Colette Macaron 1001: Macaron dress

 

This poor pattern has been totally hacked and changed from the original this time. I sit a lot in my job and I found the original skirt was quite poofy when I was sitting but I also hated the full circle skirt version I made (I never even wore it after the photos, gave it to the salvos instead). This is maybe a 1/4 circle skirt and it seems to work really well.

I had trouble fitting this dress, it seems the combination of a changing shape and using a knit that has 4 way stretch made it too long. I'd basted it together for a try on and I'm glad I did because I ended up unpicking it more times than I'd like to admit to get it to fit better!
I changed construction order too - so the side seams were the last to be sewn up. This is my new favourite technique, makes it so easy to adjust at a later date.

Pattern details;
Size 12 knit yoke (got the idea from Patty the Snug Bug)
Size 18 bodice with the darts converted into princess seams
Skirt is from Newlook 6390

Fabric details; Sateen is from Spotlight and the knit is from GJ Discount fabrics. I'm slowly sewing through my stash!

Colette 1028: Moneta Dress

I didn't get this pattern when it first came out because I didn't think the gathered waist would be that flattering. Since then I've seen a lot of great verisons online and I downloaded it!

As always with Colette patterns, the instructions are fantastic and the fit is pretty good too. This is a XL at the shoulders graded out to a 2xl from the bust down. Its a bit too tight, I'll do a FBA next time, I think that what causing the drag lines at the armholes, it also needs the armholes dropped and a bit of length taken out from the back bodice. I went for sleeves half way inbetween the 3/4 length and the short sleeves. Otherwise everything else is straight out of the printer.

I did drop the neckline down, its very much a boat neck but I like more of a scoop and I added binding to the neckline as well to help lift up the back neck height and because I just don't like the idea of turn and stitch for a knit neckline. This fabric didn't stretch enough though and the band looks a bit ripply

I got this fabric from the clearance table at spotlight, its just a mystery blend knit. Its way too shiny to wear out in public and too clingy too, especially at the back. It doesn't have quite enough stretch either, so its fitting a bit tighter than I'd expected. It honestly didn't look too bad until I sewed it up!

The skirt is gathered using clear elastic. It didn't gather it enough at the front for me and next version I think I'll gather with a few rows of basting stitches and then just reinforce the seam with clear elastic.

So I'll call the pattern a win but this version a fail because of the horrid shiny fabric!

Collete 1020: Lily dress

Everytime I sew a Colette dress I wonder why on earth I use any other brand of pattern! This is a straight sz 18 with only taking it in at the sides on the bodice and shortening the bodice by 1". I didn't even muslin it, I feel so naughty saying that!

Fabric is a sateen from Spotlight same with the contrast fabric. I found the skirt a bit short so added the band to the hem.

The skirt has a kick pleat but I don't think its needed and wouldn't bother sewing it on other versions. The bodice is finished with facings but I used bias tape instead. I really don't like facings, they seem bulky and never seem to sit as smoothly as bias binding.



 

Sew weekly reunion: Colette 1001 Macaron dress

The Facts Fabric: Cotton sateen from Spotlight
Notions: None
Pantone Challenge colors: Emerald, Mykonos Blue and Turbulence
Pattern: Colette Macaron dress with a full circle skirt
Year: 2009
Time to complete: Way too long, about 18hours
First worn: Today
Wear again? When the weather warms up!
Total Cost: $20

I became interested in sewing through sewing blogs and read a lot before I actually dusted off my sewing machine. One of my favourite blogs was the Sew Weekly and it inspired me to sew something every week, regardless of how it turned out. I'm a big believer that the best way to get better at something is to do lots of it!

 

Having said that, this dress gave me the fits! This is the third bodice that's been sewn onto the skirt, the first was a NewLook 6048 (like my copy cat dress). The neckline stretched out and looked awful though and the waistband looked all crooked. So that was unpicked and chucked aside. Next version was the bodice from the Tiramisu dress, but I cut it out of a ponte which didn't stretch enough and fit way too tight. For the third and final version I unpicked the original bodice and managed to cut out the macaron top from it, the back is pieced a bit but otherwise it all worked.

 

I did the knit yoke again, like the last couple of versions (here and here ). The skirt is a basic full skirt with the pockets from Simplicity 2588. I do need to remember next time to add a little bit to the length of the front bodice though, I feel like its riding up slightly.
The colour in the pic underneath is more true as well, I've been on a steep learning curve with taking photos in manual and managed to make all my pics a bit too warm and underexposed. The dress is more muted in real life.

It feels like we have been stuck in winter for months lately, the weather is finally starting to warm up (even though its raining at the moment!), bring on spring so I can wear my dresses!

Colette 1001: Macaron Top

 

*Autumn SWAP*

I started making a pendrell blouse as the first top to sew up out of my fashionary sketches, I adjusted the pattern and made a muslin but in the end I just didn't like it on me. I felt really blocky and square in it so I scrapped it and made this top instead!

Same as the dresses - Its a sz18 with the Éclair front bodice and a sz12 knit yoke.

I used the leftover Sateen from my Christmas dress and some of the knit from a garage sale (think its polyester or at least a cotton/poly blend).

I liked the idea of using a peplum but stuck with the pleated skirt this time around.

Heres the completed outfit (Winnie Trousers and Macaron Top);

Colette 1001 Macaron: Christmas dress

I've been loving reading about the Christmas dresses everyone has planned and decided to make one too. I'm still in love with this pattern - I've worn my first version heaps and have been itching to make another one.

Same adjustments as last time - size 12 knit yoke and sz 18 dress with the eclair bodice. I also took a tuck about 1cm out across the bustline as I had some excess on the last version, plus took a wedge out at the lower back to straighten up the hem line.

Fabric is sateen from Spotlight again, this is one of the very few fabrics in my stash that wasn't on clearance, lol, shows how much I love it! I still have about one metre of it left but not sure what I can use it for yet. Knit is an interlock from Lincraft.

I had another Macaron wadder before this one, used a knit that just wasn't stretchy enough, I can't stress enough with this pattern to use the exact same type of knit that you muslin with!

I wore this out tonight for my daughters graduation from year 7 and got asked where I bought it from *grin*, very happy!
I've got a crazy couple of weeks coming up, my works christmas show, street party with my Mum, dinner with the inlaws, christmas lunch bbq with my Dad so this dress will have a few more outings yet!

I took some family pics tonight at the same time and they crack me up. Heres classic family pic

and then the real family pic with the kids being ninja's, lol! We all go to Karate though so I suppose there is some excuse!

Colette Pattern: 1003 Parfait blouse

So the parfait.....I did the right thing and made a muslin in a straight size 18 (I can usually get away without a FBA in colette patterns). It fit pretty good - I wanted to do some shirring on the back though so I added 4" in total width to the back and redrew the midriff curve slightly to sit a bit better. