that well last night, and I am just a little off my game, but I think it will shed a little light on the neckline pleat and give you some good pointers as you begin. 

For this top, I only used a yard of fabric. I measured it out just to make sure and it was exactly 37". I cut an XS size and the pattern calls for 1 1/2 yards. So if you have a yard of fabric that will fit the bill, by all means, give it a try. 

In this video, I talk about fabric choice, the pattern, and constructing the pleat at the neckline.




In our next video, we'll talk a little more about construction, especially the great neckline finish. We'll also talk about fitting, and what I did to get a nice fit on my dress.

Have fun, and if you have any questions, be sure to ask. I'll do my best to answer.

Remember, Janet is offering the pattern to anyone who comes by the blog at a 20% discount. Just use RHONDA in the promo code box. You can find the paper pattern HERE, and the downloadable pattern HERE.

For a Dress That's Fast To Make and Looks Great, Vogue 1250

A few years back, almost everyone in the internet sewing world was making Vogue 1250. This pattern must have been the hit that a pattern company dreams of having as so many were sold. The dress is made up of just 2 pattern pieces. The front, which is 1 piece, but it also wraps around for the back skirt. The second piece of the pattern is the back bodice. That's it. So it's a very fast make and I might add, a very forgiving design as well. Because of all the front drapes, you really don't need a perfect figure, and to be honest, who has a perfect figure? 

I needed(wanted) a new dress for a function that I will be attending and I really didn't have a lot of time to put something together. Vogue 1250 wasn't actually my first choice, but I ended up choosing the pattern because of the amount of fabric that I had. 

I found this pair of shoes, purely by accident, as I wasn't looking for a new pair of glitzy evening shoes. But when I saw them, I immediately thought of the fabric that I've had for quite some time and thought that the 2 might work well together, and too, the shoes were marked down to only $15.00!!! For some reason, the shoes photographed lighter than they are and the fabric darker. The fabric is a navy blue knit with gold lurex threads.

The bodice of this dress drapes beautifully.

The full length. As you can see from the pattern, I had to add to the length of the pattern in order to have a long dress. Not an issue of course.

 I added a slight fishtail to the center back seam of the dress to give it plenty of room for walking.

I'm super happy with the dress. If you like a front drape, get this pattern. Like I said, it is so very easy to make, and it's great for everything, from a casual summer dress to an evening gown.
Once I finished the dress, I remembered that Liana of Sew Intriguing made the dress up as an evening gown. You can see her post HERE.
This is one pattern that truly has the Rhonda seal of approval....as if it needed it!!!!
As soon as I wear the dress, I'll get pictures of me in it and post them. If I may say so myself, it really looks great on.

Fabulous Free Pattern Friday

I have wanted to get this dress made for some time. It's just simple rectangular shapes with drawstrings to give it shape. I'm calling it 

All Tied Up In A "T"

The dress is a simple "T" shape with 3 rows of casings for the drawstrings. 

A close up of the midriff area.

Without the drawstrings for shape, the dress looks like this. Okay for a nightgown, but nothing you would want to wear on the street

The dress is very simple to draft. You will need these measurements;
1. Hip measurement, add 2" for ease
2. length of arm from neck to wrist
3. desired length of dress. This would work well as a tunic, so you might want to go with a shorter style.
    Remember, the gathering of the drawstrings will bring the length up, so you will need to add to your length     measurement, I suggest at least 3". You can always cut off any extra.
To draft the pattern, begin by drawing a line the length of your arm. Determine how wide you would like your sleeve to be and draw a vertical line down from the desired sleeve length line. Notice that my sleeve is not a very full sleeve.
Determine the length of the dress and mark this on your paper. Divide your hip measurement plus ease by 4. Draw a vertical line up from the hemline 1/4th of your hip measurement with ease added.  

For my neckline, I measured over 5" from the center and down 5". Connect these points with a smooth curved line.

 The back of this garment is exactly the same as the front except for the neckline. Measure over 5" and 1 1/2" down. Connect these points with a smooth curved line.

Be sure to add seam allowance to all seams before cutting out your pattern.
Once cut, sew the shoulder seams and the side seams. Try the dress on and mark where you would like for the first casing to be placed under the bust. Cut strips for the casing and sew to the dress. Once you have sewn in the under bust casing, try the dress on once again and determine the waistline casing and the hip casing.

My fabric was not wide enough for the entire length of my arm. Not a problem, I just simply added a cuff to the end of the sleeve.

I suggest adding a piece of elastic to the under bust casing. This will help to hold dress comfortably to your body.

I made my dress out of a lightweight sweater knit. I suggest using a knit fabric.
I need to have a Friday fashion show as there are a number of pieces that I've made and I've only shown them to you on my little friend. I'll do that soon.  
Hope your last day of the week is off to a good start!
Rhonda

Thrifty Thursday

Hi Everyone!! So sorry about missing the Wednesday Showcase yesterday. I sat down to write and I was just so very tired, so I thought...hoped, no one would kill me for missing one week ;)
I am back with a new pattern for Thrifty Thursday. In the event that you missed last week's post, I'll do a quick catch up for you. There are so many of the independent pattern companies that are offering really nice patterns for free and I think it is such a wonderful thing for them to do. It gives us, the consumers, a chance to try out their patterns free of charge and  test out their sizing as well as the pattern with only the cost of some paper and ink, and of course our fabric and time, but that's beside the point! Last week I showcased two patterns to kick off this new feature. I showed you the Yellow Tail Camisole that I made using the free pattern from Disparate Disciplines and the Hemlock Tee from Grainline Studios. By the way, I loved them both and have worn them a few times now. Both are well worth the paper, ink and time spent taping the patterns together.
This week I am showcasing the Plantain T-Shirt from Deer and Doe Patterns.

The pattern comes graded, so there are a number of sizes to choose from, very nice. They do provide a sizing chart which makes it quite easy to choose your appropriate size. You also have the choice of a long or 3/4 length sleeve. It flares at the hips, so it is a very flattering silhouette. I did add 2" to the length of my top as I wanted mine to be a little longer. The only other alteration I made was I that need to take up the shoulders just a bit. Other than that, it was sew and go!

For a little added interest, the pattern comes with elbow pads. Such fun. I made my top out of a tie dye knit. As I was looking through my fabrics, I came across some Missoni knit scraps that just happened to have the same colors as the tie dye running through the narrow stripes, so I used the scraps to make my elbow pads. To attach my elbow pads, I simply did a narrow zigzag all the way around them.

In order to download the pattern, you will need to create an account with Deer and Doe, but it is very easy to do. There are 5 pieces to the pattern, the front, back, sleeve, neckband and the elbow pad. I love it when a pattern includes everything you'll need to make the pattern.
I found the pattern to be well drafted and very easy to make. This is a French company, but the instructions are in French as well as English, so as long as you speak one of those two languages, you won't have a problem. To be honest, the instructions really aren't necessary as the pattern is so easy to put together. You can find the pattern here, http://boutique.deer-and-doe.fr/29-tops-plantain-t-shirt.html I think you'll find it to be a welcome addition to your pattern collection!
Enjoy!!