A New Top: Simplicity 8752

Simplicity 8752 is an out-of-print pattern that I first saw on a YouTube channel: Vivmom Sews. The pattern is for knits, and my first version, last year, was out of a cotton jersey:

The top is fine, but I decided I wanted to lower the bust apex by an inch and try it in a rayon challlis, which I did:

I took the measurement of the grown-on sleeve and drafted an addition that made it 3/4s--my preferred length. I also drafted a neck facing--the knit version has a neckband, but I didn't want that for the challis.

                                                                                 

Fast forward to this summer. I knew I definitely needed more white tops in my wardrobe. I had made one out of a dotted Swiss/dobby a couple weeks ago, but it is quite sheer, so I have to wear a cami under it. I decided to use the same fabric, but underline with a white cotton batiste just on the front and back bodice pieces. The sleeves and tie would be just the dotted Swiss. 

This whipped up easily, especially since I had already made all the alterations. I made no additional changes.

The fabric is a cotton from Mill End Fabrics in Reno, Nevada. I bought quite a bit of it, because of the aforementioned need for white tops! This top definitely has more body than the challis top I made last summer; if I make it again, I might take the side seams in a half inch.

Like I usually do, I serged the edges (without cutting anything off) before sewing the seams. That way, after I sewed a seam, I only had to press it open for it to have a finished seam.

The facings were sewn out of cotton batsiste, and I interfaced them with a super lightweight fusible, and finished them with the serger.

I hemmed the bodice and sleeves by hand. But other than that, this was a super easy make and it will be very versatile in my wardrobe. Perfect for summer, and it goes with a ton of items in my closet!

The pants are recent makes: yet another pair of Closet Core Pietras. Last year, I had made a pair in candy pink linen, but that pair hasn't held up well, so I've been on the hunt for pink linen. I haven't found exactly what I wanted, but during a recent sale at Stonemountain and Daughter, I found this Lady McElroy Cruise Washed Linen in fuchsia and decided to give it a whirl.

The fuchsia isn't as versatile in my wardrobe as the candy pink, but it goes with more things than I thought it would. For instance, at a meeting earlier this week, I wore these pants with a top I made last summer. The top is New Look 6650, and the fabric is a rayon jersey from Mood:

Next up? I think I'll make a muslin of the Lane Pants by Sydney Graham for my daughter. And, hopefully, a muslin of the Zadie Jumpsuit by Paper Theory for me!

I hope you are doing well and having fun sewing!

Happy sewing ~ Peggy

Simplicity 2599 in Souvenir Fabric

These times of isolation have brought out the need for more diversions--at least in my family. First, Aloysius learned to sew (blogged here), and then Mehetabel wanted to sew a top! And to all this I say: Yay!

Simplicity 2599 top with a Talbots cardigan

Now, Mehetabel has sewn lots of things: curtains, pillow cases, scrunchies, ski bags, and masks. She has even sewn some apparel, including this very 90s outfit of pull-on baggy shorts, lined vest, and matching scrunchie.  Here she is on the 4H catwalk showing off her creation. For this, 9-year-old Mehetabel chose the fabric and patterns, and I answered any questions she had. She doesn't look very happy in this photo, but as I recall, she was quite nervous!

Present day Mehetabel likes to have a variety of shells to wear with her multitude of Talbots cardigans. So, last year, when we took a trip to the UK, she purchased several remnants from Sew Over It with the idea of making them into sleeveless tops. Now that the fabrics have been suitably aged, she asked me if I'd help her make a shell from one of the fabrics. Of course! The selection of which remnant to use included a lengthy phone conversation wherein we compared centimeters to inches. Mehetabel selected a remnant that was about a yard, washed and dried it, and brought it to my studio.

Mehetabel at Sew Over It in London

Meanwhile, I remembered a top from Simplicity that fit her well, and found it in my fairly well-organized pattern cabinet. I've made this top a couple times, and for sleeveless versions, I had already made all-in-one facing patten pieces. The pattern calls for a bias tape finish for the armscyes but after some discussion, Mehetabel decided to use the facing pieces instead (which also would be my preference).

This Simplicity 2599 is still in the wardrobe rotation. I think I made it in 2013.

The fabric, a very lightweight crepe--probably polyester--was super skittery, but Mehetabel persevered. She didn't have enough of the fashion fabric to cut out the facings and the fabric is sheer so the print would've shown through, and although I would've preferred a light beige fabric for the facings, she used what I had: white batiste, which worked fine.

I think (but I could be wrong) this was her first time sewing darts! And, after making so many masks, it was a little difficult for her to adjust to sewing curves, but she did it like a champ!

The back closure is a button and a fabric loop. Mehetabel attached the button by hand. The hem was turned under twice and topstitched on the machine. She also topstitched around the neck and armscyes. The facings, which were cut 1/8" smaller at the neck and arm, were stitched in the ditch at the shoulder and underarm seams.

The pattern is Simplicity 2599 which is out-of-print. One of the things I like about this pattern is that it includes cup sizes. We didn't have enough fabric to sew any of the embellishments, but the plain top is versatile. In fact, I have only sewn plain versions of this top, either sleeveless or with capped sleeves.

