Closet Core Cielo in Basic Black

This week I was working on a new dress, using the Closet Core Cielo pattern which I first tested in the top version this summer. I liked the fit so prepared the dress view in a solid black linen-rayon blend (a soft and beautifully smooth fabric).

I finally finished it, and it turned even nicer than I'd anticipated! It took a little longer to work through this project because I used French seams for all the interior seams, including the sleeve seams, since my fabric was very prone to fraying. I also sewed the cuff on in two steps to cover the seam allowances fully instead of the way shown in the directions.

Other than that, however, I didn't make many changes. I used the suggestion in the pattern to cover the seam allowances of the pockets with bias binding -- I used a scrap in my stash that was just long enough, and I love the extra bit of colour it brings. However, I tried to take a photo of the interior to show the binding and french seams and ended up just making myself laugh. Doesn't this dress look content?

I topstitched the back shoulder insert seams and finished the neckline with bias facings. And I hemmed it to just below the knee instead of just above, to make it a little more autumnal feeling. Since the fabric is fairly see-through against light, I am wearing a slip so will be able to add tights easily. I think this one will get a lot of use. It can look fairly dressy, like here, or with coloured tights and flats it might be much more casual.

This pattern also has the coolest front seam pockets, which is one feature that drew me to it in the first place.

The fabric is a dream to wear, and I love the fit. I cut shoulders at 12 and graded out to 14 at bust and 16 in the hips, and it is perfect for my tastes. Accessorized with shoes and necklace from the Goodwill, as usual ;)

Terrace Dress, Kaftan Style

I picked up a cotton print last year when my local Fabricland was having a massive moving sale. I have been undecided about which pattern to match it with, but as summer is waning I thought I'd better get a move on!

The print is quite strong, and I wanted to really highlight the graphic feel of it, so finally decided on using the Terrace Dress by Liesl & Co, a dress I've made before with success in large prints.

This time though, I changed it up a little, again. Because it's a very light summer weight cotton, I thought I'd go with the midi/kaftan style that is so trendy right now. I love how the Terrace fits in the bodice so just extended it to mid-calf, and added a slit to the knee on either side seam. I used the plain tie sash from the pattern, and it all worked even better than I'd hoped.

The Terrace is a simple pattern; cut-on sleeve, bias facing at the neck, and turned under sleeve and bottom hem. The fit is perfect for me -- I didn't have to narrow the neckline on this like I usually do with most patterns, and grading out a bit from bodice to hips results in a great fit.

Like with my other two versions, I raised the pocket placement by 2" in order to have the side seam pockets in the right place. And the main alteration in this one was to sew the side slits before folding up a 1" hem. It's a light cotton so I may have to wear a slip on sunny days, but I really like the effect with this graphic print.

And of course, a matching mask is the accessory du jour! (I use the Dhurata Davies free pattern)

Bits of a Butterick 6670 Wardrobe

I picked up another Lifestyle Wardrobe pattern last year, Butterick 6670. I like all of the pieces, though admittedly it was the dress/duster that first caught my eye.

I recently made the skirt from a black linen in my stash, and now I've made the peplum top, but added the sleeves from the dress as I prefer sleeves to sleeveless most times. The dress and top had the same armscye so I didn't have to do any adjustments at all.

After quite a bit of judicious juggling of pattern pieces, I found that I could fit both top and skirt onto my piece of stashed linen. Another advantage of being short! I did end up having to cut the sleeve on the bias, but that's probably for the best anyhow as it allows for a bit more give in the sleeve when wearing, for comfort.

I really like this top! It is a little more detailed than many of the items I've been working on lately -- not really difficult but more pieces and more fitted too. I shortened the bodice by 1/2" at the lower edge and that seems to have been just right. The pieces are logical and quick to sew together, and using this very nice linen was a treat. It sewed and pressed like a dream.

The front has an underlay that is buttoned up underneath and then the top piece is buttoned visibly. I had to make sure I was overlaying in the right direction before making my buttonholes, as I'd decided to use covered buttons for the outer layer and smaller flat black buttons for the interior. The covered buttons were a set of plastic ones I picked up while thrifting and worked alright, though I still prefer the metal ones that I usually use. In any case, I do really like the look of them with this top.

