Free Patterns Alert

For those who haven't read Connie's blog lately or who, like me, who just need a not-so-gentle reminder, the Russian site, Lekala Patterns, is offering free downloads of ALL their patterns for the entire month of September.




However, the downloads are only available in 42 or 44, but still, that's a load of free patterns, even if you have to fiddle with the sizing a bit. They claim their sizes are equivalent to BWOF sizing, so since I'm generally a 38 (knit) or 40 (woven) in BWOF, I don't think tinkering with some of these will be too much of a stretch.



And there are some interesting patterns for download. Quite a few dresses caught my eye, a few blouses, some skirts . . . the pants were remarkably unexciting, but that's probably okay because BWOF has the best fit for me anyhow, and if it's not broken, I really shouldn't attempt fixing it.

The pattern PDFs download quickly (even on my clunky computer) and most - though not all - have instructions written in English.

I've already downloaded about 10 patterns.

Have at it, ladies, September will be over before you know it.

Serious Ruffles

Finally, I can post pictures of this one and call it done!

It's actually been done for a while, but there were several reasons it didn't get worn and photographed. First off, it was just so hideously hot that I couldn't imagine wearing it and feeling all wilted before I even got to work. Okay, so I still could have photographed and posted about it, but I really didn't think it was a job for Mario and the white wall in the living room.

So here is where I offer thanks to my staff photographer, Andrea. She knows she'll the same from me.

There are more details (and some extra photos) in the patternreviews, so if you're interested, here's the skirt and the jacket.

As far as the skirt is concerned, I covered its origins in a post called Once Upon a Time - once upon a time I made a skirt, loved it, outgrew it and gave it away. Rather than regretting its loss, I decided that, since my skills and ability to fit are better now than they were when I made the skirt, I should just make a new, better skirt.

One that fit.

So I did. The skirt is my basic pencil skirt pattern, which started out life as a BWOF skirt and has been tweaked a few times to make me happy. The not-exactly-ruffled edging is lifted from BWOF 7/10 #125. By not-exactly-ruffled, I mean that those aren't ruffles. They're circles, cut, pinked and folded, and then sewn on. The bottom row was pinned and sewn on by machine, but I didn't like the look of the machine stitches, so for the second row, where the points would be visible, I sewed them all on by hand.

All together, that's 81 circles. Plus 6 more on the jacket pockets, if you're keeping track.

I love how it looks. I love ruffles, but I don't necessarily like how I look in them; I just don't strike me as frilly. Done in a non-frilly fabric, they suit me just fine.

The jacket - can you call it a jacket when it doesn't have sleeves? - is McCall 5859, a pattern I've liked since I saw Kisha's version last year. When I tried hers on, I even liked the sleeves, though I thought maybe they weren't quite me. But I cut them out and sewed them on anyway, and then, of course, I changed my mind, and off they came.

Which meant that I couldn't sew the lining in the way I wanted to, because the shoulder seams were already sewn, so I ended up attaching the lining at the armholes and hem by hand.

When I cut out the jacket, I cut all the pattern pieces, because I knew there wouldn't be any fabric left over if I decided later I wanted to add pockets, and of course, like removing the sleeves, I didn't decide I wanted to add the pockets until after the lining was sewn in. So the pockets got sewn on very, very carefully by hand.

In other words, there ended up being one hell of a lot of hand sewing in this outfit, considering that the bulk of it was machine-sewn.

But my mother always told me I had the patience of a snake when it came to getting what I wanted, and apparently I really wanted this outfit done, and done a certain way.

Another nice thing about the jacket is the collar. It's two piece, but not your normal collar and lapel. First off, the lapel is a separate piece, and the collar is separate from the lape. If you look at the jacket closeup you can see that the collar lays on top of the lapel instead of being sewn into it, like a normal evil Burda collar. I think it adds something to it, though I might change the size or shape next time I do it.

The body of this jacket is definitely getting filed away for further use. I'm pretty happy with the overall fit, the peplum is more flattering on me than I thought it would be - maybe becuase it covers any natural peplum I may have? - and I think once I draft a sleeve that doesn't make me want to scream, I'd be willing to make this up in a completely different fabric.

I hope everyone is having a great holiday weekend, with lots of sewing getting accomplished. I've been a domestic goddess of a different sort for most of the weekend - repairing my concrete front steps, clearing out the garden, doing a lot of cleaning - but I can hear the siren song of the sewing machine, calling me . . .

August: Month End Review

August was a pretty productive month - a couple of labor-intensive projects, like the finally finished and photographed gray pinstriped suit (full blog post coming soon).

The total for the month was 7 projects: pinstriped skirt, pinstriped jacket, McCall 6171 denim jacket muslin, BWOF 9/10 #121 turtleneck, white KwikSew tank for under the pinstriped suit and something else that I'm trying to remember. The post-it on the computer monitor says "7 projects," so I'm assuming there were 7.

As important, if not more so, was the great New York bonding event of August 28, 2010 - it started out as a meetup and turned into something way more fun. It's always so inspiring to get together with other fabric-obsessed women and compare projects (fairly easy since we're usually wearing something new and noteworthy to the event).

