March 2016 – THORNBERRY

adult's clothing, Pattern Fantastique, sewing

Pattern Fantastique Falda jacket

Last year I did a little pattern testing for Nita-Jane of Pattern Fantastique. The pattern, the Falda jacket, has just been released – and I have to say that I love it!

I have a whole lot to say about this jacket, although to a large degree the photos tell the story. Firstly, about Pattern Fantastique. I first stumbled upon the Celestial dress pattern eighteen months or so ago, and have sewn three so far. Then the Aeolian top/dress pattern was put through its paces (Anna is the queen of the Aeolian), followed by the Lucent Visor. As it turned out, Nita-Jane also lives in Melbourne, and is a trained pattern maker who has been working in industry for many years. It certainly shows in the drafting of her patterns and in their individuality. I really like her aesthetic. The Falda jacket is certainly individual, so I was enthusiastic about being a pattern tester.

(Although the front hemline doesn’t look like it lines up in the above photo, I can assure you that it actually does in real life – it’s just the angle).

I’ll use the description from the Pattern Fantastique website:

The Falda jacket was developed using a combination of draping and flat paper pattern making. Fabric carved into bold clean shapes. A nod to the classic Chanel tweed, the sensibility of a bomber jacket and the humour and volume of a victorian era sleeve.

The Falda jacket pattern comes with two different styles, depending on your fabric weight choice. A jacket weight cotton with patch pockets for the transitional seasons or blanket weight wool with welt pockets and full lining for deep winter warmth.

Skill Level
Style A – Intermediate.
-Lighter weight fabric.
– Zip insertion.
-Top stitching.

Style B – Intermediate / Advanced
– Bulky fabric.
– Optional block fusing.
– Welt pocket.
– Full Lining.
– Zip insertion.

I chose to sew view A, in denim from Rathdowne Fabrics. And yes, I am wearing double denim – the pants are Style Arc Misty jeans that I sewed back in last winter.

I sewed size 12, without alteration. This is not a quick sew, and you really do need to pay attention to the instructions. Take things step by step, and it all works out!

Because I was a tester I possibly can’t comment accurately on the final instructions, but they were extremely good even during the testing phase! Nita-Jane uses a large number of testers, many blogless, and many from industry as well as home sewers. Not a lot of fanfare, but a thorough process that leads to an excellent product.

This has proven to be a wonderful addition to my wardrobe. The denim makes it perfect for spring and autumn weather. I adore the weird sleeves, but acknowledge that they won’t be for everybody. I love the fact that this jacket is a bit “different” yet it still works well with basics like my jeans. I will generally style it with a scarf, like this hand-dyed one that I bought in Bali last year, which is how I prefer to wear many of my clothes.

I need to digress for a moment and just point out the shoes that I am wearing – they are a brand called Poetic License and I found them, brand new, in an op shop! Hip hip hooray! I adore them and can tell they will get a lot of wear this winter (although mostly only when I will be sitting for the majority of the time – I can’t stand or walk in heels that high for too long without the balls of my feet protesting!)

So, back to the jacket. All the markings were perfect and everything lined up as it should. Finding a zip in a matching colour was a bit of a challenge, but Darn Cheap Fabrics came to the rescue. I enjoyed the topstitching – it did take a fair bit of thread – and the whole jacket came together over the period of four or five evenings.

I am very keen to sew up the other lined version in wool for winter, with the welt pockets. I have plenty of wools in stash and once again I think it would be an enjoyable “slower” project. If you are interested in jackets that are a little outside the norm, I highly recommend this pattern. You can see Anna’s beautifully sewn and beautifully photographed version of it here.

(No disclaimer on this blog post – I tested the pattern so didn’t pay for it, but there are no affiliate links etc).

Saturday, 26 March, 2016Saturday, 11 February, 2023 by thornberry

adult's clothing, Bootstrap Fashion, sewing

Bootstrap Fashion 44139

Something that I really like about customised patterns such as those from Bootstrap Fashion and Lekala is the ability for me to try out silhouettes that I would normally avoid due to the significant number of alterations that I would have to make to conventional patterns. Hey, I’m lazy like that. Bootstrap Patterns recently offered dress 44139 as a free pattern, so I decided to give it a go.