Mehetabel worked on this top, size 14 C-cup,  over the course of several days--two(ish) hours per session. All seams were sewn on my Pfaff 3.5 Expression, and she serged each seam allowance on my Babylock Imagine.

This was a straight-forward sewing project, and I think Mehetabel found it to be fairly easy. It really made it easier that she's recently helped sew hundreds of masks for which she used the same sewing machine that she used for this top. She was confident and comfortable using the machine--and that goes a long way toward success. She also made sure to snip all threads and press after every step which keeps projects from falling into the "Happy Hands at Home" or "Becky Home-ecky" categories!

And, for just a couple pounds/dollars, she has a great top and several cardigans to go with it. Huzzah!

Simplicity 8841 in Olive Linen Blend: Perfect Hot Weather Wide(ish)-Legged Cropped Pants

I don't know about you, but here in Reno, our weather has gone from near freezing one night to 90  (32C) the next day.  I guess summer weather is here, and for Reno, that usually means 90-100 degree days.

So what better time to sew up some hot weather clothing?  I've wanted to try Simplicity 8841 for a bit, but I wasn't sure if Mehetabel would like the cropped wide-legged look.  I showed her the pattern and she liked it.  She wanted to try the current trend of cropped pants, even though she wasn't sure if she'd like it on her.

I made a muslin out of some old fabric, knowing that it would not be a wearable muslin. I cut out a size 14 but left the length of the size 22--about an additional 1-1/4 inches.  For the muslin, I did not add any length at the hipline even though I was sure it would be needed. 

Sure enough, Mehetabel needed additional length at the high hip, about an inch. I also added an inch to the waistband so that I could use 2" elastic instead of the 1" called for in the instructions. I had purchased a spool of 2" elastic from Wawak, and figured I might as well use some of it.

I made all these changes to the pattern pieces, but as it turned out, the waistband piece wasn't the right size to begin with! That is, when I added an inch to the pattern piece, it only left me with about a 1/4" seam allowance when using the 2' elastic.  And I should've known something wasn't quite right because I didn't have a 5/8" seam allowance when using 1" elastic with the original pattern piece.  Oh well.  I trimmed the elastic to 1-3/4" and used a 3/8" seam allowance.  Next time, I'll add more to the waistband so I can use my Wawak elastic.

For this version, I used Brussels Washer Linen from Robert Kaufman. I purchased this from Fabric.com for $8.22 per yard. The fabric is a linen rayon blend. I pre-washed the fabric on hot three times, drying it after each wash. I'd read somewhere that doing this would help eliminate some of the wrinkling.  True?  I don't know yet, but I thought I'd give it a try. At the very least, I doubt it will shrink any more!

Except for the snafu with the waistband, this went together quickly and easily.  I sewed all seams on my regular sewing machine, trimmed and finished them with the serger, and hand-stitched the hems.  She's wearing a never-blogged top I made for her years ago. It's made from rayon challis and I cannot remember the pattern.  Probably Simplicity or McCall's. It's turned out to be a very versatile top--great for layering under cardigans in cooler weather, but apparently also great on hot almost-summer days.

As for the pants, I'm very pleased with the result and Mehetabel likes them too.  She's getting used to the cropped length. You know, when you're tall like Mehetabel (and moi), a cropped length like this sometimes feels like you've just outgrown your clothes. I understand this! But, when I talked to her later today, she said that the pants were extremely comfortable and thermally cool. They're a great alternative to shorts.  Here's a "real life" shot of her--this was taken about 7 hours after our photo shoot.  The pants aren't too wrinkly! I will shorten the elastic waistband an inch as the pants are drooping a bit.

A doggy waste bag in one hand and a ginger snap in the other; she's ready for anything!

I've Got Sunshine: Simplicity 8601

This was a quick top to whip up, and since we still have plenty of sunshine (and high temperatures), I figured it'd get some wear before it's time to bring out the sweaters.  Unfortunately, this version is...meh.

The top is Simplicity 8601.  I've had the pattern since it came out because I think it's not only adorable, but it seems to be on trend too.  And, yes, it's another entry for my pattern challenge.

I made three changes to the pattern--I made it sleeveless, lined it, and lengthened it by 2 inches. Many of the reviews I've read note that the top is quite short, and since Mehetabel is 6 ft. tall, I knew some added length would be needed.  Plus, I figured she wouldn't want to expose her stomach at school.

Need to go down a size!

The top is made out of cotton gauze from Michael Levine.  It's pretty thin, so I thought lining it would be smart--and--bonus! the lining made it easier to finish the ties.  I used the same fabric for the lining.

Match-matchy:  pins to fabric!

I might call this piece the burrito top as I used that method several times.  First I sewed the front center seam, the back center seam, and attached a button loop.  Then I sewed the shoulders and sewed the lining to the fashion fabric at the neckline.  Of course, I trimmed and pressed after each step.  After that, I sewed one armscye burrito-style, and then the other.  Next, I burritoed (it's also a verb!) the hems on the front and then the back.  Finally, I sewed up the side seams as one piece, finishing them with the serger.  All that was left was to sew the button on the back.

