Sleeve variation on a tunic top, plus more sleeve talk

Why is it so satisfying to use a pattern multiple times? I know I'm not the only one that derives some extra sewing pleasure from pattern reuse. For my part, it mostly appeals to my thrifty side. By making another version that is perhaps one fewer new pattern purchased. Plus there is the saved time because I have already done the pattern fitting.
So what did I get my money's worth from this summer? It's the very simple but elegant New Look 6677. Which in fact cost me nothing as I found it in a grab bag of patterns that my friend Alice gave me some months ago. And used first to make her this blue eyelet top - a complete success. And then I made another version for myself.

I have neglected to share a few of the Craftsy sewing blog posts that I had published recently - I have been doing some how-to posts on sleeves and wanted to do a post on how to design a flutter sleeve. Which is not really my favorite but it is kind of useful, and looks really pretty when used on the right top or dress.



I decided to use this New Look top pattern to make a version with the flutter sleeves. This fabric was from Joann fabrics, it is nice rayon woven, lightweight and just right for a bit of flutter in the sleeves. I loved the color and saw it there in the front on a few different visits to the store (where I go mostly to buy random stuff that I don't have, like buttons for a specific project or lining) So with a discount coupon it was around $ 8. For this fabric, using the border print was no problem, it wasn't an issue to turn the fabric sideways and cut on the cross grain. But do take note of that, sometimes there are border prints, with some stretch, but by cutting on the cross grain it has the stretch running the wrong way (which is up and down instead of around the body). I have also fallen into that trap with a solid - in this post the second jacket shown I cut with the stretch going the wrong way and it bugs me a lot!)

These woven rayons and rayon challis are really nice fabrics to sew, although they do wrinkle a bit too much for my taste. But for dresses and blouses they are vastly better than quilting cottons, the drape is perfect for a lot of styles.

A look at the flutter sleeve. Once finished I think this didn't really go with the rest of the garment. A flutter sleeve looks much better with an open neckline, so you can guess what I did later.

Here is the link to my Craftsy post on how to create the flutter sleeve. I do think it is a nice sleeve used in the right spot - some people just don't want their arms to show, or require a bit more coverage but a regular sleeve seems constricting or too casual. This is a good sleeve to try if you want to avoid doing a bicep adjustment. Basically everything in the design book that I use can look fantastic or goofy - it just depends on using each design element in the right spot. For some reason I think of these sleeves on a bias cut satin evening gown in a 1930's black and white movie with a glamorous vixen running around with a fur stole and gardenia in her hair.



And here is a look at it on me. While I love the fabric I didn't like the look very much. Perhaps it is the proportion, the top might be kind of long but I was going for the tunic look. Also it would look good with white jeans but I think it was about 100˚F when we took this picture so shorts it was. It seems too covered up with that collar which works so well with the sleeveless version. As evidenced by a lot of my other posts, I am a proportion scrutinizer. I think that a part of sewing experience is being able to evaluate the shapes and proportions of a pattern or garment, not just as designed but as it looks on your own body.




You can guess what it did next. Actually since I had my doubts on the sleeves but needed to photograph for the Craftsy post, I just machine basted them on. Then I let this one marinate for a while, even putting it on one evening as I was going out to meet friends for a drink - but it just didn't feel right. So back on the dress form for some more contemplation. And finally this happened.



For me so much more wearable.  And here is a terrible iPhone timer photo taken late in the day when the lighting wasn't cooperating, thus the color looks really off. I like it so much better and have already worn it a few times. Plus tomorrow it is supposed to be 100˚ here again so I am still wearing my sleeveless summer tops despite autumn being just around the corner. Proved by the number of leaves falling in my front yard and the bedraggled look of all the plants which are very tired and just waiting for some much needed rain!



