Butterick 6289 was an impulse purchase the last time that Spotlight had Butterick patterns on sale.  You know how it is – they never seem to have the pattern that you really wanted, so you buy another one that you sort of like to make up the numbers to get the special offer?  This pattern was one of those.

This pattern was actually released  in late 2015, but there are only three reviews of it on Pattern Review.  I think that’s a pity – in my opinion it’s a really great pattern!  Maybe it’s a case of look at the line drawings rather than the envelope photo and artwork?  There are a few options in the pattern envelope.  From the website: Loose-fitting, pullover tunic has neck band, stitched hems, overlay variations with raw edge finish.

As you can see, I sewed view D, the long sleeved option with the overlay covering one sleeve and the entire body.  I cut the length of the underneath body to the shorter length of view A, mostly due to fabric restrictions, but left the rest of the pattern as is.  I sewed size Medium, the 12-14, and it was plenty roomy enough around my middle.

I used a knit from EK Fashion Fabrics in Sydney Road for the sleeves, neckband and overlay. It has a fair bit of stretch in one direction but not as much stretch in the other, so I paid attention to the grainlines when cutting out the top. Because I was working with a panel print, and I only had two panels, I ended up with what was a pretty good print layout but not a completely perfect one.

The fabric used for the underneath body of the top was a wool blend crinkly knit from deep stash. There was just enough of it! I was determined to make this top work from the metreage that I had. It was very straightforward to construct and everything fitted together nicely – but don’t skimp on the notches and markings! You’ll need them! I decided to narrow hem the overlay edges rather than leaving them raw as per the pattern instructions.

The pants are the Style Arc April pant, in the very last pieces I had of that Style Arc leather-look stretch bengaline. I’ve made these pants many, many times.  They’re really designed for ponte or a stretch knit, but they worked out okay in this bengaline.  From the pattern website: Up to minute stylized knit pull on pant, make it all one fabric, or contrast side panels as seen on the cat walk and in the fashion magazines.

These were sewed in size 10, with construction all done on the overlocker but topstitching alongside each seam done on the sewing machine.  The stretch of the fabric, combined with the wide elastic in the waist, makes them very easy to pull on and wear.

The seaming makes them that bit more special than just plain stretch leather-look pants, in my opinion. I can tell that I’ll pull this pattern out again in the years to come – actually, I think this pattern is one of Style Arc’s earliest ones!

I feel great in this outfit – it’s a bit “out there” and definitely feels very me.  I’d like to try the top again with a sheer or lace overlay.  There is a stunning version of it here on Sharon’s blog (also worn with leather-look leggings).

This pattern was released a little while ago, possibly around a year ago?  It’s been in my stash for a while, and I’ve seen a few versions of it online.  There were lots of aspects that I liked in the drawing, but others that I wasn’t so keen on.  Anyway, I recently sewed it up and I’m very pleased that I did.

This is the Style Arc Winsome designer dress, and in the above photo is how I wore it a week or two ago. You can’t see all the details with that scarf on though!

The versions I’ve seen of this online have been sewn in a variety of fabrics, including knits. I used a dark navy splodged with black cotton seersucker that was in stash – yes, originally from the Darn Cheap Fabrics $2 table. This dress takes a fair bit of fabric, and fortunately I had plenty!

I’ve been embracing some slower sews lately. Really, most of my clothes aren’t required in a hurry, and with working an extra day per week this year, I’ve really had to slow down in general with extracurricular activities! There are a few pattern pieces in this dress, and of course some details that take a little longer to sew and require more attention. No late night wine sewing when constructing plackets or fancy drapey pockets!

Style Arc describe this dress as follows: The drawstring back and the draped pocket it gives this dress a true designer look. The rolled up sleeves and the asymmetrical hemline allows this dress to be worn by those who love an Avant-garde look. This is a slightly oversized style which makes it such a comfortable dress to wear and not to difficult to make. FABRIC SUGGESTION Crepe, Silk, Rayon or any fabric that drapes.

Now, did you read that part where it says “fabric that drapes”?  This slightly floaty cotton definitely doesn’t fit that bill, and that affects the overall look of the garment.  I like the way it’s turned out, but it’s probably not what was envisaged by the designers, especially where the pockets are concerned.  My are very structured in comparison to others I have seen.  But to me that’s one of the joys of sewing – you need to know what the rules are so that you know what might happen when you break them!

This is a straight size 12, and I didn’t make any alterations for length. Size wise, I think it is a pretty good fit on me. It’s not too oversized, but that’s probably because I’ve been chubbing up a bit this year and my usual size 12 fits differently! I measure closer to a 14 now. The curved hemline is a bit of fun – there is a fair bit of volume in the skirt when the breeze catches the fabric!

The front and back princess seams make fitting and sewing straightforward, and the back drawstring casing is easy to make. Only the front placket took a little bit longer, but the instructions were quite adequate. Actually, choosing buttons was the most difficult part! I auditioned all sorts – self, contrasting, flat, shank – but in the end went for these very dark navy buttons that blended well with the fabric. I’m glad I did, as it lets the accessories shine.

This pattern will get another outing, in something much drapier.  And yes, those huge drapey pockets are quite reminiscent of a couple of Marcy Tilton dresses I’ve sewn in the past.  There’s definitely something that attracts me to them!

