The Tale of Two Tops

A few weeks ago, I posted the dress I made using the Islander Sewing Systems Easy V Express Top. I was very happy with how it translated into a dress.  

A number of you asked about the pattern, and the difference/similarity between the Islander pattern and the Presto Popover Top from Naughty Bobbins Patterns.

While both patterns look similar, there are some very different details to each pattern. The Easy V Express Top has a set in pleat in the back neckline. Look closely at the picture above and you'll see the pleat detail. 

You can easily see that pleat in the picture below.  

The Naughty Bobbins Presto Popover Top does not have the set in pleat. 

For the picture, I left the neckline standing, but once on the body, it will crush and drape a bit, depending on the fabric that is used.

The Presto Popover Top is much more form fitting. It is also has a fully lined front bodice.

The Easy V Express Top is softer. The front bodice is not fully lined, but has a fold back facing. The Express Top is also a much more forgiving fit. In other words, not form fitting. 

  

Both are great patterns, with easy to follow instructions. Both patterns go together very quickly. I can't say that I have a favorite, I like both and the subtle differences. One thing to keep in mind is that since the Presto Top has a fully lined front bodice, it does take more fabric. One of the reasons I chose the Presto Top for the white version is that it is fully lined.  

I hope that has answered some of your questions. If you have more, please leave a message and I will do my best to answer. 

Until next time...

Keep Sewing :)

Rhonda

Pattern Testing/Naughty Bobbins Patterns

Back in December, I had the opportunity to test the new Bon Matin dress pattern from Naughty Bobbins Patterns. So, I have been sitting on this dress for quite some time. What I especially appreciated was that Coco really wanted the input of the testers, and the pattern was not finished until she had received the comments. 

The sketch of the dress gives the impression that it is a little high-waisted. It is not. It sits beautifully at the waist. The dress is quite feminine, and because there are no zippers, or button openings, it's one that you can literally throw on and be out the door in minutes.   

Pictures of me in the dress will soon follow, but here is what I made. I had a little fun with the pattern of the fabric, using it horizontally for the bodice, and vertically for the skirt. As I said, the waistline is elasticized, and the skirt features side seam pockets.

   

The sleeves(and you know I love a good sleeve!)are 3/4 length, slightly gathered at the shoulder, balloon out at the bottom, and have a small edged finished. 

I absolutely loved how the neckline was finished. The binding is serged on 1 side, but the end of the tie is sewn and turned. The process is very well explained in the instructions. The neckline is feminine, and just a bit alluring with the opening and the tie. 

I had thought that I would order a red belt to wear with my dress, but I remembered the Sobi Obi Belt pattern from Pattern Union. I have some leftover red suede, so I think that will work out just fine :)

I just ordered the pullover and stirrup pant pattern from Naughty Bobbins Patterns. Really looking forward to putting this one together!

By the way, the Bon Matin dress pattern lends itself to some wonderful hacks. The bodice would be lovely lengthened into a tunic. I actually have it on my cutting table :) Hoping to finish it over the weekend!

Happy Sewing!

 Rhonda

Sewing Indie Month/Pattern Hacking the Spearmint Coat

Sewing Indie Month is almost over!!! Where has September gone??? Although September will end, I've decided to keep the pattern hacking posts coming, at least for a while as there are a number of things that I would like to do and I think it's always fun to see how a pattern can be stretched to so many other possibilities.

Now on to the big project for this month. You'll remember that this is how my Spearmint Coat from Lolita Patterns began. Again, so sorry for the wrinkles. You would think that I don't own an iron!

My issue with the collar and neckline is that it's just too low and too open for wearing during the many cold weather months that we have here in Chicago. 

In order to keep the coat and save the day, I used the existing collar pattern, but re-draped the lower portion of the collar. In case you missed it, you can see that post HERE.

I had hoped to have the collar completely finished this week, but I have yet to find buttons. I'm headed out today on a button finding safari, so maybe I'll be in luck. 

I decided to go ahead and baste the collar together so that you could see what the collar will actually look like. It's a little difficult to get a true impression with muslin. I'm very pleased with the collar. In order to keep the collar closed, I will be adding loops where you see the pins and the buttons will run along the edge of the collar and then down the center front of the coat. There are 4 pins in the collar, but I think I will only have 3 loops and corresponding buttons.

 The back of the collar lays beautifully over the back.

