Spring 2017 Pattern Picks - Vogue, McCalls, Butterick, Simplicity, New Look

I am so excited for some spring sewing that I thought I would do one big "Pattern Picks" post for all the new spring pattern releases... well, all the companies that I sew often and that have a seasonal release anyway.  That means the "big 4" - Vogue, McCalls, Butterick, and Simplicity + New Look, which I also often like.

First up is McCalls.  There are loads of great patterns from McCalls this spring.  For the sake of the length of this post, I'm only mentioning the ones that I truly want to make - so a super cute tee-shirt dress that I already have a perfectly acceptable pattern to make will not make the cut.  Ok?  Ok.  let's go.

M7540  I almost didn't include this one because I just cannot think of a legit function where I will wear this.  :-(  Super sad face.  I really do love this jumpsuit.  Click through to see the drawing of the back.  So cute!  I need a baby shower or something on my calendar to actually buy this pattern, though.  Is there any circumstance for which you would actually wear this?  Maybe I just need lots more dinner date nights with my husband.

M7537 I have actually already purchased this pattern and plan to make it in the berry-colored rayon challis below.  Call me crazy, but I am considering the ballon-y sleeve option.  Knowing me, they'll probably get cut off to short sleeves, though.

M7533 calls to me in this line drawing.  The modeled pic isn't doing much for me, though, so that makes me pause.

M7538  Someone restrain me, please.  Remember this fiasco? Ugh.  I envision it in this fabric, though, playing with the stripes and solids.  I bought soooo much of that fabric for some reason that I wouldn't even cry if it didn't turn out great.  

M7547  After much analysis, I decided that what draws me to this pattern is the pockets.  I wouldn't like the high rise aspect, so I should just use the pockets on pants that I know fit well.

M7549  I already bought this one.  I don't have any jackets anything like this.  The blue quilted version just really drew me in for some reason.  I have no idea what fabric I want to use with this.  Maybe a really pale pink chambray-type fabric.  Yeah, I see wearing that with white pants and jeans.  Isn't pink "in"?

The Vogue spring patterns are nice, also, but most are too formal or trendy for me.  I only got one, V1537, which I can't wait to make.  I have a couple of functions this spring that I think this dress/jacket set will work well for.  I am going to Pennie Fabrics in Sarasota in a few days with the hope of finding the perfect fabric for this pattern.

Of the Big 4 companies, I think I sew Butterick the least, but I found a few I would like to try this spring.

B6446  This is so cute in the gingham.  A bit too cutesy perhaps?  I don't know.  I haven't bought it yet, but it might just be casual enough for everyday summer wear.

B6449  I'm not sure I'll get around the buying or making this.  I already have several cute knit dress patterns I haven't even cut into.  I like the maxi version, but I find maxi skirts too hot for Florida summer, so I don't know.

B6448  I keep finding myself drawn to this pattern.  It's nothing earth-shattering, but something about the cut looks so flattering.  It might be that floral fabric that's sucking me in.  Gotta watch out for that.

B6461 I am drawn to these pants - the black version, NOT that floral version.  I would do a wider elastic in the waistband.  The seaming on the legs is interesting.

Simplicity and New Look.  Ugh.  That website.  I don't even know why it is so bad.  I think it's just too much on one site.  Vogue, McCalls, and Butterick are all owned by the same company, but they each have their own websites - so much better.

I only have one Simplicity pattern on my list, and it is 8295, and really, it is so similar to this dress that I made that, yeah, I won't actually be buying that pattern afterall.  Any version I want to make, I can hack it with the pattern I already have.

The only New Look pattern that is intriguing me is 6494 and it's not like I can just put in a pic of the version I like.  Oh no...  Anyway, bottom left is my favorite, but I have no vision of what fabrics I would want to use, so I doubt I will be getting this one.  Plus, I already have two shirtdresses.

Alright, well if you made it this far, I hope you found a little inspiration. What will you be sewing this spring?

Simplicity 8019 Skirt in Corduroy

Here is a simple little skirt to help ease you into the weekend!  This is Simplicity 8019.  The envelope says it is a "Vintage 70s skirt" but I think it looks totally modern for 2017.  The shape is a bit fuller at the hem than a standard A-line skirt, but it isn't a full-on trumpet skirt shape either.  It is basically my perfect skirt shape.

I made my skirt in a floral corduroy fabric from JoAnn fabrics (it isn't on the website now, though).  I also used this fabric to make an adorable dress for one of my nieces for Christmas.  Unfortunately, I did a truly terrible job of documenting my Christmas sewing this year.  The best I can do is direct you to this image from Instagram (the dress on the left!).

I think this skirt turned out great in the lightweight corduroy.  It would also be nice in a lighter-weight cotton.  I could even see this cut without the button-front and a simple side zip.  Lots of options with this simple, flattering shape.  I see more in my future.