I can wear this with its matching skirt or with any other I own -- it wouldn't really work with a skirt that sits below the waist since you'd see a flash of skin any time you lifted an arm. Good thing I don't make skirts that sit below the waist! It also looks great fully buttoned or with the top two buttons left undone and a fold in the top; it looks more like a jacket that way. Because of the secure buttoned interior you don't have to worry about any shifting.

I enjoyed making this and think it will be a great basic with a little extra flair. The fit is nice and the construction was indeed quite easy as the pattern is rated. A rank beginner might need a touch of help with the facing/buttonhole situation but otherwise this is a really nice pattern. Both pieces were straightforward and easy to sew, and give a nice result.

I might be using this pattern again!

Refashioning a Favourite Frock

This weekend while going through some of my fabric stash I discovered some old clothes that I had put aside to mend or refashion someday -- and I do mean someday!

One of the dresses was a favourite of mine that I wore and wore, probably 20 years ago! I know I bought it in Montreal when I lived there in the 90s. But despite the fact that it was too small and not really in fashion anymore, I couldn't give it away. I love the crinkle stretch rayon and the print, and always thought I should do something with it. I used to wear a lot of those long full skirted dresses and they do have quite a bit of fabric in them. 

So I got it out this weekend and thought I'd probably be able to fit a top onto the skirt pieces. The sleeveless empire bodice is too small and has too many buttons and details to be able to use much of it but the skirt was perfect.

I tested out a couple of small cap sleeve top patterns to see what would fit. I finally decided on the Cap Sleeve Top from the recent book Print Pattern Sew by Jen Hewett.

While the pattern is made for a stable woven, this fabric is a bit stretchier due to the crinkle rayon it is made from. So when I cut it out, and graded out a bit at the waist to hem to give it more of a swing feel, I failed to account for the stretchiness!

It came out quite roomy. Fortunately the neckline and sleeves were fine, not very stretched out at all, but the body was quite full around the bust area. I really liked how the back fit, though, so wasn't sure I wanted to pull in the side seams in the bust area. I pinched out a couple of fish eye darts under the bust, wondering if that would work, but also wanted to be careful not to take any of the fullness out of the hip/hem area, which I really liked. As I was pinching the fabric I had a sudden idea and just brought the centres together on the front. I pinned it and then sewed one of the original dress buttons onto the join to hold it all together. I really love the effect!

And I still have 20 black buttons to use on other projects -- this dress was a motherlode of scavenged buttons -- four on the bodice front, 3 on the back, 2 spares on the inside, and a random button placket all the way down the right side seam with 12 more buttons! I am sorely in need of black buttons right now; my stash is depleted. So this was a great reuse in many ways.

I enjoyed this unexpected project and am so glad I can enjoy this pretty fabric once more. It's light and comfortable - the stretch and breathability are what I liked about it in its original shape, and the print is just so summery and lovely. I'll have to do more of this kind of thing!

Burda Magazine swing top

I've been going through some of my Burda magazines recently and tracing off some patterns. I prepped this really interesting swing top a few months ago but have only now got around to trying it!

It's a jersey top, #115 from the 11/18 issue. I really like how the neckline and sleeves are fitted, with an extra swing in the back. A nice fit at the shoulder & neck makes oversize items look like they are intentional, and aren't just too big for you!

Feeling pretty Rock'n'Roll here with this painting by local artist Blair Yeomans

I used up the last of my "test" jersey for my first trial of this top. This was a huge 6m or so piece of lightweight knit I got at the thrift store for $2 a couple of years ago, and have used to test many pieces. I've only kept and worn these two, though -- my Itch to Stitch Lindy Petal Skirt (a free pattern which I highly recommend) and now, this Burda swing top.