 What the collar will look like when left open.

I decided to go all out wild with the lining and use this vintage piece. Hey, we need a little pop of color here in the winter! The days can get awfully gray.

 A peek inside the pockets.

I decided to make one small change to the collar pattern before I cut it out. As you can see, the edge of the collar flattens out a bit, so I decided to add a curve to that edge. A minor change, but one I felt would enhance the way the collar lays across the back and shoulder.

Be sure to head over to the Sew Independent website and check out the posts from Mary of Idle Fancy who is heading up the Everyday Casual category and Laura of Lilacs and Lace who is heading up the Dressed to the Nines category. 

Have a wonderful day!

Rhonda

Hacking Made Easy With a Free Pattern

Happy start to the week!

I'm back from my trip to Maine. What a glorious week I had. The trip not only feed my body, but my spirit. I'll post more about the trip in another post. 

I had hoped to post this last week, but internet reception was a bit spotty at best. In order to call my husband, I actually would go out on the fire escape and stand facing the cell phone tower. Sometimes it worked and sometimes it didn't. 

I was introduced to Waffle Patterns last year during Sewing Indie Month. I really like Yuki's patterns. They are easy to make, the instructions are very well laid out, and the designs are fun, hip, and on trend. One aspect of her patterns that I especially like is that they are layered. All of the sizes are printed on the pattern, but before printing, you can actually choose the size that you would like to make and then  just print out that size. Wow, no going blind trying to cut on the correct size line!!! Or, if you are one size on top and another on the bottom, choose the two sizes and print out just the two. It's a great feature. 

The Zippered Blouson is part baseball jacket and part motorcycle jacket, but with a very soft edge.

When using a Waffle Pattern, be sure to look closely at the pattern dimensions as they are quite generous in ease. For instance, the size 40 has a 36" bust, but the finished measurement is 42". That's a full 6" of ease. So depending upon how you like your clothes to feel on your body, you may want to go down a size.

For those of you who would like to try a little pattern hacking, but feel a little intimidated, Yuki has made it easy with her free add on hood pattern for the Zippered Blouson. You can find the free pattern HERE. The hood is a three piece hood. Sit's beautifully on the head and looks great when it's down and laying across the back. I have made her hood pattern and I really like it. 

Yuki posted this option of the Zippered Blouson. I absolutely love the faux fur collar.

If you think that you would like to give a little pattern hacking a try, but with a guiding hand, you can find Yuki's Zippered Blouson pattern HERE.

If you do give the pattern a try,be sure to read about the layering of her patterns and just print out the sizes that you would like. As I said, it really is a great feature. 

Have fun!

Sewing Indie Month/Pattern Hacking the Spearmint Coat

As I shared with you last week, I'm the Pattern Hacker for Sewing Indie Month. It's always a lot of fun to take a pattern, maybe cut it up a bit, or manipulate it into something a little different. My first project is the Spearmint coat from Lolita Patterns. It's a lovely and ultra feminine coat that has a cascading ruffled collar. The issue is that I live in Chicago and an open collar in the dead of winter, well, it just won't do. So what to do?
Rather than all of the ruffles,

I decided that I would rather bring the collar up closer to my neck. Great idea, but how?

As you can see, I had already made the collar as the pattern dictated. To determine where I would like the collar rollover in the front, I began by matching the center back line of the collar to the center back line of the coat.  

I pinned the collar to the edge of the neckline and brought it around to the front and then pinned it where I would like for it to close. As you can see, the bottom portion of the original collar will no longer match the neckline of the coat.

In the picture below, you can see that the collar is pinned to the neckline of the coat and I also have a pin where the collar will make the turn to attach to the other side of the neckline. This will become an important notch.

This point will also need to be marked on the neckline of the coat as you see below.

I have now removed the collar from the coat and you can see the pins marking where the collar will make the turn and where it will attach to the other side of the neckline.

I want to keep the basic shape of the collar from center back to about the middle of the collar. In the picture below, I have matched the original collar up to the pattern and I am pointing to the 2 pins that mark where the collar will make the turn and where it will attach to the other side of the neckline. By the way, the collar will not be permanently attached to the other side of the neckline. I will sew a loop and a button at this point to close the collar.

From each of these points, I want to draw a straight line down that will be at least as long as the neck opening of the coat.

