Simplicity Fall 2011

New patterns! This collection has a gang of costumes, It's Sew Easy patterns and introduces a new brand -- Sew Simple. There aren't many other patterns.

Sew Simple patterns give you one easy project per envelope. I actually purchased one of these last week for $2.99. The MSRP is $1.99. Thanks local independent fabric store. (The handwritten price sign should have been a clue.) In comparison to It's So Easy, these seem to be a little more fashion forward. Some are pieces from earlier Simplicity patterns. The directions are the standard Simplicity directions.

This brings me to a new point. I am going to get one of the It's So Easy patterns and check the directions. I would love to see some starter patterns with more extensive instructions like "Sew center back seam. Press seam allowances open."  If you pick up one of these as your first pattern and you're self-taught, directions to press would be a great thing.

This is the one I bought:



I'm thinking about these:





It's So Easy, more so than Sew Simple, seems to be a repackaging of easier patterns from previously released Simplicity patterns. Perhaps both sub-brands are for WalMart? (Marketing is what I do by day.) You kinda have to know your pattern collection to keep from buying duplicates.

For example, I like this:



But I already have this:




I'd like to get this one, but I have to figure out if I already own it.



There's a new Amazing Fit Skirt.



I don't have a mini me to dress, but I like the misses view.  It reminds me of Serendipity Studio.

Comfort in a Muslin

I'm working on a dress, M5893 to be exact. I've made it before.  This time, I'm taking my time and trying to learn as I go.  So yes, I'm starting with a muslin.

It's been a slow process. This is a "1-hour-dress." I've spent that trying to figure out the narrow hem around the neckline, but I'm jumping ahead.  It started with the pattern alts.  When I last made this dress, I mistakenly cut a 16 and then adjusted the side and shoulder seams to get the fit I wanted. (I used my bust measurement instead of my high bust measurement.)

This time, my first muslin was based on a size 12 with an FBA to get me to the size 16. I used the pivot and slide method.  I also did a 1/4" square shoulder adjustment using the seam method. I had pulling under the arms and the bodice was about 1 1/2" too short.

Muslin #2:  I did a prominent bust adjustment (different from an FBA according to Fitting and Pattern Alteration) using the seam method. Talk about stressful! I got through it, but it seems like the most I could add for the length was a little over an inch.  I cut and sewed up the muslin and tried it on with bated breath. The bodice still didn't completely cover the girls, but I figured that with the weight of the skirt and gravity, I might not need to add the 1/2" inch. (I just really wanted to get to the sewing part.)

Now that I look at this pic, I should probably add more width and I'm going to add the length. I had to pull and tug to make this picture decent. What do you do when one breast is bigger than the other? I skipped the square shoulder adjustment. Not a smart move.

My machine is a little over a year old, but it hasn't seen much time in action. I get stuck on pattern alts and rarely make it to the machine. I started with a  wobble stitch to staystich the neckline and armholes.  What have I learned? Going slow around curves is key!

I'm keeping the 5/8" seam allowances, sewing the seams, trimming them to 1/4" and then sewing them with an overlock stitch. Once I get my pattern alts perfect, I'll trim the pattern to get 1/4" allowances for future use. (Yep, this dress is a keeper.)

Now for the narrow hem. This thing has been giving me fits! How do you turn up a neckline hem successfully around the corners?! Good grief. I looked at the old dress and I just did a topstitched hem. However, I'm thankful for this practice.

After spending an inordinate amount of time at ironing board, my time spent at the sewing machine was long and comical too. Perhaps I should machine baste first instead of sewing. Ha! I'm using my narrow edge foot to sew this narrow hem. Not sure if it is necessary, but I like trying out new feet. Let's just say I have go v-e-r-y slowly. Even still, I jacked up the curves. Since this is a muslin, when I realized I wasn't catching the edge, I just cut the threads and started over.

I spent yesterday morning at the sewing machine, so I think that is enough of a reprieve before going back to the land of tissue paper. For the length, I'm going to slash across the pattern, through the bust point. The darts seem a bit high, so I think I can kill two birds with one stone. Think I'll use the pivot and slide method to take care of the width and square shoulder. Wish me luck!

Fall 2011 Butterick

Butterick has released its new fall patterns. I found quite a few I'd like to wear with sizes that will accommodate my curves. I feel slightly guilty about getting excited about fall patterns because I'm still working on my first summer garment!

Coming soon to a store near you:

5676

5678 -- A, B, C and D cup sizes!


5680 - Gotta have view A



5681


5682 -- I hope this one is well-drafted and fits great. It has so much potential -- all of your jeans in one envelope!


5687 -- love the cape


5690 -- cropped swing jacket? Sold!