V1179: take 3

This is my 3rd top for the SATT-2012 challenge. I've made this pattern (Vogue 1179) twice before, and I think this is one of my favorite patterns so far. Maybe because I like the neckline and shape and it gave me the least trouble when adjusting pattern (because indeed the shape is roomy, hence forgiving...) Easy means you wanna make more, and the more you make the faster it comes together no? :)

For this version I just added long sleeves (like 2nd version), and shortened the length to upper part of the hip on me.

The fabric I got from FabricMart and I love it. It's still for sale on their website for cheap on clearance!

The features that I love about this pattern: cowl neck and pleated front:

The pattern instruction tells you to stitch in the ditch (the cowl neck), but I usually handstitch it down on the inside so that messiness will not show on the outside...
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This week is my wedding anniversary week. I will need to sew me a dress to celebrate, so I will have to take a pause on the challenge which ends on the 15th! But I reached my target of 3, so I'm happy with that, but I have a lotttt of tops I have in my mind that I want to make...

I haven't decided what to do yet... I know I am not going to use the brocade-y eggplant fabric I first earmarked for the anniversary dress - I think it is not season appropriate... So, do I make another V1179 dress in a silk jersey print fabric I've been holding on to, knowing that it will be faster to put together? Or do I make a summery cotton dress which means hassling with pattern adjustment and I might not finish in time for the day but probably get done by the weekend when we will go out for our family anniversary dinner (or not)?

We'll see...

Starting at the top challenge 2012 - Top #3

Draped front neckline top

I bought the above Donna Karan Collection pattern Vogue 1282 during the recent March BMV sale. I love the drapey-ness of the neckline so I figured I will give it a try for my Starting at the Top-2012 challenge top #2.

I got this purple jersey fabric as part of my mystery bundle from my FabricMart purchase. Don't you just love mystery bundles? Hehehe... I love them!

V1282 is not really a difficult pattern to follow since there's only 3 pattern pieces for the top, and of the 3, 2 must be taped together to make one large bodice piece, and the last pattern piece is for armhole facing.

This pattern i think is quite similar to the popular V1250 which I tried once using a wearable muslin but was not too successful (my blog post of V1250 here).

My mistake was that I wanted a deeper drape on the neckline so I added to it but it causes the folds over the tummy to be quite bad which is not an effect that I wanted of course.

I haven't gone back to make pattern adjustments and a redo of the dress as I planned, but I suspect I will one of these days :)

So here is a picture of the completed top:

What I like about this top as I said is the drapey-ness of the neckline. More so than V1250 :) I do have to sew up the neckline even higher than the pattern indicated (for me by 3.5 inches), I think I've read reviews by other sewists that also noted that they did this. I also found that the armhole is very very low (you can see hmmm the side boob? You can see it also on the model on the pattern sleeves picture on top of this post), which means for me that without a cover-up I might not wear this.... (Not that I wear sleeveless top comfortably without anything covering me no matter the temperature... ) But under a jacket or cardigan I think this top is fine.

Note for me: Also to take off 1" off both top of center back seams and taper down...

Starting at the top challenge 2012 - Top #2
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Working on top #3 now. :)

Spring Gingham Peplum-ed Blouse

I am participating in the Starting at the Top 2012 challenge and my brain is swarming with ideas and well..... the desire to make this and that top, lots and lots of them - in other words, I am finding it difficult to decide. :)

I also do not have a TNT (tried and true) pattern yet, other than the Sorbetto, so instead of cranking up sewing one after another, I had to also use the challenge time to make adjustments to my patterns of choice (starting today......).

My very first top for the challenge is a refashion project from a thrifted man's checked/gingham shirt to a blouse with what I intend to be peplum:



The blouse has a princess seam on the front, darts on the back, and short sleeves. I binded the neck and the sleeves with white fabric which is remnant from a previous project (also thrifted fabric). I used the button parts on the back (changed the original buttons to lovely thrifted pearl buttons) and left the pocket as it is instead of ripping it out so that I won't have tiny holes there.

This top is based on the pattern McCall's M6518 that I made previously for Valentine's.
I left out the midriff portion and fashioned the bottom part of the original shirt into a peplum for my new blouse. I shouldn't have left out the midriff band I think :) With the midriff band I think the blouse would've look more like the peplum blouse in my head.

I do love this new blouse though. I think it's cute, it's spring-summer appropriate, but I think I can still work on the design part to make it a better peplum blouse.... Maybe the next one will be in eyelet cotton fabric I thrifted, or fabric with prints. Or both? :)

For full disclosure let me tell you that I initially made this top too small (because I wanted to start on this top ASAP and forgot my notes on the adjustments I made to the red dress, so I just directly cut the pattern to a 14...).

Seems like my shoulder is smaller like a 12, my bust & back will be 16 and my waist is a whole another matter! Not that I know this as a fact, this is more of a guestimate. Hell, that's how I always end up needing to make adjustments :)

Starting at the top challenge 2012 - Top #1