On the theme of sleeves I also did another recent post for Craftsy, on how to do the Tulip sleeve. Which is another variation that cleverly uses the existing sleeve pattern piece and is them modified. Which makes it easy to sew into the garment because you don't change the sleeve cap at all. Check it out!  And that grey dotted top pictured in the post was a test garment for a new to me New Look pattern, since I had such success with the one at the top of this post I checked out their pattern book for another and found this one, New Look 6374. Super cute pattern, hideous on the pattern envelope, and I have already made a couple of versions.



If you are interested in sleeve fitting and sewing, I have done a number of posts on Craftsy on various sleeve-y topics. Here some of my previous ones if you want to take a look. And I have another one in progress, soon to be published, deconstructing sleeve patterns with explanations on all the various markings. Whew! sleeves are an endless supply of topics, who knew?

How to make a two-piece sleeve (very good for fitting a full bicep)

Pattern Adjustment: how to ensure your sleeve fits perfectly

How to sew sleeves in a coat or jacket

Thank you everyone for your nice comments on my previous post, on the striped and pieced Burda dress. I was looking at the BurdaStyle website and see a version that is color-blocked - that might be my favorite version by far. I am really happy with the fit of the dress so that pattern will go in the "perhaps to be sewn again next spring" category. It would a great one for color-blocking using up smallish pieces of solid color fabric. It interests me that a lot of readers often suggest adding a cardigan in a bright color. I appreciate the suggestion - but I never wear cardigans :) In fact I think I might have two? I'm just not a cardigan wearer - either it is a pullover sweater in the winter because it is chilly or I wear a sleeveless dress because it is very hot here - so cardigan weather doesn't really happen. Plus if I sewed up a nice dress then I don't want to cover it up with a cardigan! Yep we all have our wardrobe quirks.  Now jackets are another story.

Speaking of jackets - I am just starting on a wool jacket. Because I am bonkers. OK not that. I did a big closet clean out a few weeks ago, however I still have soooooo many nice wool coats and jackets. But sometimes you just get a bug in your head and have to sew something new, right?  Speaking of bugs, I have a annoying cold this weekend (when is having a cold not annoying?) so I am taking it easy, catching up on my Tivo recordings and maybe doing a bit of sewing. I went to Seattle last week to see friends and it seems like a 50-50 chance that if I fly anywhere I get a cold, usually after the return. Anyone else experience this? Oh well, enough whining...

Because it was so worth it - one of my best friends moved up to the great northwest (as I call it) about 18 years ago so I've had the opportunity to visit often. While I always prefer palm trees to pine trees it is beautiful and green, and their food/wine scene is great. My friends just bought a vacation house on San Juan Island - so we did the ferry trip over there and I got to see that, very fun. I have a feeling I will be back. They have dungeness crab almost all year round - lucky them. It's a winter treat here in NorCal and last year the season was delayed due to environmental reasons. Which is tough on the local SF fisherman and also not good for our Christmas table.

But I will always be partial to the Golden State. So I couldn't resist taking this picture out the airplane window - look at that sunshine over the Golden Gate Bridge. And you can even see the Farallon Islands, which is our benchmark for how clear the sky is over the bay area. That is tiny Alcatraz island in the middle, and then Angel island on the right, which is a state park, has ferry service and you can even camp. Although I have never been there!



Happy weekend sewing,

Beth

Faux french jacket - more about sleeves

Hello stitchers and happy Friday! I am in the home stretch on this jacket and just getting to the point where I want it to be done. Always happens with coats and jackets, they are so much more involved than dresses, even this simple one. Plus my sewing room is a mass of black fibers as this boucle type fabric sheds constantly. Even migrating to the rest of the house. Do you ever see a dark squiggly thing on the floor and think it is a bug only to find on closer inspection it is a piece of thread? Happening extra often with this one.
Plus yesterday I was trying the jacket on for last fitting before doing the lining and trim when I decided that the fit was not quite right. Needs shoulder pads?  Something else? So I let it marinate during the evening, and finally decided that I should have narrowed the shoulders at the princess seam. Which is quite an easy adjustment with shoulder princess seams and one I could have done from the start. So now I have to open up those seams and adjust. Here is the jacket with some pins to indicate the alteration, about 1/2 inch out of the seam at the top tapering down about 5 inches frot and back. I am kicking myself as I did this same adjustment on this very similar Vogue 8865 blogged here and here.