Bootstrap describe this dress as a “poet sleeves knit dress” and recommended fabrics include heavy weight, ponte and double knit with spandex. I used brightly printed scuba from Spotlight, which is essentially polyester double knit with spandex. The sort of fabric we’d have been cringing about ten years ago as a relic from the 1970s, but in 2016 fibre technology has changed and although it’s still polyester, it is softer and easy to sew and has the ability to hold colours and prints in a way that most natural fibres simply can’t do. I’m a sucker for the colour.

One of the great things about taking photos for the blog is seeing just where fit issues are – and in the above photo I can tell that I have a lot of fixes to make in the back of the garment. I have realised that there is a pattern here. Although this pattern was ordered with plenty of pot belly room, and it fits well in the front of the dress, there is still excess in the back. This is where a fitting buddy would really come in handy! Once again, I need to take fabric out of the back bodice length.

I lowered the front neckline quite significantly as compared to the pattern. If you check the fashion illustration and line drawing it is a high boat neckline. I felt strangled when I tried it on, so unpicked the neck facing (a strip of self fabric cut on the cross grain) and lowered it a couple of inches before refinishing. I used a twin needle to secure the neckline and the hems. The centre front inverted pleat is quite small on me due to my small hip to waist ratio, so it’s not as much of a feature as it would be if you were more conventionally shaped. The front pockets are rather cute, and I included them because of the diagonal line that they add.

The sleeves gather into simple tubular cuffs. Because it’s a stretch knit, they don’t need a closure, but sit quite firmly around my arm. I made a belt to go around the waistline, as per the pattern, but decided not to wear it. It only served to highlight my stomach and relative lack of waist.

So, final verdict? Scuba is super easy to sew with – most construction was on the overlocker. It also doesn’t require seam finishes, and the colours are fantastic. I wore this dress to work, where it performed well and did receive a number of compliments. But it’s a style experiment, and not completely “me”. That said, I don’t want to wear exactly the same silhouette all the time, so it certainly fits nicely into my wardrobe for the moment.

Friday, 18 March, 2016 by thornberry

adult's clothing, sewing

Style Arc Mila Designer Dress

Disclaimer: this post contains affiliate links. If you buy the pdf patterns via my links, I make a little bit of money that is likely to go toward buying myself yet more Style Arc patterns…

I’m not sure what criteria Style Arc use to define a pattern as a “designer” one, but I do find that they are often the styles that I am more drawn to. Maybe the ones aimed at a less traditional fitted waist silhouette? I’m not sure. The Mila Designer Dress is a simple silhouette that definitely fits my personal “flattery” criteria.

From the Style Arc website: MILA DESIGNER DRESS: Use your creativity to make this dress your own. The flattering bodice seam allows you to colour block or use different textures to suit your individual style. This is a simple pull on dress with a slight cocoon shape that is so simple to make but will look amazing once done. FABRIC SUGGESTION & DESCRIPTION: Crepe, silk, a drapery woven, jersey knit.

mila-dress

This version is a “wearable muslin”. The skirt part is sewn from a printed woven viscose from Darn Cheap Fabrics left over after making a pair of pants, and the bodice is a lovely slightly textured but still drapey something woven that was a gift from my friend Rachel. I used the print for the neck facing as well.

I cut and sewed size 12 without alteration other than to scoop out the front neckline about 5/8″. I feel more comfortable without the edge of the fabric right up against my neck, but wouldn’t say that this is a routine adjustment for this pattern – it just depends on personal preference.

Although in this photo I am leaning strangely, it shows you the smoothness of the back fit. This dress really does skim over the body towards a narrower hemline. It is interesting how the skirt falls and drapes with centre front and centre back seams rather than side seams. It is slightly different to usual, but I find it difficult to put my finger exactly on what it is. The centre back seam does mean that you could add a slit for walking ease if you felt that you needed it, but I wore this dress all day at this length and it wasn’t an issue.

On my 158cm frame this has ended up just below the knee after taking a 2 inch hem (one inch turned twice and topstitched). Proportions might be a little better on me a fraction shorter, but I also find that with straight dresses I really need to allow for bending and sitting length. It’s easy in a short straight skirt to expose rather more than anticipated in movement, especially in a non-fitted woven garment. I note that the pattern illustration has this dress finishing below the knee too (I took a deeper hem than indicated in the pattern).

