Wednesday Work in Progress

More like prepping and playing!

I need to finish "Fred," my swan watercolor class project.  And I was gathering my Butterick patterns for an upcoming Butterick 150th anniversary article.  Fun detours!

Butterick 5744 Version 2

Yee Haw, it's Fall!

My second version of Butterick 5744
I narrowed the flounce to two inches so it would fit and look better under/over sweaters and jackets.  I think this is a great versatile and transitional Texas Fall dress, where our temperatures can zing from 90 to 65 in a matter of hours.
(I also finished it with two hours to spare before my meeting!)

Click here for earlier post tracking --
Sunday, Wednesday

Here's the first version!

I hope to make this again next Spring, maybe in a lightweight denim.  This is really a great pattern --  grab it at the next  Jo-Ann's pattern sale for $1.99 October 11/13.

The only thing I would suggest is adding about 1 1/2" to the center front of the bodice tapering back to the sides. Even with staystitching, attaching that ruffle hikes it up.

Saturday, Sunday Work in Progress

Butterick 5744 Version II - I redrew and narrowed the neckline flounce.   Got ready to cut out this afternoon and discovered I had not prewashed the fabric and lining!  All those Wednesday Work in Progress pictures, showing said fabric nicely folded and it never dawned on me that it was folded just a little bit too nicely and unwashed?!   So, after this post, I will cut out and progress!

Wednesday Work in Progress

Progress indeed!   The cutting table has finally been cleared!  Getting ready to make another Butterick 5744 - this time transitioning to welcome Fall in a gray and cream dotted cotton version.  I'm going to narrow the flounce to make it a little bit more tailored and easier to fit underneath a sweater or jacket.

Wednesday (Monday!) Work (Done!) In Progress

View B top with View A skirt and tie belt

A breather!  (pant, pant)  (or should I say, "dress, dress"?!)  I knocked out Butterick 5744 on Monday in eight hours to wear to my Sewing Fashionistas meeting that night. (after doing the muslin on Sunday) from the previous Wednesday Work In Progress.
I literally finished at 5:15 and was out the door by 5:30.   Love, love, LOVE this dress!  In fact, I have two more versions awaiting on the cutting table.  A more detailed review is coming.

Wednesday Work In Progress

Let's see - half finished robe still working on (understatement), my serger was fixed (muslin swatches from Harvey.  Seriously, my serger just purrs now!  If you live in the Houston area and need an excellent [and eclectic, I absolutely adore him] sewing machine and serger repair person, let me know!) and, what's that?  A Butterick pattern 5744 and fabric from High Fashion for a cute and fun summer dress?  Yes!  Must.Finish.Robe.First.
Besides, I don't need to have the dress done until next Monday. . .
all good.

Sandra Betzina Today's Fit OOP Butterick 3124

Start to finish!

I decided to add another inch to the sleeves and the front/back pieces. Look at these technicolor pattern pieces!-

I used the F14 stitch spaced an inch apart on my Viking Husqvarna to tack down the facings. The stitch outline gives it a dimensional effect.

The result - I think it was worth the effort and determination to get it right! I look forward to making it again...and I did.

I found this lightweight blanket throw at Costco a couple years ago and bought it because of the color and it felt so scrumptious. I thought it would make a nice and cozy winter pullover. And it did. Except like the groundhog, I think this caused Spring to arrive early - it was 75 today!

(cheated and used the border for the sleeve hem)

Sandra Betzina Today's Fit OOP Butterick 3124 - Developing. . .

Doesn't that sound "Drudge-like"?! I'm still tweaking this top. And think I understand why Butterick no longer does Today's Fit. Unless we define "Fit" as a tantrum. Let's start with something positive: Love the V neckline. Flat, good depth, doesn't flop about. But be forewarned...If you are over 4 feet tall, you will have to lengthen, lengthen, lengthen this pattern. Kidding about the height requirement, but true this pattern runs short, really short. I added 3" to the sleeves and feel the need next time to add almost 2" more. Added 3" to the back. And correspondingly added 3" to the front, but it was still not long enough in the front. Evidently Sandra didn't make the same adjustments as she does for her Vogue line wherein the extra front length is already incorporated. So I added 1" to the center front, tapering to 1/2" at the sides and it all matched up. Much better. The dart - that's giving me fits. First it was too shallow. When I basted it all together, it looked like several darts were trying to form alongside it. There's too much fabric, too much pull at the underarm. Plus the dart as is was too low. I'm readjusting the dart depth and direction. But between all the disruption, tiling fun and "the water faucet outside broke off and we can't turn it off..." I decided to put this aside until later today...