If you are unfamiliar with the burrito method, do a search on the internet and you'll get quite a few posts/videos about it that will explain the process more clearly than I could.  I first learned about it when I made the Jalie Scarf-CollarTop in 2012, and I also learned about it in a book I have about linings, but it was called the author's "favorite method...," and I found the explanation a bit confusing.

Jalie Scarf-Collar Top made in 2012 and where I first learned about the burrito method

All in all, this was a fun and easy item to sew, but my fabric choice and the sizing were off.  I'm glad I added the length, but if I make this again, I'll go down a size.  Also, while I like the clean finish the lining provides, the four layers of fabric make the ties too bulky.  Oh well.  Nothing ventured, nothing gained.

Always a good time at Mom's!

Mehetabel is wearing the top with her Jalie Éléonore Pull-On Jeans out of white stretch twill from Vogue Fabrics.  I blogged about these jeans here.

She's also wearing a pair of my shoes--we have the same size feet--I bought these at Talbots last year, I think.  I just love these shoes.  So cute!  And since we live in the desert, why not have cacti on one's tootsies?

The Sciencey Dress: Simplicity 2444

It's almost time for Mehetabel to head back to the classroom, and that means finally putting the finishing touches on another novelty-print dress.  

I found this fabric last spring at Mill End Fabrics in Portland, Oregon, and I knew Mehetabel would love it as she was co-teaching freshman science at the time (as well as teaching her special education caseload).  

Well, I almost had it finished in time for the end of school, but then the zipper broke!  Drat.  It took me all summer to get around to replacing it.  Now that I have, Mehetabel is excited to wear it to class, even though she isn't teaching science this trimester--she's sticking with special education and co-teaching sophomore English.

The fabric is called "Chromatics by Melissa McCulloch Designs for In the Beginning Fabrics 2015."  It is a quilting cotton, so to give it more body, I underlined it with batiste.  Of course I did.  I almost always underline fabric it seems!

The pattern is Simplicity 2444, one of Mehetabel's favorites, and I've made it for her a number of times--and I'll probably make it more times too!  As I have with all but my first version of this pattern, I used facing pieces I drafted rather than the bias strip finish used in the instructions.  The facing pieces (1 back, 1 front neckline/armscye) were interfaced, the edges were finished on the serger, and about 1/8" was trimmed from the neck and armscyes prior to sewing; this helps keep the facings from rolling to the right side of the the dress.  The facings were then hand-sewn to the underlining.

I used a white invisible zipper.  Twice.  The first one was kaput.  I don't mind installing zippers, but I draw the line at sewing them in more than once after the dress is completed!  The hem was hand-sewn.

Mehetabel told me the dress is perfect.  Yay!  It also goes well with her hot pink accessories--

 --as well as her new hot pink pencils all ready for the classroom in her "I've got to be moi" mug! 

 TTFN!

Orange Shift: Simplicity 1609

While Mehetabel was on her honeymoon, I decided to whip up an easy summer dress in the hopes it would be one for the win column.  Well-- Not so much. 

 

Simplicity 1609 is a Jiffy pattern re-issued from the 1960s.  I was feeling nostalgic, and that's probably why I went ahead with this pattern even though I had a few misgivings after seeing some other versions on the internet.  There were some adorable versions too, but alas, this isn't one of them!   I also was concerned that the neckline/shoulders would be awkward, but I did like the A-line shape.

I purchased the pattern, on sale, for 99 cents, and used a very old piece of fabric that I had previously used for bodice muslins for bridesmaid dresses.  So really, my only risk was in the time it took me to cut and sew this dress.

 

I knew there would be a possibility that the dress wouldn't fit well since Mehetabel was gone for several weeks and I couldn't fit it on her.  I did compare her measurements with the pattern pieces, and I wound up making one size larger than normal.  And it shows.  The dress is comfortable and cool, but...

 

I think it is just okay.  I'm sure if I tweaked the fit considerably, it would be fine, but I just don't think it is worth it when there are so many other patterns available!  It'll be fine for running errands on hot days.

I used a tangerine invisible zipper for the back closure.  All seam allowances were finished with the serger.

I had some orange bias seam tape on hand, so I used that to finish the hand-stitched hem.

Phooey.  I started this blog to track my sewing "hits and misses," and this is a miss.  Oh well.  I'll be back with a better looking dress soon!

 

I received several e-mails asking if there really was a live porcupine at Mehetabel's wedding.  Yes, indeed, there was, and here's photographic evidence, above.  The porcupine was very calm and spent most of her time munching on carrot sticks.

 

I have yet to see a live porcupine in my yard, but it is overrun with rock chucks, aka yellow bellied marmutes--they look like 24-lb pear-shaped squirrels.  And, they don't seem to care for weeds, but they love my lawn and just about every flower I've planted.  Varmints!  They are cute little beasts, prodigious diggers and breeders, and they aren't scared of me at all!