I chose to topstitch the seam where the bodice and skirt join, but in retrospect think that this may have been a mistake. Although it stabilises the area, it also makes the seamline pull a bit along those bias angled seams at the front. It think that it would drape more smoothly without the topstitching where it falls from the bust at the front. It’s fine along the back. The topstitching wasn’t in the instructions. By the way, I don’t tend to comment much on Style Arc’s instructions. I find them quite satisfactory and a good order of construction, but they are certainly much briefer and have less hand-holding than many other pattern companies. However, there are lots of tutorials on the Style Arc website if you need them, and Style Arc do provide illustrations of any tricky bits. I think that they are quite adequate.

I am planning on sewing this dress again, possibly in a knit. I wonder how it would go layered over a long-sleeved tee for winter? The pdf of the pattern is available for download from Gumroad here, or the paper pattern is available from the Style Arc website. I used the paper pattern, but there aren’t many pattern pieces if you download the pdf, so it shouldn’t be too tedious. And yes, it is a quick garment to sew.

Friday, 11 March, 2016 by thornberry

adult's clothing, sewing

Style Arc Maddison Top

Disclaimer: this post contains affiliate links. If you buy the pdf patterns via my links, I make a little bit of money that is likely to go toward buying myself yet more Style Arc patterns…

The Maddison Top was one of the patterns in Style Arc’s January release. I bought a few from that release, and they are patiently waiting for me to sew them up. I’ve been having fun lately matching patterns to fabric, both for my winter work wardrobe and for casual wear. Many of the clothes that I wore last winter don’t feel as comfortable this year due to my weight gain, so my wardrobe really does need replenishing. This top is a wonderful casual item.

From the Style Arc website: MADDISON TOP: A great everyday raglan sleeved top with a slight trapeze the body, the wide hem allows this top to fall beautifully. Make this in a stripe to show off all the design lines. This top can be made in a knit or a stretch woven fabric. FABRIC SUGGESTION: Knit, Ponte, Crepe with a natural stretch or Silk.

madison-top

I used a stripe knit that I bought from the Darn Cheap Fabrics $2 table a while ago. It feels like a cotton/viscose/spandex blend to me, and at the time they had loads of it available. I suspect that it now graces many a Melbourne sewer’s stash! I’ve used it before to make a top for Clare, and still have a small amount left. It it lovely and soft, and was beautiful to sew with. Obviously I was swayed to use stripes by the pattern illustration, and I do think that they work beautifully in this top.

I sewed straight size 12 without alteration, and am very happy with the fit on me. There are bust darts and shoulder darts, which I think make all the difference in changing a raglan top from sloppy to neat. The body flares, which is always my preference. A couple of my friends have also made this top and found the body to be more flared than they anticipated, but I think that the line drawing is fairly accurate, as is the “slight trapeze” description.

The deep hem turning adds to the way that the top falls. In combination there are a number of details that lift this top above the average knit raglan. For my next version (there is going to be a next, also in a stripe) I will lower the front neckline a bit. I have discovered that many tops feel much higher at the front neckline on me than I prefer, but this is more due to my anatomy than the pattern drafting. I think that over the years I have developed a forward head/neck, so need to scoop out the front neckline of tops a little more than in the past. If you are tall you might want to lengthen this top, and I suggest doing it below the bust darts but above the deep hemline. I am 158cm tall, and like this length on me.

The neckband is fairly narrow, which gives a really nice finish. I sewed it on with the overlocker, then used the machine to twin needle around the entire neckline to hold it in place. The bottom hem is also twin needled. The sleeve cuffs are cut double before attaching to the main sleeve, so don’t require hemming.

This is a positive addition to my casual wardrobe, and the elbow length sleeves make it quite trans-seasonal. I’m looking forward to sewing up the next one! Style Arc have the paper pattern available from their website, and the pdf is available from their Gumroad store or via Etsy.

Thursday, 10 March, 2016 by thornberry

Month: March 2016

Pattern Fantastique Falda jacket

Bootstrap Fashion 44139

Style Arc Mila Designer Dress

Style Arc Maddison Top