Update #1: New outside water faucet.

Update #2: Stove is hooked back up, washer/dryer still in dining room, pending baseboard replacement on Saturday. Rather bake than do laundry anyway.

So Sew!

When your washer and dryer are sitting in the dining room, along with half of the pantry emptied on the table and the stove disconnected, too. The tile installers are on their way. Very good excuses to go sew and go out for dinner later.

Update #1: The refrigerator is in the living room and the stove is in the garage. You never want these things until you can't have them! Well, except for the refrigerator and it is step-saving. Trying to keep a positive spin! I am working on Butterick 3124, an OOP Sandra Betzina Today's Fit top. Love it so far!

Update #2: This isn't HGTV, it's Comedy Central!

Sandra Betzina Patterns

Continuing "The Stash Sew Down of 2009". . .Today I'm trying 3124 View C of the Butterick Today's Fit Sandra Betzina pattern line. Back in the early 2000's, both Vogue and Butterick had the Today's Fit patterns. Some were similiar to the Vogues and others weren't - particularly 3123 - a bias hooded top and dress, and 3338 - bathrobe (!) and nightgown.






Here are the other Butterick Today's Fit in my collection - top left to right: 3439 - blouse and pants, 3300 - vests, bottom left to right: 3013 - vest and jacket, 3016 - vests.

Did you know she also had two Sewing Workshop patterns? The Sandra Betzina Coat and The Sandra Betzina Vest and Skirt.





I was even able to score some of the ones she did with Burda (1995-97) - 3204 - Shirtdress, shirtjacket and pants...3381 deeply pleated and pocketed pants and cropped pants...3653 long or short sleeved dresses.



Let's also not forget the Rodale Designer Collection "No Time To Sew" book (1997) and pattern wardrobe. There were mixed reviews on this book, but I liked it. Another ASG chapter member and I sewed many verisions of her Tuxedo Shirt. I made two, I think she did at least seven and they were all cool, all different. It's now out-of-print, but if you find the book on Amazon or eBay, make sure you get the pattern envelope, too!

Once again, another sewing detour. I should be cutting out, not dumping out my pattern drawers and blogging about it! I just wanted to share these in case other Sandra Betzina fans might be interested in her earlier patterns.

Old Friends

When I was learning to sew, patterns not only had big impact but a familiarity - like old friends. This Simplicity 9544 in particular - I learned to sew with Simplicity, and loved the Jiffy Young Junior/Teen styles. 9544 was very popular, a lot of young teens made them in all different versions. Even Seventeen magazine featured it -- In the 70's, their fashion editorial pages would have their models in sewn outfits for the different pattern companies. I made it twice. One in a yellow rose bud print on a black background (foretelling of moving to Texas?), the other was another black background with brightly colored flowers with the dominant color hot pink! I made the shorts for both out of black, but trimmed the pair for the colorful one in hot pink rick-rack. And then used the rick-rack down the front and along the openings. LOVED those outfits. I wore the rose version for the first day of Junior High School - 7th grade at Hoover Drive. At least I looked good for my descent into Hell. Let's move on. I remembered looking at the Vogue patterns catalog at McCurdy's fabric department. You had to order those patterns, even then Vogue held a cachet. I thought this Vogue 1363 Nina Ricci wedding gown was gorgeous. I don't know if it was the scarf or the photo or the fabric or being 14 years old.