OK, enough whining, now on to sleeves. I have noticed when I teach sewing students that sleeves are a big mystery to a lot of people.  How to fit, sew, ease, grade, press etc. They do have a lot of details that I think the pattern instructions, whether in Big 4 patterns or indies tend to omit or don't show in excruciating detail. The attention to detail and some tips can help take some of the pain out of sleeve sewing. In this post there is a run down of all my steps for putting in the sleeve in a tailored jacket if you want more info.

Getting a nice sleeve starts with marking the pattern pieces. Here are the upper and under sleeve pieces.

On the under sleeve it is easier to see, but on both sleeve parts there are both LARGE and SMALL dots. It is really important to mark these dots and use them.  When I was first sewing I never really paid attention to the various dots and it showed!

Red arrow, back of sleeve is always double notch

When you mark your sleeve pieces mark all the dots. You know I love tailor's tacks so that is my method of choice and on a textured fabric like this boucle I think it is the only reliable method. The LARGE dots, circled in red are used to place the sleeve in the jacket body. There is another large dot at the top of the sleeve cap which I have not marked here but those are all match their corresponding large dots on the jacket front and back. The small dots circled in blue are for matching the seams of the under and upper sleeve to each other. Note they are on the seam allowance and when you match them up the top of the sleeve often looks kind of strange but it works.

Here is is with the upper and under sleeve sewn together. Once those pieces are sewn together the result is a sleeve that matches the armscye (armhole but I think it is fun to use this archaic sounding word). Some of the dots are close together and it is tempting to ignore them but it really does help to get the sleeve lined up properly. Same goes for all marking dots on patterns. It is very tempting to match up the top ends of the sleeve and just stitch but if you do that you will find they are off at the hem edge and your sleeve armhole will not be quite right. Although on this pattern they have continued the seam allowances out properly so you could do it that way. But I like to match the dots, for some reason it is like ticking items off a to-do list, as I go along a little voice in my head is saying matched here and here and here. Steps accomplished, yay! Small victories, but in a long process the little steps add up. 

My lining is sewn together and I need to do one more thing before I sew it in. Carolyn(cmarie12) asked if I was planning any other trim and the answer is yes. I have been experimenting with fringe and this is the result. The fabric is sewn onto strips of silk organza and then fringed. Last night I watched 2 hours of Project Runway (the reunion show, hilarious and those people are crazy) and then the All-Stars Episode 1, also crazy, but entertaining. While I pulled the threads and made fringe. Strangely relaxing and mindless occupation.  I think I will add the trim, fringe and multiple pockets...or will look at it and hear Tim Gunn's voice saying " edit edit edit".  Time and staring at my dress form will tell.

Thanks for all the great comments and letting me know you appreciate the plaid matching tips. One comment really made me smile, from Laury who said "you have some mad skills". You have no idea how happy that concise comment made me. Big smile!

OK, off to meet a friend for lunch and then time to get this jacket completed - time to move on to the next thing. 

No garden photo today, everything is looking very dreary. And it is chilly today - I have to wear a jacket, and real shoes, eek, no more sandals for a while.  oooooh I so dislike autumn, despite the fun fabrics and patterns.  

Happy weekend sewing, Beth

A little something of a jacket

It is easy enough to post about my latest project, but when it comes to writing the title I was stumped. This is in the style of, and mostly inspired by the classic Chanel but oh, so far from the meticulous versions I have seen recently. So I wanted to call this my "faux french jacket."  It is faux because the fabric does not deserve the full treatment, quilted lining and all but I wanted to play around with the pattern and proportion on a jacket for myself.

