#sewing pattern review

Pattern: McCall’s M8035 View B

Fabric: Crinkled silk jacquard

Modifications: Skirt lengthen

Notes: The finished dress looks rather different from the illustrations. The skirt is not nearly as flared and the front overlaps a lot more. I was not completely in love with the dress because of the rather straight skirt. The dramatic sleeves look lovely though. A very easy pattern to put together. The fit is forgiving and there are no zippers to worry about.

Possible improvement: Would definitely change the shape of the skirt to make it more a-line.

Pattern: Truly Victorian TVE45 and TVE23

Fabric: Beaded Silk Chiffon and Silk Damask

Modification: None

Notes: Edwardian style evening gown made of a kimono style blouse and a princess seamed gored skirt. The challenge lies in fabric choice. Working beaded fabric takes a lot of patience. Most of the time were spent removing and then securing the beads. I almost felt like machine sewing didn’t really save that much time for t his at all. Hand sewing is the way to go.

As usual, Truly Victorian pattern are well drafted with clear instructions.

Possible improvement: None that I can think of but I would need to work on some historically accurate undergarments to complete the look.

Pattern: Butterick B5033 view B

Fabric: Liberty London Tana Lawn. Lined with silk/cotton twill voile.

Modification: Added Pockets. Added heavy silk organza interlining on the bodice for structure.

Notes: This is a beautiful dress that comes together rather easily. Fit and flare style typical of the 50s with a smart collar. I could dance in this all day and night.

Possible Improvements: None that I can think of. This dress is simply perfect as is.

Pattern: McCall’s 7748 view A

Fabric: Satin faced silk organza. Lining: Silk/cotton voile.

Modifications: Took out 3-4 inches from neckline straps for better fit. Omitted petticoat and added horsehair braid to lining hemline because the organza fabric already have good volume and stiffness. Opted out of cummerbund.

Notes: The details of the neckline is stunning but getting the fit right was no easy task. I had to take it apart 3 times to make minor adjustments until I am happy with the result. Made the cummerbund but decided the dress doesn’t need it. I love the final result but it was really a test of patience.

Possible Improvement: I would consider adding boning to the bodice side seams.

Pattern: Simplicity 4188 view D

Fabric: Cotton Denim

Modification: None

Note: This is actually one of the first few patterns I have acquired. The skirt is very flattering. Really can’t go wrong with a fit flare skirt. I used flat fell stitch for the gored seams and that worked great. Overall not a challenging pattern to work but I would not recommend this to someone who just started to learn to sew as the instructions and illustrations can be confusing.

Possible improvement: Adding pockets would be a good idea although the zipper is on one side so it would be a tiny bit more work. Moving the zipper to center back is another idea.

Pattern: Simplicity 8984 view C

Fabric: cotton denim. Contrast: Liberty London Tana Lawn Ciara Orange

Modification: None

Notes: Such a comfortable loose fit dress. Overall a super easy pattern with no buttons or zipper to worry about. The only tricky part is the sleeves band on this view. Instructions were a bit lacking that. When jointing the curve seam like that easing is essential.

Possible Improvement: The fit is really loose. While it is comfortable I would consider slimming it down a bit for a modern look.

Pattern: Vogue Pattern v8784 view A

Fabric: Silk Twill. Lined with 4-ply silk crepe (bodice) and Sandwashed silk charmeuse (skirt)

Modification: shortened torso, added pockets. Replaced cap sleeves with short sleeves.

Notes: Wonderful wardrobe staple wrap dress. The fit is great. Almost no adjustment needed and it doesn’t have cleavage gapping issue like many of the wrap dress. I love how this pattern comes with full lining instruction. Really can’t go wrong with this style and it was such an easy make.

Possible Improvements: Gapping wasn’t an issue but if you are worry about bra showing I would add a small snap in front.

Pattern: Vogue v1643 view D

Fabric: Super 120 wool suiting. Trim: Vintage Petersham grosgrain ribbon.

Modification: Added lining. Waist band reshaped into yoke.

