A funny thing happened on the way to the craft show

With a different belt!  This was
just what I had within reach.

I made a dress.  For me.

This is a momentous event, because I haven't done that for quite some time.

It isn't a complicated dress, but it still sat on my workroom table unfinished for the better part of two weeks.

It isn't a complicated dress, but I liked the pattern so much I made it in a Liberty cotton that I've had sitting for several summers.  It's cool and airy and I love it.

The pattern is Simplicity 1609, and I noticed it a while back on Gertie's blog.  I'm glad I read her review of it, because this dress does not have the Big 4's usual excessive ease.  I'm usually a 12 in Simplicity, etc., but I went by my measurements this time and I'm a 14.  I know it looks a big spacious on the dress form, but that's because Evelyn's back isn't as wide and she's somehow not gained an inch or so in the chest where I have.  We won't even discuss her refusal to adjust her waist measurement to mine.

I skipped one step in the pattern -- deliberately because of insufficient fabric, and because I didn't think it would make that much of a difference.  There's a center front seam on this dress, and instead I cut it on the fold, leaving off the excess which would have been the seam allowance.  There didn't seem to be that much shaping to the front seam, and I didn't have quite enough fabric to cut separate pieces.  Next time I'll follow the instructions, because having that seam really would give me the ability to tweak the fit a bit more, but since I wanted this version to be looser and less fitted, it worked fine.

The darts on this pattern really make a difference in the fit.  Even though I like shift dresses, they tend not to be the most fitted things in my wardrobe.  (Yes, Simplicity is calling this an A-line dress, but we can agree to disagree, can't we?  It feels more like a shift when I'm wearing it.)  This has two darts in the front and one in the back.  And if I'd kept that center front seam, who knows what greatness I would have achieved?

Hard to see the detail of the Liberty print in the full size photo

Anyway, quick, fast, cute summer dress - two pattern pieces, facing pieces, invisible zipper.  It shouldn't have taken me any time at all, but I kept getting distracted between steps.  If you need some cute instant gratification, I'd recommend this dress.  But be warned, there's not much excess in this pattern, so if you're not going to make a muslin, go up a size if you have to and work your way back down.  With that many darts and a center seam, you can fix anything - just cut the facing last, after you've stabilized what your size is!

Pirate Shirts - the next big thing?

It's that time again - theater sewing.  Our local group is doing the Tempest in April, and I was asked to take on a project or two. 

Here's the first, Simplicity 3758, modeled by a man who has apparently overcome (at least temporarily) his Seinfeld-induced pirate shirt trauma.

Full patternreview here.

Pattern Description: Misses, mens and teens poet/pirate shirt with choice of lace up neck, front ruffles, ruffled cuffs, etc. I made view B, with the plain neck and no ruffles.


Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you were done sewing with it? It did, other than the color (the view that I made, view B, is the one shown in black on the envelope, and is almost invisible. Of course).

Were the instructions easy to follow? Very easy. I've made a lot of "standard" men's shirts, but because of the neckline and enormous amounts of gathering on this, I referred back to the instructions a few times to make sure I didn't get lost.

What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern? I didn't pick it out - it was given to me by the costumer for my local theater company, but I can't object to her choice. It's a great pattern, it will last them for many shows if no one destroys it, and it didn't take long at all to work up.

Fabric Used: White cotton, also provided by the costumer. I'd have liked something with a touch more drape, but there's so much fabric here it drapes whether it wants to or not.

Pattern alterations or any design changes you made: None. She said that View B (without ruffles) was what they needed, so that's what I made. Since the actor is playing 2 different parts, she has a detachable ruffle and elasticated ruffle cuffs to swap off and on depending on which character he plays. 

Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others? I'd definitely recommend it if you need a poet/pirate or other pouffy shirt. I doubt there's a reason for one in my house - when I showed it to DH, he muttered something about a traumatic Seinfeld episode and left the room. He's posing here under great duress and the promise of a special dinner.

Conclusion: I think doing all the gathering took longer than constructing the actual shirt. A pretty impressive result for not a lot of work.

Guy stuff

Otherwise known as the man has new pants.  I picked this pattern, Simplicity 5581, up at the pattern swap at PR Weekend.  Talk about madness.  Never dump a hundred or so patterns on a flat surface and then let a hundred or so women at them simultaneously.  Someone could get hurt.