If I remember correctly, I cut the knee-length version (not the shortest) and ended up cutting off a few inches when I tried it on.  I found the buttons in my stash. I think I had bought them years ago, from JoAnn as well, for some other project.

This is a truly versatile skirt.  I have worn it with tights and without, with a simple tee and with different sweaters.  It won't work in the summer, but sometimes I need a new winter skirt, too.

Teen Titans Go Starfire Costume

Happy Halloween, everyone!

I hardly ever dress up for Halloween, and I have only made one other costume for myself, ever (Tinkerbell, which took about 20 minutes of cutting and sewing a knit tube).  Somehow, I got it in my head that I must be Starfire from Teen Titans Go this year.  Unless you have a kid between the ages of 6 and 12, you probably have no clue who that is, but we watch a fair amount of Teen Titans Go here, and I like her sunny, quirky personality (and also her pink hair).

Here she is, for comparison.  I made this to show as little midriff as possible while still being true to Starfire's original costume.  :-)  Haha I sound ridiculous.  

I bought the fabrics at JoAnn.  They are from the Yaya Han line.  They are both polyester pleather-type fabrics.  The purple is quite stretchy while the white is thicker and does not stretch.  The piping I used to mimic the drawn outlines is a dark silvery pleather piping from Mood.  I totally am the one who made it "sold out."  :-)

As for the patterns, they are a mix of Franken-patterning and making it up as I went along.  The skirt was the easiest.  Simplicity 2564 has no darts and a nice yoke, so I was able to color-block it and add a big circle for the buckle.

I used McCalls 7387 for my boot covers (my pattern envelope says MP281, which is odd), adding the white section at the top.  These came together quickly and stay put over shoes.  The only opening is for the heel of the shoe.  They are quite tight and are a bit of a pain to get on, but they fit well once they are on.

The top is the strapless bodice section of Vogue 8766 with the white section just kind of added on.  I used the shoulders of the other bodice views of the same pattern to get me started on the white section.

My arm thingys are basically just tubes with curved edges and stiffened by glueing plastic canvas inside.  The black lines and the big black circle on the bodice are fabric puff paint.

I am so proud of how this came together.  I kind of can't believe how much time I spent on this considering how often I will wear it (maybe 1 or 2 times more ever) but it was a fun challenge, and those Yaya Han fabrics are fun!!

Simplicity 8059

So I thought this outfit from Simplicity 8059 looked really comfortable and Florida-chic on the pattern envelope, so I went for it all-the-way.  I'm not so sure now, though.  It looks a bit "madame" on me (meaning mature, not French).  Like I could see this on one of the fabulous retirees that live down here.  While I have no problem dressing a bit more mature as I get older (rompers not withstanding), I'm not ready to jump ahead that much yet.

I think it all comes down to the top's hem line, and I am thinking of remedying that this afternoon with a little snip snip and sew.  It's funny because that detail was what drew me to the pattern in the first place, but on me, I'm not loving it.  

I do love the fabrics, though.  Both are from JoAnn.  The top is made with this rayon spandex fabric which is no longer at my local store, but is for sale online, and I am seriously considering getting two more yards for a fun dress.  It starts to pill pretty quickly, but I don't mind so much for a simple top, and I just love all the shades of blue.  The pants are a linen/lyocell blend that I can't find online.  They drape beautifully, and the linen look is nice.  They do require a quick ironing after washing, but it is very fast.

The pattern and instructions for the V-neck are excellent.  These are great results, and I will definitely use this pattern for all my future V-neck needs.

I tried the top with some jeggings to see if I preferred that look to the whole outfit together, but I'm still not convinced on the shape of the top.  I think it is getting a snip.

Simplicity 1355 in Rayon Cotton print from Mood Fabrics

I have wanted to make a second version of Simplicity 1355 since I made the first one last summer.  I thought that the pattern would really sing in a lighter weight fabric, and I think I was right.  :-)

The fabric is a Rayon/Cotton poplin from Mood Fabrics in a navy and white geometric print.  I love this fabric!  As soon as I saw it on the site, it had to become this romper.  The only downside to the fabric is that the garment requires a quick ironing after coming out of the dryer, but my tolerance for ironing has gone up in recent years.

This thing is just so comfortable and cool for summer.  Hubs is a bit dubious about the whole romper/jumpsuit genre of clothing, but whatever.  After 12 years of marriage, we can agree to disagree on this.  I figure it's just like a dress but more casual and easier to sit on the ground to play Legos or cut out another sewing project!

 I made two changes to the pattern for this version.  First, I raised the back to cover my bra.  To do this, I laid out my back pattern piece on my fabric.  Then, I marked the intersection of the center back and the armhole depth. Finally, I made a straight line through the top of the back piece (where the back attaches to the shoulder strap, minus seam allowance) through the new mark, and down to the bottom of the piece.  This makes a wider overlap, but that is fine with me.  I also tacked the backs together where they cross.

