Way Back Wednesday - Simplicity 9544

Simplicity 9544

I LOVED this pattern!! 

Picture if you will, the Fall of 1971 - 7th grade Hoover Drive Junior High School. 

Otherwise known as Hell on Earth.   (Gah.  At least I thought I was sew cool.)  

A Mom and Dad-approved way to be able to wear 1) a mini dress, 2) hot pants. 

Picture, too, how cool these boots would still be today!  

I made this twice.  And yes, one of them with the rick-rack.  

(I even put it down the center…and in hot pink!)  

Let's bring back rick-rack.  Rick-rack, like frosting, makes everything better.

(Perhaps not so much being in 7th grade, but I think I got an A for effort, and in rick-rack application)

Upcoming Jo-Ann's Pattern Sales

Coupon Commotion - July 14/20
(Good luck trying to use them on magazines - have you noticed that lately?)

July 14/27 -
40% off Gutermann thread (excludes multipacks)

July 18/20 -
Simplicity $1.99

July 21/27 -
50% off all buttons

July 25/27 -
Burda $2.49

Simplicity Patterns - ASG Creativity Contest 2012

Here are the Simplicity patterns for the 2012 American Sewing Guild Creativity contest.

The Annual Conference this year will be in HOUSTON, TEXAS August 16-20!!

The Conference brochure will be posted online on April 2 and online registration will begin on April 6

This year they have a new event open only to ASG members and anyone 18 and under sponsored by an ASG member. Two winners will be chosen electronically at random in the two categories.

Visit the ASG website http://www.asg.org/ for Conferenece and entry information.

1797 - Available March 23 Dress with princess-seamed bodice, waistline seam and flared skirt with a front inverted pleat. Jacket with short kimono sleeves, cropped length and boxy shape with an inverted pleat in the back

1885 - New, no picture available online yet. Short-sleeved dress/blouse, 3/4 length sleeved jacket and slightly wide-legged, flared pants.

1916 - Tops - sleeveless, short and 3/4 length

1920 - Sew Stylish magazine Short sleeved top, above ankle skirt, jacket, tie belt and scarf

1921 - Baby dress, jacket, diaper cover, hat

1927 - Girls dresses and bolero vest

2702 - Dress/blouse with three sleeve length options

2703 - Threads magazine Dress, jacket, sleeveless blouse and pants

2284 - Chanel type jacket (was also in last year's contest)

2286 - Skirt (was also in last year's contest)

2287 - Pants and jacket (was also in last year's contest)

2288 - Threads magazine Jacket and skirt (was also in last year's contest)

2293 - Girls/children's vest (was also in last year's contest)

Upcoming Simplicity Pattern Sale

This week at Hobby-Lobby, starting tomorrow - 99 cent Simplicity patterns

Psst! Get your new ASG Simplicity pattern numbers here!

Hot off the presses!!

The nine new Simplicity Patterns for the American Sewing Guild's 2010 Creativity Contest are:

2642 ... 2645 ... 2659 ... 2665 ... 2696 ... 2702 ... 2703 ... 2705 ... 2715

Even if you don't enter the contest, these are good ASG-endorsed patterns with lots of fun sewing potential! And applause to Simplicity for their cool, updated website!

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.

American Sewing Guild Simplicity Patterns

Click here for the PDF to the American Sewing Guild's 2009 Creativity Contest using Simplicity patterns, along with the pattern numbers and thumbnail catalog photos. With Jo-Ann's sale this weekend, December 12/14, you can get them for $1.99. Even if you don't plan to enter the contest, these ASG-endorsed patterns are easy to sew and ready for your creative influence. If you Google around, you'll be able to find past years' winners and see how they transformed the basic pattern/s into something amazing! Last weekend I saw a friend wearing the 2938 jacket and it looked gorgeous sewn as is right out of the envelope.
(Simplicity 2903, 2925, 2938, 2939, 2940, 2958, 2977, 3588, 3807)

Simplicity Project Runway Patterns

Simplicity has 6 new patterns, "inspired by Project Runway". While they don't look straight off the PR runway, one of them caught my eye - 3538. (It can't be any worse than the Sandra Betzina Today's Fit 2991 jacket flop. And I like that ruffled sleeve variation.) The others, including one girl's pattern, seemed like repackaged regular kind of MOR (middle-of-road) Simplicities -- with the exception of introducing "Sketch and Stitch - From concepts to design to reality" fashion croquis kit. Basically a pattern instruction sheet with the elements of the pattern pieces, a figure model illustration and ideas to make your own design. If this is what it takes to get people to sew, inspired by Project Runway - kudos to Simplicity. Of course, I'm sure I'll have to "make it work" with fit tweaking, but if Simplicity sees good sales from these patterns, they'll make more and better ones.

I got this $15.95 pattern for $1.99 at Hancock's Holiday Open House sale yesterday, and you know the other stores will be having deeply discounted (99c-$1.99 ish) pattern sales for the holidays. Just open the first Simplicity file drawer and look for the blue envelopes. They are all at the beginning of their numbering system.

Simplicity 9556-Back to the 80's!