This one is an easy Burda; their lack of complex instructions doesn't really matter here, since the top is only 3 pieces: front, back and sleeve. The extra features that make this more special than just a straightforward top include gathers at the shoulder both front and back, and a shaped back hem that has a bit of an angled shape to assist in a nice drape. I also really like how the sleeve is 3/4 length and quite close fitting. It adds a nice structure to the shape.

This was an easy sew, but one difficulty I had was getting the neckline to sit smoothly. It's just a turn-under-and-stitch finish, but the gathers are pretty close to the edge of the neckline, and the turn under is thus not totally even. Also, I needed to pinch about 3/4" out of the centre front, which I didn't do on this test garment, and it throws the balance off a bit. Not enough so that I won't wear it, but I did correct it on my second garment which I've already cut out ;) I've also moved the gathering over closer to the shoulder by 1/2" to give myself a little more room.

When I traced this pattern, I made the decision to add 3" to the hem and make this more of a tunic length, to suit my own preferences. I've left the original hem line traced on the pattern as well in case I ever want to make the original shorter length. However, I'm not 20 and don't usually wear short tees half-tucked like in the styled Burda photo so that's not too likely. I prefer it the way I've finished it for my own habits.

It was an easy make, with minimal adjustments for me, and it feels comfortable and stylish to wear. I think this is definitely a winner in my books -- like I said, this test garment is one I will wear (and have worn twice in the 6 days since I've finished it) and have already cut a fancier second version! I have a couple more Burda tops that have been traced off for a while and I'm hoping to also get to those this fall.

You can really see the side drape here

And if you can get this little Boomerang video to work, you can really see the fullness of the swing!

McCalls 7992, or, the Millions of Cats dress

Now on the Fabricville blog, my latest Fabricville blogger's project is the cat's meow! I used this Laura Ashley pattern (McCalls 7992)  from a recent McCalls release:

And added this spectacular cat print quilting cotton:

Which turned into this:

The very best dress of all! And it matches in all ways with my favourite book of all time, Millions of Cats by Wanda Gag! This charming book, full of woodcut illustrations, is also the oldest American picture book still in print. If you don't know it, go find a copy right away.

As you can see, black and white matches with all my coloured tights ;)

But now for more on the dress itself. This is made with quilting cotton, which is very usable for clothing as long as you pay attention to the properties of it. For example, it really doesn't drape. So don't use it for flowy or highly gathered makes. But for this dress, all in one piece with an elastic casing sewn in afterwards, it works fine.  I really like this fabric -- it is a lightweight cotton which manages to hold its shape but also be flexible enough to wear in dress form.

The crispness of the fabric also holds the shape of the pussy bow nicely. (so many cat puns here). The neckline was one detail which really caught my attention when I first saw this pattern. The print makes it a little hard to see clearly, but it is a flat bow.

I also loved the little bit of sleeve ruching on View A

This dress is a lot of fun. From a distance it's hard to tell it is made up of cat faces. I love how the little odd white faces pop out and almost sparkle against the background.

It's also really fun to see how people stop talking to me in mid-conversation and stare more closely as they realize that the print is allover cats!

It's an easy sew; the collar is the only slightly unusual piece of the process. It's just a folded band sewn on with a facing, and then the ends are tied. Really not hard! The sleeve ruching is so easy -- just stitch on a stretched 2" piece of narrow elastic and it gathers up nicely when you are done. The body is cut as one piece -- front and back both cut from shoulder to hem, and an elastic casing added to the inside. I had to make mine colourful, since I had a vintage wide bias binding sitting right next to my table while I was sewing!

I did add a few inches to the length -- I think 2". And I am very short! So watch the skirt length if you are making it, to make sure you're comfortable with the finished fit.

Overall this was a quick and enjoyable make. I'll definitely make this one again, maybe in a softer fabric next time -- I can imagine it in a flannel for the fall, too! But I love, love, love the quality of this cotton, and the print is unbeatable. I've already worn this twice since I finished it last week -- and I have a large variety of coloured tights so I only see more fun outfits in my future ;) I'm going to enjoy wearing this one. I just won't hang it next to an earlier Fabricville project, McCalls 7534, in my closet, to avoid any trouble ;)