This boucle-ish fabric is some kind of wool and acrylic blend which has been in my storage closet for almost 3 years. To see my first use of it scroll down to the bottom of this post - which also has lots of tips on working with plaid. Appropriate as I decided to focus on plaid matching in today's post, in particular sleeves and how to match them to the body of the garment.

I did make a muslin of this jacket because I wanted to cut it apart and then use each muslin piece to cut out the boucle fabric in a single layer. That is really helpful for matching the plaids as you can see everything lining up and don't have to rely on the folded or doubled fabric layers staying aligned. It may not be visible but I have marked all dots and notches in pencil on the muslin and then will do tailors tacks.

Ok, lets talk plaid matching. Firstly it is soooo much easier with an even plaid, which this is. If you look at older sewing and tailoring books they usually have great examples of even and uneven plaid. But my tip - stay away from the uneven ones unless you want to tear your hair out. 

The red squares indicate places where the plaid should match. This fabric has 1" squares of blue thread and then a black metallic thread so I am using the blue as it is easily visible. I actually started with the front pieces, and matched at the center of the bust on the front princess seam and them moved from there. Depending on the style it may get wonky as you go around the jacket but you want the front to be the very best spot. Important NOTE:  the matching is at the seam line, not the edge of the muslin or the paper pattern piece. Does that make sense?  This is more noticeable at the shoulder, where the edge has a sharp angle. Sometimes it is not possible to match completely here, and a princess seam makes it a bit more tricky, but I just chose a spot and matched front and back. 

I made a note about the one inch seam allowance at the neck as that will come into play later.

Once I get the body of the jacket all stitched together then I cut out the sleeve. Sometimes I do it all at once but I think it is better to do it after, then you can use your muslin pieces and see where the notches etc. are actually landing on plaid.

To place the sleeve on the plaid, I match the front single notch of the sleeve to the single notch of the jacket front body. If the pattern is properly designed, and you have kept on the straight grain then the sleeve should match at the armhole and match the jacket body as the arm hangs. This is a simple 2-piece sleeve, on a non-faux version it would likely be a three piece sleeve. But let's not get crazy for this not worthy fabric. For the under sleeve, I match at the top where the double notches are on the back seam. This seam is more likely to show than the front seam which is more hidden under the arm. Grainline is very important here, and then there is usually some ease on a good pattern for the elbow as I note above. 

I am pretty impressed with this pattern, Vogue 7975. I started with a size 12 which is my usual Vogue size and only adjusted a little at the hips. The sleeves fit very well into the armholes with no excessive ease. I am making View B which meets in the center front, no buttons. What is up with View A here? She is looking a bit stern and cranky as I would be if they put me in that weird neck bow version. 

So after all my persnickety plaid efforts how did the sleeve turn out?  Here is a sneak peek at the jacket in progress. I am happy! Maybe this fabric is not so unworthy after all. In any case, the sleeve is just sewn on, no pressing or sleeve head yet. Plenty more steps and some sleeve sewing details in my next post. As for the trim, I got that last week at Discount Fabrics in Berkeley where I was pleasantly surprised to realize just how many unusual things they have on their shelves. Most trims were about $1.29 a yard. Every time I go there I pet all the leather and suede skins...one of these days I will buy one. So this trim,  I am still pondering but leaning towards yes, seems like this jacket needs a bit of punctuation and the color match is perfect. 

Can you see my yellow tailor's tacks there in the princess seam?

So that is the progress so far on my "Shanel" and credit for that name goes to Goodbye Valentino who just finished her gorgeous classic version here. 

Truth be told I started this jacket as a dry run. One of my sewing clients inherited a piece of Irish wool from Avoca handweavers and it is going to be sewn into this style jacket, soon I hope. My mom has always wanted a Chanel style jacket so I think one could be in the works for her as well, with more of the classic handstitching details. She deserves it :)

So onward with my fuzzy ravel-ly black fabric, I am at the "just want to be done with it" stage.