Notes: A beautiful classic pleated dress but the fit is a unforgiving. It features hard pleats that are sewn all the way below tummy so it could be unflattering after having a big meal. That said, I do think this is nice change from my usual style. The skirt is fairly easy by itself if you don’t need a lot of modification for the fit. Most challenging part is getting the pleats even. For that I simply forgo all the blasting stitch from the instructions and take the fabric straight to the ironing board. I found that easier and quicker but that could be just me. Adding lining could be a bit of work because you have to do all the pleating twice (that, or pleat with double layer, your choice). At the end you are rewarded with a beautiful skirt so it’s all worth it.

Possible improvement: I would consider reducing the pleat stitich by a couple inches so they don’t go below the tummy. The fit would be more forgiving but of course, the style would be different too.

Pattern: McCall’s M7896 view 2+4+6

Fabric: Metallic Silk Chiffon overlay, Silk Gazar underlay. Silk charmeuse lining.

Modification: Skirt lengthen to reach just below knee.

Notes: The difficulty of this project depends largely on your fabric choice and how comfortable you are with gathering. Silk chiffon is not easy to work with but since it’s mostly used as a gathered overlay here, there are some room for errors. Silk gazar works great as the underlining because of the added volume. I think the chiffon + gazar combo might be my new favorite for cocktail wear.

The two side seams call for boning and I would recommend not skipping this step. It’s really changes the structure of the dress.

Overall not a terribly difficult pattern and it’s worth the effort putting this together.

Possibly Improvement: None really. The fit is quite good for me without any modification. But do check the fit of the bodice often as you go since it is quite a revealing dress.

Pattern: Butterick 5987 view B

Fabric: Italian digital printed silk charmeuse Interlining: silk organza. Lined with fashion fabric.

Modification: skirt is cut out of just 2 pieces (front and back) instead of 5 according to the pattern. Just because the fabric is wide enough. Have to take out quite a bit on the bodice side seam to get the neckline to hang right.

Notes:

This looks like a really easy pattern but getting the perfect fit is not so trivial. I attempted this same pattern very early in my sewing days and it was disastrous. Granted I used silk satin face chiffon that was fairly difficult to handle for a novice. This time around I am more equipped.(tons of silk pins and shiny new needles)

Possible improvements: none that I can think of. It’s a classic style that just can’t go wrong.

Pattern: Dress - Simplicity 8732. Capelet self drafted.

Fabric: 2-ply silk crepe with Liberty London tana lawn as contrast. Capelet is lined with wool/cashmere coating.

Modification: Collar and cuff are modified. Torso shortened. Hemline shortened time knee length as well. Omitted the facings and added full lining instead.

Notes:

Made this for an upcoming Harry Potter event. I have wanted the Beauxbatons uniform every since I watched Goblet of Fire. The dress collar deviates from the original. I just figured the contrast color would make the dress pop when not worn with the capelet. Can’t quite find the right metallic marble fabric they used in the movie so I settled with a navy floral tana lawn I have on hand.

The pattern is an easy make. Bodice and sleeves are cut on one piece so it’s super easy to put together. Skirt pieces pose no difficulties either.

The capelet actually took longer than expected. I wanted to make it fully reversible but it’s not so straightforward with 2 fabric that drapes completely different. It took lots of patience and silk pins to get them to work together.

Possible Improvements: To get a more authentic look I would bring the dress neckline higher and of course, redraft the collar. I believe the original dress sleeves are cut separate from the bodice pieces. The sleeves could be lengthen a bit more as well.

Pattern: Simplicity 8769

Fabric: Silk Damask with rayon/silk velvet as contrast

Modification: Added pockets!

Notes: This is a costume I made for a Halloween visit to Evermore park in Salt Lake City. My fantasy realm character is a former royal guard to the king. The robe turned out a bit regal than military but I think it works.

The pattern is fairly easy to follow. I almost always add lining to my work but opted out this time. Had I know how cold it would be, perhaps wool lining wouldn’t be such a bad idea.

