Early Autumn 2010 Pattern Round-up

Simplicity, Vogue, McCall's have released their new patterns for Early Autumn 2010.

My top selections (in no particular order) are:

Simplicity 2339 - the Amazing Fit Shirt patterns with different pattern pieces for A, B, C & D cup sizes. I always buy the patterns where there are pattern pieces for different cup sizes.

Simplicity 2342 - the Amazing Fit Pleated pants, with different pieces for slim, average and curvy fit. I think that any pattern that will give me a head start on alterations is worth an investment.

Simplicity 2343 - Nice and Easy Pencil skirts., I like the interesting seam options, especially in views D, E, & F. I'm on the fence about the ruffles, but it's easy enough to omit.

[I'm not certain why this picture is so much smaller,but I'll try to fix it later]

Vogue 1203--Tracy Reese outfit. I like the top. The empire waist means that it's easy to alter, but I'm not certain how well it will look on women with full busts (e.g, myself). The skirt is okay (I'm not a fan of exposed zippers), but it doesn't appear special The outfit, as depicted on the envelope, is very nice, though.

Vogue 1204 - the Issei Miyake Tunic and Pants. Sigh. I like this but I have trouble seeing it look good on a curvy figure. I like the idea of making a slim cut pair of pants (in a plainer fabric--those diagonal lines on the pants on the pattern envelope make me dizzy). I like the cuff and the diagonal seaming on the tunic. I don't think that the drapey quality of the pattern would be flattering on curvy body. I imagine it would the fun puzzle trying to make the tunic follow my figure and go in at the waist.

Vogue 8672 - Easy Options. Five fun pencil skirts--just fun variations, with interesting waistbands, inserts and/or ruching. I don't wear a lot of skirts, but I can see this one being a classic.

Vogue 8664 - Very Easy Vogue Custom Fit for A, B, C, &D cup sizes. A lovely, slim-fit dress with a sweetheart neckline, with a head start on the alterations

Vogue 8679 - a wardrobe pattern with a jacket, skirt, top, and pants. I would buy it for the top--a simple raglan (short) sleeved t-shirt that's fitted.

McCall's 6162 - a classic sheath dress, with an inset waist. I'm glad that McCall's sewed up the version with the epaulet/tabbed sleeves, as I would have had trouble seeing how the tabs would have looked in real life (as opposed to judging from the technical drawing). Now I can see that the tabs don't really seem to work. The sleeveless or the sleeved version look great though. And it might be fun to play with the stripes/plaids/checks with this pattern (e.g. put the inset waist piece on the bias or on crosswise layout).

The eighties revival continues!

McCall's 6170--I like this motorcycle jacket, although with the asymmetrical zipper, it does appear to be channeling Michael Jackson in the 1980s.

McCall's 6171 - Made for you including custom patterns for A/B, C & D cups. instead of Michael Jackson, you can channel Eddie Murphy. I might pick this up (at a sale) for future reference.

And you can tell that it's the beginning of the sewing season: Halloween and Holiday gifts are starting to appear in the catalogs. Here's one that looks pretty cute:

McCall's 6180 - a Halloween costume for a child that is as cute as a bug ... or bee ... or arachnid!

The September Issue

It's October 1, so today was the day to see the documentary, The September Issue. It's also the last day that it's showing at a theater close to me. It's a 90 minute documentary that covers preparation of the 2007 September issue of (American) Vogue magazine. The key players in the documentary are Anna Wintour, Editor in Chief of Vogue, and Grace Coddington, the creative director at Vogue. Anna Wintour is still a bit of a cypher, but she doesn't come across as personable, just as a woman who does what she needs to get her job done. At the beginning of the documentary, one of her colleagues explains that she doesn't try to be nice or friendly to strangers. She's not as over the top as Meryl Streep's Miranda Priestly from The Devil Wears Prada. Of course, you knew why Miranda did things, but Wintour is a bit cryptic. I guess that is the difference between drama and real life.

Grace Coddington is a more memorable person--as she shares her thoughts with the documentary crew (and the audience) as she creates and styles fashion shoots. She's a former fashion model and she has an amazing ability to create different visual scenarios that highlight different fashion designs (she knows how to show the clothing!) and she produces results: lots of great pictures for editorial shots. Each one of her layouts had very strong pictures that were unfortunately edited and made shorter. The documentary is pretty funny, because Wintour wears several lovely fitted sheath dresses (I'm trying to find a pattern for the indigo and white ikat dress, with a shoulder yoke on the front and back), with heels, all the time, and Coddington is always wearing a shapeless black dress with clunky sandals.

I recommend it! I'm going to rent it when it comes out on DVD, so I can take a closer look at some of the fashions.

I'm working on my second pair of Marlene pants, and I've got some finishing touches on

BWOF 09-2005-129. I should be able to post some reviews over the weekend.

McCall's 5857 - Shorts - Review

Pattern Description: "Easy" McCall's shorts in three lengths, with slanted side seam pockets and belt carriers

Pattern Sizing: The pattern comes in sizes 4 - 20. I used the size on the upper end of the scale.

Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you were done sewing with it? I made view C, the longer shorts without the cuffs. Front View

Were the instructions easy to follow? Yes, they were. I didn't look at the zipper instructions and used Sandra Betzina's from the Threads website. I feel very comfortable with zipper flys now. I add the darts before I attach the waistband---this allows me to check the fit and make a decision on any alterations (e.g. taking in by changing the seam line, etc.) or taking in a dart) zipper fly detail

What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern? We were expecting a heatwave this week, so I decided to make some shorts to wear instead of yoga pants. If you know how to fit pants to yourself, then these are easy shorts to make. The heatwave didn't materialize, but the shorts are a great transitional garment.

Fabric Used: I made two pairs (and one muslin): one out of a brown pinstripe mystery fabric from Fabrix in SF, and the other from a blue & orange (cotton/linen & silk? or something else) mystery blend from Ressy's coop. The pictures show the blue pair of shorts. I've worn them today and I'm convinced that they have linen, because they wrinkle like linen (but they are cool). I was able to find a button out of my copious button stash.

Pattern Alterations or any design changes you made:

1) I extended the front and back crotch lines (more in the back)

2) Added about a 3/8 of a inch along the hipline on the back piece (adding width) at the waist, and added along the back center seam.

3) Widened the fly extensions by 1/2 an inch so my topstitching would definitely catch the extensions.

4) I used a special stitch on the side seams instead of a triple stitch for topstitching. pocket detail showing topstitching

5) Before adding the waistband (after most of the pieces are assembled), I tried on the garment to figure out where the darts should go.

6) I put a center back seam in the waistband (which I had to make longer).

Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others? Yes! I would sew this again, but probably not until next spring. It's definitely a keeper. I can make these in about 6 hours, with a break before I attach the waistband.

Conclusion: I'm glad that I pulled this out of my stash to work on! These shorts will help me for the rest of the week.