Happy sewing,  Beth

Today's SunnyGal garden photo, some purpley blue asters which are outgrowing their pot.

Rose Red is my new blue, Vogue 8865 Jacket

The last 12 months have been the year of blue. It seems like everything I sewed was blue or some variation. OK not everything but the year did include the vintage dress, the tunic top, the denim skirt, and my whole coat refashion project. It even continued into January with some knit tops, but did you notice a new color creeping into my palette? There was a hint of rose red with the Lekala dress I made for the holidays. I think this will be the year of red. Or pink...which do you think this is?  Actually I call it fuschia. Perhaps raspberry?

Do you recognize this fabric?  Maybe it is hard to tell but it is the same wool that I used for the V1247 skirt recently, or as I like to call it, the best skirt pattern ever.



This is a semi-recent Vogue pattern release, so I am kind of suprising myself by making it so soon, ordinarily I let these new patterns age for a while in my stash (unintended, I am just slow getting to the new ones). But this jacket requires very little fabric so it jumped to the top of the list. I bought this fabric at a sewing group sale, priced at two dollars for about 1.5 yards. I could not resist.
I haven't finished it yet but was in the mood to take some photos as I sewed, so let's talk trimming and sleeves.

You know I am a maniac for trimming. This jacket gives lots of opportunity to trim away all those corner junctions where the seams meet. The pin there on the shoulder seam shows how I trim away all those little squares which I feel add bulk and lumpy spots. On the right is a seam junction where I can trim away 4 little squares. I am positively giddy with snipping all these spots on this jacket. I don't know why I like this so much, similar to rose deadheading, somehow very satisfying.



Sewing sleeves can be tricky on a solid color like this, you want the sleeve cap to be smooth and unrumpled. The only way I can achieve this is to pin it until it looks like a porcupine. Do you put this many pins in your sleeve?  I start at the shoulder and underarm seam, then pin the notches, then the dots which are marked with tailor's tacks. From there I divide the extra ease between those places, pinning at the halfway spot and then again between those pins and so on until it is a mass of pins. And all the ease is distributed.  Then sew inside the circle.  Repeat, inside the circle. Let that be a mantra. Applies almost always for sleeves.

First stitching is long length at about 1/2" seam allowance, take out pins - check the sleeve. If there are any places where the ease is not quite right I take out just that section and repin and restitch until it is smooth. Once I am happy with it then I stitch again in a regular stitch length at the normal 5/8" seam allowance, and then stitch about 1/8" inside that.  Sleeves need this double row of stitching, this is the place that is most likely to fail on a garment. 

After that it is time to press, inside the circle.  Go around the whole sleeve seam with the tip of the iron and just press the seam as below. 

Time to trim.  Just the part from front to back at the notches, close to the inner row of stitching. This makes space for your arm in the armhole. Leave the rest of the seam allowance as that supports the sleeve cap.

Here is a look at my finished sleeve. This pattern is very well drafted, note that the sleeve fits so smoothly in the armhole. It is a two piece sleeve. The back princess seam looks a bit lumpy as I am playing around with the fit and took that seam in a bit, I haven't decided if that was needed and so I put the sleeves on as that is definitely needed to evaluate the fit of the upper back. The black coat I showed in the last post is there in the background, it still needs the lining and a few more details. I left that scrap of red wool on the floor to give verisimilitude, a fancy word to say that the floor is always littered with a zillion scraps until I can't stand it any more and get out the vacuum.

Onward with this jacket and a few other projects in red this spring. I like that Poppy Red in the Pantone  spring 2013 palette so maybe a casual cotton jacket. 

One more day to enter in my Blog Anniversary giveaway from my previous post. 