The second change I made was to use a drawstring waist instead of elastic.  I like the adjust-ability of the drawstring and the style of the ties.  I'd like to add some wooden beads to the ends of the ties for a little pizzazz but need to get some with big enough holes.  I made little fabric tubes for the visible ends of the ties, but for easier sliding in the casing, I used some silk cording for the hidden part.  One of my cleverer ideas, I think.  The only change needed from the pattern was to make to little buttonholes in the garment-side of the casing for the ties to poke through.

Here is a detail shot of the shoulder.  I really like this pleated detail, which is very similar to Simplicity 1810 but with one tuck instead of two.  If you can't find that out of print pattern, this would be a good starting point for a recreation of that dress.

Simplicity 1810 Dress in Rayon

I made this dress pattern last spring, and at that time, I said "This design is the dress of my dreams."  It still is.  Comfortable, breathable, Florida perfection.  However, it seems that it is no longer in print because I cannot find it on the Simplicity website.  Boo hoo!  Here it is on the Pattern Review site, though, for reference.  Why, oh why, would they put this out of print so quickly.  I mean, come on, it is the perfect dress, and I haven't even gotten around to making the top yet!

We have been having the most ridiculous rainy weather for the past few weeks.  Tropical storm Colin wasn't the half of it.  Before that, we had some crazy rain and wind for days.  Anyway, what this means for you is that you get crummy indoor shots of the dress.

There are two ways to wear this dress, which I find fun.  It is a subtle difference, but fun none the less.  You can tie it in the front...

Or wrap the ties around to the back and knot them for a more streamlined look.  I always wear my other version of the dress this second way, but this fabric is more drapey, so I can see myself going with the bow from time to time.

This fabric is a woven rayon border print from JoAnn Fabrics.  I fell in love with the color, the fact that it is not polyester, and the border print.  The only change I made to accommodate the border print was to change the A-line skirt shape to a straighter shape, starting about halfway down the skirt.  This makes for a  less swingy skirt, but it doesn't interrupt the border print.

Now, before this last pic, let me state that I AM NOT PREGNANT... but as I was taking photos, I decided that this would make a great maternity pattern with little alteration.  It's roomy in the bust, a bit high waisted, and you could easily make the skirt even bigger.

Simplicity 1370 White Cotton Eyelet Shorts

I love white shorts!  I have several store-bought pairs, but I never seem to have enough.  Plus, you know, they are white, so they develop stains pretty quickly.  This is Simplicity 1370, view B.  The fabric is this cotton eyelet from JoAnn's, layered over a stretch cotton bottom-weight, also from JoAnn, but I have no idea which one.

This pattern is unique for shorts in that it has a back zip.  I loved how quickly they came together with no fly front to worry about.  They fit very well, too!  I would lower the waist band by about an inch next time.  That's just personal preference, though.  They do not come up super high - just below my belly button.

I debated whether to use an invisible zip or a regular one.  I decided on a regular one for a bit more strength, but I would go with an invisible one next time.  The regular zip is definitely visible if I tuck in a top (so I won't with these).  They are not tight, so I am not worried about the zipper breaking after all.

The only fitting adjustment I needed to make was to scoop out the front crotch about 1/4 inch to pull in some bagginess.  Other than that, these are straight out of the envelope.  Love that!

Overall, I am happy with how streamlined these look under an un-tucked top, and I have some ideas to improve them for future versions.

Simplicity 2215 - Cynthia Rowley Collection

This is Simplicity 2215, a Cynthia Rowley pattern from 2010.  Of course, I am just now getting around to sewing it.  I decided to sew the skirt, but I do like the dress and blouse in the pattern also.

 The fabric is another score from Gorgeous Fabrics, the same order as this and this.  The fabric is a cotton/linen twill that is out of stock.  It looks and feels like a heavy-weight linen.

 This skirt has uneven pleats.  It even mentions in the directions that this is a designer detail.  As a home seamstress, though, I just hope it reads as "designer detail" and not "she needs to go back to home ec."

The heavy fabric combined with the pleats make the skirt swingier than I prefer - as in, it seems to stand away from the body a lot.  I hope the fabric softens up with some more washing and relaxing to hand more straight.

 The pockets and fringed hem make this skirt fun and casual.  This skirt will see lots of wear this spring, especially with my new t-shirt shown here..

 Here are the pockets.  I used a coordinating quilting cotton from my stash for the pocket bags.  It is neat how the pattern incorporates side pockets with a side zipper.  You can also see the fringed trim in this photo.  I made a row of straight stitches about 1/4 inch from the edge to prevent more fraying.