Besides the companionship, some really good fabrics followed me home, one of which was already put to good use in the BWOF 9/10 turtleneck. (And actually there's another turtleneck ready to join the fall wardrobe, made from a PR Weekend fabric, another one in solid black cut out and ready to sew).

I also picked up some trim in NY that has gotten me thinking about Butterick 5147 again. I lost interest in the sheath dress sewalong when the pinstriped skirt struck me, but the trim made me think about the fabric, which made me think about the dress. Not sure if I'm ready to work on it yet, but it's rising to the top of the pile.

What I'm really starting to think about are fall clothes. More on that later.

Personal best

Fabric, $20,

Burda Magazine subscription, $80.

Finishing a September pattern in August with fabric purchased on August 28th? Priceless.

I tried to post the patternreview last night, but the 3 month long Wardrobe Contest was ending, and it was just taking too long. Plus, I have to admit . . . I have dialup, and it doesn't deal well sometimes.

There. I said it. I have dialup. I also don't have a laptop, a phone that does anything more than make phone calls, or a serger.

It's okay, you can call me low-tech. I've been called a luddite by the really creative.

Here's the review:

Pattern Description: This turtleneck pullover with extra-long slim sleeves looks great with trousers/pants and skirts as well as underneath dresses. We suggest you sew up this simple style in several colors.

Wow, I actually agree with every word in that little blurb. That's a first.

Pattern Sizing: I used my standard BWOF size 38. I tend to make their patterns in 38 in knits and 40 in wovens. This fit true to size.

Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you were done sewing with it? Yes, except theirs were in solid white and black. Where's the fun in that?

Were the instructions easy to follow? Surprisingly, I looked at them and they made sense. How often does BWOF do that? Of course, they still have you sew the shoulder and side seams, then ease in the sleeve. Why? What's wrong with setting sleeves in flat in knits? Which is what I did, and it worked. I mainly looked to see how they handled the turtleneck, which was to tell you to fold it on the fold line, pin it and then turn it back outwards so that the seam allowances can be sewn together so the collar doesn't roll. It makes sense when you think about it.

What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern? It's a great basic, and I thought what I wanted to do with it was make a few solid color tops for use under dresses and jackets in my very cold office. But then the fabric took over and it became something slightly different.

Fabric Used: Rayon/lycra blend from Metro Textiles, purchased during the PR NYC Shopping Day on 8/28/10. Wow, a late August fabric purchase and a September BWOF pattern, done by August 31st. This might be a personal best.

Pattern alterations or any design changes you made: Nothing substantive. I would note that the sleeves are REALLY long on this one, longer than I would have expected given their description. I cut some excess off at the wrists and re-tapered them. I also took a little off the sleeve cap because I wanted to set it in flat instead of ease-stitching it, which always strikes me as pointless in a knit.

Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others? I'll definitely make this again - maybe next time in those practical solids I had planned to use. I like the fact that this gives the illusion of a turtleneck without actually being snug around my neck, which I find very uncomfortable, or having a seam at that point. This is actually more of a modified funnel-neck or mock-turtleneck, and I think it's more flattering than a classic turtleneck.

Conclusion: BWOF does two things well, really on-trend interesting pieces, and great basics. This would definitely go in the great basic category. I can see myself using this pattern over and over.

And then there were the fabrics

For those who are interested in the loot I lugged home from NY on Saturday, here we go:

First photo: 2 yards blue/white palm print stretch knit and some nice remnants of cream suede (both from Metro Textiles). The blue and white knit is destined to be a dress, though it hasn't decided which one yet. The suede, who knows. But it was two nice sized pieces and he only charged $8 for them, so who am I to say no to cheap leather?

Second photo: Possibly my favorite fabric of the day, and the most expensive (and totally not my colors, and I didn't care). Italian knit (aren't Kashi's best fabrics always Italian?) with a lovely stretch. I had originally said 2 yards but when he told me the price, I downgraded to one - from dress to top, in one easy move.

As far as which top, it's actually on the cutting table right now, well on its way to becoming the knit turtleneck in the otherwise bland September issue of BWOF.

The turtleneck is still pretty blah, but nothing about these pink, white, gray and black ladies is bland. Nothing. And it's fabulous to work with. I'm looking forward to the end of the heat wave so I can wear this one.

Third photo: Stretch woven, also from Metro, orange, black and teal stripes with bizarre bubbly-dots. I'm not sure what it wants to be yet, though it did have a friend purchased by the end of the day. 2 yards of this baby.

Fourth photo: The last of the Metro Textiles haul - bottom right, 2 yards of medallion-print silk for lining, bottom left, fabulous paisley remnant (free because it was under a yard), and top, aqua crinkled fabric that has absolutely no purpose but I have a weakness for the color and I'm sure something will come up. That paisley remnant has already been earmarked for the back of the gentleman's next vest. Definitely not a neutral.

Last photo: My one piece of fabric from Elliott Berman, a store where I would like to spend some serious quality time. I saw 5-6 different fabrics that really called to me, but when I unrolled this one and looked at that splotchy paisley design - in all my favorite colors - all the other fabrics went right out of my mind.