Another flashback goodie - 1980's Simplicity 9556. This was a popular Jiffy pattern, even my sister had one. You may be lucky and find another in thrift stores, eBay, etc. Because of the elasticized neckline, I wanted this version to have a little bit more weight and drape than a cotton or linen would provide, so I used a peached knit ($1/yard Wally World), even though knits were not listed on the envelope as a suggested fabric. Simplicity's patterns were still pretty well drafted back then; I was surprised and happy to discover the shoulder stays put.

I was also happy and surprised to see that the Size 12 still fit, albeit with small adjustments (1/2" on the front side seam, recurving and lowering the armholes 1/4", adding 4 inches in length to the back and 4 1/2 inches to the front pattern pieces.)

A 1980 design with today's fabrics and notions (thank goodness for Steam-A-Seam 2!), creates a fun and cool Summer of 2007 top.

Must be gravitational pull

Another stop at Hancock's but this was legit, really! -- I had an idea while treadmilling this morning and was looking for lace to trim my upcoming Pepsi girl Kwik Sew PJ's. I had just left Jo-Ann's empty-handed and actually (ugh) going to go to Wal-Mart to fullfill this cardiovascular inspiration cheaply, or just skip the idea entirely. Hancock's was on my route. I needed 4 yards and found a spool with...4 yards! For 40 cents total! Yay! Then two Simplicity patterns Threads' Sew Stylish 3867 --it includes that cute aqua purse she's holding-- and In K Designs 4022 - (all patterns are now 70% off. Gosh knows when Jo-Ann's will have another cheapo sale; watch, next week! But I had to have them now ! Too delicicious to wait --thank you, Erica B for scouting them out!), two spools of Mettler thread ($2.87), and 2 cards of buttons ($1.44). And a pair of cheap scissors to replace my decoy pair, which have gotten all gummy and funky (good thing decoys work, eh?) for only 59 cents.

Simplicity 5197

Funky style! This fabric was a find at Wal-Mart about 3 years ago. It was hand dyed. Even after washing it, I still found threads wrapped about making the small white circles. I cut it on the crossgrain to play with the layout and color/design placement.


What did I like about this pattern? The darts. Well positioned and kept the tunic from being too boxy and full. The opportunity to embellish the neckline and sleeves with either stitching or beads or whatever. I used my Viking 1100 F-2 quilting stitch along the neckline, since the fabric already had a lot going on (click right photo to see. I kept and didn't cut the long connecting stitch).

The versatility of the pattern with fabric choices. Depending upon your age and style, you can use cotton, lightweight denim/pique/poplin/twill, sateen/linen; crepe and crepe back satin, laundered silks and rayons, gauze, double georgette. I finally have a trendy tunic top in my wardrobe suited for my height with some adjustments. Which were --


The sleeves -- I added 2 1/4 inches to the sleeve length (and also 2 1/4" in the front and 1 1/4" back main pattern pieces). After the first trial run, I noticed the sleeves were a little narrow and not as full as I wanted. I cut the sleeve pattern up the center and belled/widened the bottom 1 1/2," tapering back to the sleeve cap. Also, measure and compare your bicep/upper arm to the pattern. Even with the bell shape, it was a little tight when I raised my arms. Per Nancy Zieman's Busy Woman's Fitting Book, you need 2" of ease minimum in the upper arm. When I checked, I saw this pattern had only 1" with my arm measurement. I'll use her pivot method to add that extra inch if I decide to make it again. Another odd sleeve feature to me was the sleeve hem slit. It was on the inside/underarm seam. Wouldn't it be showcased better if it was on the outer side? You already have a separate facing piece, easy enough to flip it over. At first I thought I sewed it backwards, but nope, look at the drawing. My fashionista daughter agreed, too.

The neckline -- it came up too high and wasn't that flattering. I still wanted the same style, but decided curvy was better than choppy, and redrew the opening.

Overall, if you are looking for a tunic pattern, this could be fun. But keep in mind you'll need to do some fine-tuning, and probably make a muslin fitting first. Especially when you can find Simplicity's on sale for 99 cents to $1.99; at that price I would expect to have a little fun with the tweaking!

Simplicity 5197

I finished the tunic shirt last night, and it turned out pretty cool, albeit with some changes. (It's pretty unusual nowadays to sew a Simplicity pattern straight out of the envelope as is...at least for me/this body) But I'd say it was worth it! Please check back later for the details and photos. . .

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.

Today's Favorite iPod Workout Songs

Dan Hartman, "Instant Replay" 5:20
iTunes, "Keep the Fire Burnin'" CD
Back in 1978, my friends and I would go to the "VI" on the weekends. Yes, I loved to disco and still remember most of the moves to this song. And the swirly red dress I made with this pattern - the ruffled skirt with the ruffled top. Fun!

Scandal, "Goodbye to You" 3:46
iTunes, "We are the 80's"
Got dance-y with this one too, in '82. (No pattern available)

Cool down song:
Sting, "When We Dance" 5:59
from the "Best of Sting" CD

Today's stats: 46 minutes, 2.78 miles, 288 calories