Happy spring sewing, Beth

Today's SunnyGal garden photo, things are starting to bloom around here. Tulips will be next but here is an azalea that lives next to the front door. I don't really like azaleas and have taken out a few in the backyard but this one likes its spot and blooms very well for a few weeks.

Vogue 1143 Jacket, how I hem sleeves

Thank you to everyone for all your fantastic comments. There certainly was widespread interest in seeing this jacket made up, lots of people said they had the pattern but were waiting to see a few reviews before taking the plunge.  I used a stretch woven that was just the right weight for the jacket but a bit too light for my liking for the pants but I am not sure what would be better.

When it comes to hems I am slightly obsessed with invisibility - and it is entirely possible with a few extra but easy steps.  Nothing new here, this method is available in many sewing texts but I was taking photos all the way through this construction so here is the process.

First step:  decide on the sleeve length.  Pin hem and then mark the edge with a thread trace, as in photo on the right. No need to press the hem, that comes later.
Second step:  apply a strip of fusible interfacing.  For this lightweight fabric I used fusible knit interfacing, for a tailored wool jacket I would use a woven weft fusible. For both these steps a sleeve board is invaluable. A necessity (and often available at garage sales, the older ones are so sturdy).

Next step: I hand sew the hem catching just a few threads of the fusible interfacing and not picking up any threads of the actual sleeve fabric.  Nice and loose - there should be a tiny bit of play in the thread so that it doesn't pull.  I think this is key in hem sewing, the actual hem should have a tiny bit of slack to prevent a stress line across the garment.
.         
On the right, finished hem, slightly out of focus image but you get the idea.  Next step: while the garment is on a hanger or dress form, cut the sleeve lining about 1/2" longer than the finished hem. Careful with the scissors here!  Let's just say that scissors + finished garment edge can be a dangerous combo.  Moving on...
Next step:  press under the cut edge of the sleeve lining about 1/4" or so.  No need to be super exact. Then turn up sleeve and lining and pin lining to sleeve.  By turning up the sleeve and lining this way you get that little bit of ease in the sleeve lining that allows for arm movement. Easier to show here in the photo below.

Next step: stitch the lining to the jacket sleeve. See the photo below, I stitch the lining just below the crease, so it is hidden and retains that bit of ease we added with the folding and pinning.

The lining for this jacket was well designed, I thought it fit perfectly which does not always seem to be the case. I actually sewed it in by machine as the pattern instructed (a rarity for me - I usually just hand sew in linings - I like that step) Although the bottom of the lining is hand stitched. The lining was a acetate satin that I had in my lining box - a lucky find of just the right color. Well not really, when I find a good lining on a super sale I buy 5 yards or so and stash it away. (grey, navy, black - always useful.)

    

Is that a pocket you see on the lining front?  Yes!  Once I finished the jacket lining and pinned it in for a check I thought this jacket needed a pocket, for a bit of mad money or business cards. It had to be hand sewed in, usually I would machine sew this type of inner pocket into the lining before it was finished. If you do add this type of pocket - go around the outer edge with your hand stitching twice, with a few random knots. You will be glad you did if you put anything weighty in the pocket, such as the aforementioned phone.

The front closure:  This is another reason why I mentioned in the previous post that this jacket should be worn closed and belted.  The pattern calls for snaps to close. Not the prettiest method.

OK - this pattern is DONE!    one last look at the finished jacket. Someone mentioned wearing it with other things, and now I am thinking a skirt but I will have to play around with proportions.

Onward to other projects. I am just about finished with a garment refashion (a coat into something else). As I mentioned previously, I remade the Thurlow pants pattern and they are fantastic. Finished a new knit top (New Look 6150, a winner, both versions).  And the holidays just around the corner.  eeeeeek!

Here is today's SunnyGal garden photo - a plant given to me by my pal Alice. She has a green thumb and end up with lots of giveaway plants. I need more of these, so pretty.      Happy Fall Sewing, Beth