Italian cotton, they said this was. It feels almost as good as Liberty, and definitely washes as well. I think it's going to be a dress, probably for next spring-into-summer-into-fall.

All these fabrics have been pre-treated (if they can be) and are stacked up with the rest of the stash in the workroom, waiting for inspiration to strike.

I did make one purchase at Mood, completely unintentional. I blame Andrea, since she dragged me downstairs to help her look at leather. Somehow I went from looking at her leather to drooling over things I liked.

Long story short, I now have a jacket's worth of teal leather reclining comfortably on the shelf. It wants to be a jacket - after the big orange bag, I've had my fill of using expensive, brightly colored leather on something that will get put on the floor, dragged around everywhere and show marks in about 2 weeks time. Some leather looks good distressed; that did not. Definitely a jacket, but no ideas on style yet.

I briefly thought about swapping in the teal leather for the leather I had planned for McCall 6171, but I already have a matching zipper and lining, so what would be the point, other than using up the newest, shiniest piece of stash? Admittedly that is sometimes reason enough, but I left NY without a teal zipper of the right length and I'm certainly not going to find that here.

Just to make sure I didn't derail myself, I went in last night and started drawing out all the pattern pieces on the back of the leather I already had. It just fit, and I think the teal might be a little smaller, so leaving well enough alone was probably a good idea.

Lots of plans for the weekend, but not a lot of sewing. Labor Day Weekend is generally my time for getting all the last-minute outdoor house projects done, and this year will be no different. Plus we're going to go up and visit my aunt on Sunday and then on Monday I'll do more stuff to the house.

Who am I kidding? There will be sewing, and probably a decent bit of it.

PR NYC Shopping Day - August 28, 2010

Look at all those happy faces. Is it something in the fabric, do you think, or is it the fabric itself? Or is it the camaraderie, the sharing of ideas, projects past and future, the creative boost I always get from one of these get-togethers?

How about all of the above.

And I bought fabric, too. (More on that later - it's just out of the dryer and I need to fold it and pet it a little, introduce it to the rest of the stash).

When is a muslin not a muslin?

When it's wearable! I'm planning a new leather jacket for fall, and I chose McCall 6171 for the reasons set forth in the pattern review below.

I would go on at more length but I'm off to bed soon, to conserve my strength for the retail therapy excursion that is the PR NYC Shopping Day tomorrow.

Pattern Description: Misses lined, princess-seamed (front and back), zip front jackets, w/optional mandarin collar and sleeve variations. This is one of McCalls adjustable cup-size patterns.

Pattern Sizing: I made my standard size 12, which fit better than usual due to the adjustable cup-size option. Why can't they reissue all patterns with the FBA done for us? Why?

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? I didn't look at them until afterward - and then they were fine. This is a very straightforward pattern. If you've ever made a jacket with a separating zipper before, this is a piece of cake.

What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern? I'm planning a new leather jacket for fall and was looking for a simply styled jacket pattern, preferably with princess seams, that would work for that purpose. Simple lines because I don't like fussiness in leather, and princess seams because I'm limited on how many skins I have and I need a pattern with lots of smaller pieces. This has princess seams front and back, and an upper back yoke, so it's perfect for leather.

I also thought the lines were interesting in that the back yoke is more of a shoulder yoke - it extends over the shoulder and down the front, so there's no shoulder seam. It's little things like that that make me happy.

Fabric Used: Denim. This is a very wearable muslin for my next leather jacket. I like using denim to try out leather designs because the weight and lack of stretch are similar. Acetate travel print lining purchased at Jomar during PR Weekend Philadelphia.

Pattern alterations or any design changes you made: I made this straight out of the envelope in my size with only one exception - since I'm planning to do this again in leather, and since leather has no ease, I measured the armscye of the jacket and adjusted the sleeve cap accordingly. I took 2.5" of excess off the sleeve cap and was able to insert the sleeve completely flat.

Wonder of wonders, the jacket fits and I can raise my arms, so I really think they add WAY too much ease to these patterns. I also split the sleeve into two pieces, for ease of cutting on leather. I also think that depending on your fabric, a two-piece sleeve can be more flattering. This is the final pattern piece for the sleeve.

FYI for the lining - there are no separate lining pieces, you use the same princess seamed pieces as for the jacket, which to me is a little odd since the back yoke makes up a large portion of the lining and for stability's sake I did it in denim. For the leather version, I'll use lining fabric and just interface it.

For the leather version, I may or may not keep the collar. I'm a little iffy on it mandarin-style and prefer it folded down. I'll also add about 1.5" to the length of the jacket. I think this length is cute in the denim but for a true "outerwear" jacket, I might like it a bit longer.

Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others? Absolutely. I have 40 square feet of leather sitting on my sewing table waiting to become the next version of this jacket. As soon as I saw this pattern come out, I was excited - a leather jacket needs good, simple lines and lots of smaller pattern pieces, and this really fit the bill.

I'll do a separate review for the leather jacket and link back to this one, since they'll be similar but the structural issues will be different.

Conclusion: A streamlined princess seamed jacket. Definitely a winner!