In the picture below, you can see how the collar no longer has the curl for the ruffles, but comes straight down the front of the coat. 

To drape the collar, begin at center back and match the center back seam of the collar to the center back seam of the coat.

Bring the collar around to the front and pin it to the neckline. At the point that was determined to be the turning point, the collar is then brought over to the other side of the neckline. Pin the extended portion of the collar to the coat.

Now, take a piece of marking wax and mark the edge of the coat neckline on to the muslin. Be sure to mark the center front point of the coat.

There is a 1 1/4" overlap at center front. 

 After I marked the edge of the collar, I removed the muslin. I then extended the line of the collar to match the 1 1/4" extension at center front of the coat, and I added my seam allowances.

Once I added my seam allowances to the new collar, I then put the collar back on the coat, matching the notches that I established.

I matched up the collar to the entire neckline to make sure that it is fitting as it should. Keep in mind that this is just half of the collar. Once the collar is completed, there will be a button on the opposite side of the neckline that will hold the collar closed. 

When the collar is left opened, it will basically look like a big shawl collar. So it can now be closed for added warmth and when it's left open, it will still look very pretty.

I've included the picture below so that you can see how the new collar compares to the original collar.

This is a fairly easy draping exercise. If you have never done any draping, but think that you might like to give the collar a try, please don't be intimated. Just be sure to do the draping in muslin so that you don't end up ruining your fashion fabric.
 The final edition of the coat with a completely finished collar will be posted on September 24th. I'm supposed to do my posts on Thursdays. I'm a day late this week. Hopefully I'll make it up with the other hacks that I intend to show.
Hope you're enjoying Sewing Indie Month. Be sure to check out all of the other posts that are being done throughout the blogosphere. Just click HERE to find the direct links.

The Pattern Hacker

As you know, this is not only National Sewing Month, but it's also Sewing Indie Month as well! Just a quick note about National Sewing Month. I for one am so very happy to have a month designated as a national sewing month. There was a time when I actually thought I would see the world of home sewing come to an end. At one time there were numerous fabric stores in downtown Chicago. Even our beloved Marshall Field's had an entire floor of fabric and yarn. Now we have only one fabric store in downtown Chicago. What was Marshall Field's is now Macy's and there is no fabric by the yard to be found. But I'm happy to say that my very own little neighborhood here in Chicago now has a fun fabric store, The Needle Shop and we also have a new quilt shop with delightful fabrics. So sewing is on the rise!!!!

By now, you may have figured out that I am once again the Pattern Hacker for Sewing Indie Month. I fill kinda like a super hero ;) A super hero with a pair of scissors and a sewing machine!! Actually, I am quite honored to be asked once again to head up this segment for Sewing Indie Month. Like last year, there is a contest and there are some wonderful prizes to be won. You can see all 3 categories and the accompanying prizes HERE.

The winner of the Pattern Hacking category will receive:

• One free Craftsy class of winner’s choice, a $40 value
• $25 gift certificate to Style Maker Fabrics 
• enrollment in the Pattern Workshop
• a $35 gift certificate to Notionally Better
• a $30 gift certificate to Hawthorne Threads
• a PDF pattern of your choice by Blueprints for Sewing
• a PDF pattern of your choice by Seamster Sewing Patterns
• a PDF pattern of your choice by Maison Fleur
• a PDF pattern of your choice by SeamstressErin Designs
• the Bonnell Dress PDF pattern Dixie DIY 

Click HERE for contest rules and how to enter.

Now, for a little hacking!

My first project is going to be the Spearmint Coat from Lolita Patterns. 

The neckline is very low with a large ruffled collar. (Please forgive my wrinkles!!) It's a very feminine design. Since I would like to wear this coat in the winter, and it is Chicago, I need a collar that isn't quite so open. So what to do?

A little sneak peek at what the new collar will look like. I'm keeping the beautiful shape of the collar, but forfeiting the ruffles to fill in the neckline. Be sure to pop back by next Thursday to see the finished collar and the how-tos.

Now, if you've made it to this point in the post, I have a surprise for you! I have 2, yes, 2 Spearmint patterns to give away, WOO HOO!!! 

If you would like a chance to win 1 of the patterns, just leave a message on this post. I will announce the winner on Monday, September 7, 2015. 

A little about the coat. I love the fit of this coat! Enough said :)

I think Sewing Indie Month is off to a great start!