A month or so ago I attended the Dressmaker’s Dinner, a social event for Melbourne sewers.  It was a delicious meal at a restaurant, with a small group in attendance – my idea of a perfect evening, as I had plenty of light to examine everyone’s outfits and plenty of time to chat to them about sewing and many other things!  I decided that instead of sewing a new dress, I’d sew an outfit – pants, top and jacket.

Really, this outfit was planned around the jacket. The sequinned fabric was a gift from a delightful sewing friend. The sequins were embroidered on a stretch mesh, and I used plain black stretch lining to underline it.

It took me a little time to decide which pattern I’d use, and I settled on Butterick 6464. This is a Lisette pattern, designed by Liesl Gibson, and I always have faith in her designs (although I believe that she provides the design concept and sketches for Lisette patterns but Butterick do all the actual pattern making, grading and instruction writing).

There are three pieces included in this Butterick pattern, and they are described as follows: Very loose-fitting jacket has dropped shoulders and contrast bands. Fitted pullover halter top has back button loop closure and contrast neckband. Close-fitting pull-on skirt has elastic in wide waistband.

As you can see from the line drawing, this is a straightforward style.  There aren’t many pattern pieces, which makes it a good choice for the sequinned fabric.  I laid the sequinned fabric over the underlining, and cut them out as one.  Something I paid a lot of attention to was centring the design so that it was balanced on the front and the back of the jacket. I probably cut this out as size 12.

Once the pieces were cut out I overlocked all the edges of the sequinned mesh and the underlining together so that I could handle each piece as one and it wouldn’t fall apart. It was also a good way to enclose the sequins along the edges. Most things that you read will tell you to remove all the sequins from the seam allowances. I took the lazy route and left them there, after determining that they were small and not too dense, and would easily be sewn through. I had a good feel along the seam allowances once the jacket was sewn, and removed all the sequins that were caught in the stitching and were sticking out so had scratch potential. I left the rest. I also hand-stitched the seam allowances to the underlining to keep them looking flat.

The contrast fabric that I used for the collar and cuffs was in stash – it originally came from the Darn Cheap Fabrics $2 per metre table, and the colour and sheen worked beautifully with the colours of some of the sequins in the main fabric. I also used it to hem the jacket by sewing a folded strip to the hemline right sides together, then turning it to the inside, understitching near the fold, then finally hand-sewing it in place. I really wanted to keep as many sequins as possible off whatever I was wearing under the jacket!

So, to what I was wearing under the jacket. I sewed myself a pair of leather-look bengaline pants that were a hybrid of the Style Arc Misty and Georgie pants pattern (mostly the Misty).

Since this was a pattern I’d used before it came together very easily. This fabric is a bit slippery to work with, so does need adequate pinning, but goes through the sewing machine and overlocker with ease. I’d been lucky enough to get the last of it from Style Arc after my first go at a pair of Georgie pants in this fabric resulted in beautifully sewn pants that had been cut out with the stretch going up and down the body instead of around it. They ended up in the bin. Take it from me – check, double check, then triple check that you are cutting out your bengaline with the stretch going AROUND the body. You won’t be able to get your pants on otherwise! (I still can’t believe that I’d sewn up the entire pair of Georgie pants before I realised what I’d done….)

I used the pockets, complete with topstitching, even though it’s unlikely that anyone will ever get to see them! I know that they’re there. The same thing applies to the fake fly stitching. The waistband has elastic inside it; these are pull-on jeans (my favourite kind).

So, on to the top. It’s a pattern I have used before, and always like on me. It’s the Love Notions Lotus Blossom Blouse.

The pattern description says: Do the twist! This top is simple but packs a fun surprise. The dolman sleeved blouse is a flattering top meant for light weight drapey knits that are the same on front and back. The neckline features a gradual v-neck that is a breeze to sew. The back of the blouse can feature a special fabric such as stretch lace or a really cool scrap of knit you’ve been hoarding for years. The surprise in this blouse is the twist at the front. The shirt-tail hem really makes this top a great choice for just about any pants or skirt style. Fabric recommendations: Lightweight and drapey knits that are the same on both sides such as cotton/rayon, jersey, modal, activewear, dancewear, jersey/rayon. Knits that are the same on both sides are usually solids and stripes. If you have a print you’d like to use that is not the same on both side you may piece the front.

I used a wool/lurex knit from Clear It for the top.  It was slightly sheer, and different colours on each side, so I decided to cut it double for the top.  This eliminated the problem of the wrong side showing on half of the front.

I spent ages trying to come up with a way of constructing this top so that I could have most of the seams encased between the two layers of fabric, but in the end I just overlocked the edges of the two layers together for each piece then treated them as one.

Because I’d already overlocked the edges – and to reduce bulk by pressing seams open – I constructed the top on the regular sewing machine. I used a narrow twin needle (in conjunction with double sided fusible tape) to finish the neckline, sleeves, and hem.

Overall, I felt great in my outfit. I really enjoyed the shine and sheen and contrast of textures. It was lots of fun – and I generally enjoy some fun in my clothing!

I accessorised with Django and Juliette shoes, long earrings, and my mum’s Glomesh purse. Not everything matched perfectly but the different pieces worked together in my eyes. All the sparkle!

One of the benefits of sewing an outfit like this is that I can hopefully mix and match the pieces in different ways with other items from my wardrobe. Not that I’ve actually done that yet, but over time, I think that I will! They’re also pieces that can accommodate weight and shape fluctuations, so they’ll hopefully stand the test of time and become “classics” in my wardrobe.