Here's the pattern review:

Pattern Description: Men and boys shirt, cargo shorts and hat.

This review is specifically for the shorts. I have two TNT men's shirts - both KwikSew - and didn't want to try out a new one. But he's in dire need of shorts, and I picked this pattern up at the pattern swap at PR Weekend Chicago. Free pattern? I'll try it.

Pattern Sizing: Boy's S-L and Men's S-XL. I made size M, which corresponded to a 34" waist.

Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you were done sewing with it? Yes! The pic of the shorts on with his shirt pulled up shows the faced waistband and belt loops, front and back.


Were the instructions easy to follow? Mostly they were very clear. There are 36 steps for these shorts, from start to finish. I was with them until step 33, a particularly strange way of handling the waist facing (the shorts don't have a waistband, but a faced waist that somehow - I did it and I still don't know how - is folded one way, sewn to the zipper area on either side, then flattened out and sewn at the waist seam. I think they neglected to mention the flattening out after doing the odd seam at the zip, which makes it look like there's no way the thing will EVER fit. Once I stopped puzzling over the instructions and just played with the fabric, it made sense. Almost.

What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern? I grabbed this off the pattern swap table because Mario has been complaining he can't find any shorts that he likes. Maybe if he went to the store, he'd find some, but he's enough like me that he goes to the thrift store, and they've been lacking in his size. Eventually the complaints turned into a request for shorts, and when I saw this pattern, I figured it was fate. I like that they aren't "standard" shorts - the faced waist was interesting and less bulky than trying to sew a standard waistband, and I liked the pockets. The upper pockets were applied, so no pocket bags (and no bulk) and then the cargo pockets were applied beneath.

No dislikes, other than the slightly unintelligible finishing instructions.

Fabric Used: Poly-cotton blend twill bought at Jomar. We went on a shorts-fabric buying expedition and got a nice tan khaki and a brown denim. I grabbed this piece to use for the first pair, not being sure they'd turn out. DH doesn't know what a wearable muslin is, and I'm not telling. I figured it was good enough for the first version, and a little lighter weight if the multiple thicknesses of fabric got finicky to sew. No problems, and the fabric looks better made up than it did on the table.

Pattern alterations or any design changes you made: No changes or alterations for this pair. On an unfamiliar pattern (especially when not sewing for myself) I usually try to work up a pattern exactly as is. This was very well drafted; everything matched up as it should and the only problem was one that I hadn't - and should have - anticipated.

Mario is 5'6". I'm 5'3". However, we both have a 30" inseam. I've only ever made shirts and jackets for him before, so it didn't occur to me that the inseam on a pair of SHORTS would need to be adjusted. But they do. The shorts, unhemmed and as drafted, hit him almost mid-calf. I'm not letting him out of the house in capri pants. I'm not letting him near the door!

Hemming them to the knee, and still a smidge longer than I would like, takes the length exactly to the bottom of the cargo pockets. I was going to pick out the bottom seam of the pockets, shorten them and restitch them (couldn't remove them entirely and move them up because the top pockets are applied, and they would end up on top of each other). He convinced me to leave well enough alone - they ARE a muslin, after all - so I did. But they bother me.

For some reason, there's only one back pockets on these shorts. I added another one for balance.

The BEST thing about this pattern, and something I will take with me onto the next pair of jeans I make, was the fly front. I hadn't made a pair of pants before with the extra flap sewn on the fly. I've done the fly shield, but using the extra piece adds more stability to the fly and gives more layers for the final stitching. Much better, and the zipper is set back like a proper RTW zipper, instead of the too-close-to-the-edge effect I've gotten a few times with jeans instructions. Here's the inside of the fly area.

Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others? They have his approval, and mine, once I adjust the length to suit him. He requested that the next pair have different cargo pockets - instead of the neat, folded pocket that gives expansion without being bulky, he wants real bellows pockets with the extra strip of fabric around the sides. Okay, honey, whatever you want. Catch a woman adding lots of fabric to the outside of her thighs. Not very likely.

Conclusion: Great shorts, good fit and not a long process even with all the topstitching involved on the pockets.