Possibly improvment: Lining for sure. Perhaps shorten the torso a bit.

Pattern: McCall’s 7895 view D

Fabric: Silk Faille

Modification: Redraped and shaped shoulder seam.

Notes: This is a classic formal gown. Bodice is made of a base and an overlay piece which might not be obvious from the technique drawing. This view actually has no boning but the bodice seems to hold up pretty well due to the stiffness of the fabric. I think faille pairs really well with this pattern.

Hardest part was to get the neckline to fit without gaping. I had to rework the shoulder seam a bit to get the perfect fit. Hemline finished with horsehair as recommended and I believe it is a must for the look.

Pattern: Vogue v1643 view B

Fabric: Wool/Angora twill coating. Lining: Silk jacquard

Trims: Vintage Petersham grosgrain

Buttons: Vintage from 1930s

Modification: None

Notes:

This is a great coat pattern. It is fitted but hugs the body in a flattering way. Pattern is rated for average skill level which is fairly accurate. Nothing too difficult but lots of steps. I didn’t have any trouble following the instructions but I did wish there are more details on some of the finishing steps on hem and sleeves. Extra illustrations would be helpful too. I found it strange there weren’t more details on attaching the ribbon trim though. Depending on the ribbon you use, one would need to either curve it with heat or use a gathering stitch.

Fabric choose is important here. When working with thick fabric the front band and the pocket top could get a bit too thick.

Possible improvement: I will switch out the front interface to use lining fabric instead of coating fabric.

Pattern: Vogue v9357

Fabric: Stretch cotton sateen by Mood Fabrics

Modification: Pleated pockets

Notes:

This is a fun pattern to work on. There are so many possibilities with plaids and stripes. When I saw this fabric I know I wanted to showcase some of it in pleats. The oversized pockets in pattern is the perfect place for it.

Fabric cutting is the only tricky part. Everything else is very straightforward. For this dress I chose not to add lining as the fabric has enough weight and quite comfortable on the touch.

I love everything about this pattern. The fit is flattering and the style is versatile.

Possible improvement: I might consider changing the direction of the waist yoke pieces so the back stripes won’t just go vertical all the way.

Pattern: Vogue Pattern V9130

Fabric: Silk Georgette by Milly. Lining: Sandwashed silk twill

Notes:

What supposed to be a really easy dress turned into a true test of patience because of the fabric choice. Silk georgette needs to be handled with care and cutting needs to be done one layer at a time. At the end I don’t have too much problem with fabric shifting like my novice days but I really can’t say I am in love with the final product. The dress would have probably work just as well with a less flowy fabric. Lining choice is crucial here. I would not have used sand washed silk if I would redo this again. Georgette and sand washed twill just has too much friction together. Static is a problem here.

Possible improvement: Skip the pockets when using delicate sheer fabric as it affects the drape. Sand washed silk twill as lining is bad idea.

Pattern: Vogue V9345. View C

Fabric: Liberty London Tana Lawn cotton - Pick a Posy green prints. Lining: Black silk crepe de chine

Modification: Added pockets. Lined bodice and skirt.

Notes: I have never had any issues with Vogue’s easy options patterns and this one is no exception. The instructions are clear and the pattern is well drafted. This classic shirtdress with a smart notched collar really looks more difficult than it really is. Note that even if you are adding lining, the facing pieces are still essential for the integrity and shall not be removed.

Possible improvement: Add belt hoops on the sides and back.

Pattern: New Look 6594. View C in length of View A.

Fabric: Liberty London silk crepe de chine in Elysian Blue prints. Lining: silk crepe de chine

Modification: Added lining to bodice and skirt. Remove skirt front pleats stitching.

Notes: Overall an easy dress to make. Note that the skirt front consists of 3 different pieces with a hard pleat on one side which is not that obvious from the pattern stock photo or technical drawing. Not every single steps are illustrated and some of the instructions are quite vague. This pattern is best suited for sewist with some amount of experience.

Possible Improvement: Make flutter sleeves fuller and longer. Move zipper to back and add pockets.