This morning I started sorting through my pattern stash - I think I have sewing ADD - and found two more favorites. Even before I had a date, I wanted to sew and wear this Gil Aimbez Butterick 5387 pattern for my Senior Ball. I made the version on the far right out of all-over eyelet and border eyelet. I trimmed the underskirt in more even more lace! Then I threaded narrow turquoise ribbon through the holes on the sleeves and the skirt bottom. It was so pretty, I actually still have it. I'll see if L can fit into it and if she will allow me/be bribed to get a photo! The 7880 Simplicity Contemporary Fashion was another favorite - from the notes on the pattern, I made the skirt least four times. You look at it now and the styling would still be fashionable to wear today. I made the blouse out of two eyelets, a different one for the yoke. The vest was a solid red trimmed in white braid to match a red and white flowered print light weight linen from Jo-Ann's - $4.99/yard and I needed 2 7/8. The first time I ever spent that much per yard on fabric and you can bet I did not round up to three yards. This outfit was a serious weekend of babysitting ($1/hour), but oh sew worth it. You could make the skirt three ways - a border print or scarf print cut on the bias, in addition to my wallet-emptying linen. Look at how thick the cutting lines were on the patterns back then. Yet they always fit. Hmmm.

Funny how you can remember all the details of the things you've made. Coming across patterns on the Internet and in my collection was like running into old friends.

Flashback Friday - 1976!

A great combo --- Bicentennial cake, a tiny waist and Betsey Johnson! (Butterick 4957). I made the green view in red wale-less corduroy and yellow/red/green flannel for the cuffs and pocket. I also lined the legs like Betsey's just in case I got a pair of tan Frye boots and I would be ready to roll. Well, at least I made the yearbook!

Today's Favorite iPod Workout Song

Barry White, "You're The First, The Last, My Everything" 3:23
Pure Disco
Today's stats: 2.44 miles, 40 minutes, 267 calories

Fun memories of the summer of 1978, (and my 26 1/2" waist) dancing in these two skirts to this song. View B on the left has three tiers and three ruffles between each one. It took 5 yards of 45" fabric. But it twirled so prettily!
(By the way, the trim needed for the white skirt -- 3 5/8 ribbon and 7 yards of Rick Rack!)

Butterick 5903 - circa 1979!

The fashion pundits say that if you wore it once, you shouldn't wear it again. But I perhaps I can scoot under that rule -- I made the View B dress (far right) in May and October, 1979. But this time, 28 years later, I made the shorter version View C (center) to wear as a belted tunic top. (A tip of the needle to Erica B's yellow Simplicity top for the inspiration!) It was also a forgiving style to make easily a little larger than that 20 year old body size I once was. I used Nancy Zieman's Busy Woman's Fitting Book and pivot/slid 1-1/2 inches in width near the underarm and 5 inches in length on the front and back pieces.

It truly was a time capsule in my sewing life. Back in the day, I carefully folded and pressed the pattern pieces individually before returning to the envelope, and I cut my notches pointing out. Nowadays I put all the pieces together, fold/pat down with my hands and hope it fits back into the envelope, and clip into the seam allowances for my notching. And originally this was made pre-serger, pre-Fasturn, pre-Steam a Seam 2! All of which I relied upon and used when I made my 2007 version.

What I liked then and what I liked now were the cut-on, half circle sleeves. And the gathered neckline. It's really a classic style that resurfaces above the fashion waters for a reason!

More patterns

I liked this Butterick 4986 so much, I bought it last night at Jo-Ann's regular Butterick $5.99 price instead of waiting for a give-away price of 99 cents. Especially View D, the far left one.

But I did take advantage of the Simplicity 99 cent sale. . .5197

It looks sort of like the Tory Burch tunic Oprah wore on the July 2005 magazine cover. Not that I want to dress like Oprah, but there's been pretty good buzz about Tory Burch lately. Her ballet flats have become hot collectibles on eBay, and she's currently dating Lance Armstrong. I actually did a trial run of the top left/pink view tonight with a wild fern print stash fabric. Hmm, there's a very good reason why they show it in solid colors or tiny print! But the first go-round went pretty well. It seems to run a little large in the shoulders, and I'm going to recurve the upper neckline. There's potential! Had the trial fabric not been more suitable for home dec - sofa upholstery, pillows, curtains even - it could have been a keeper.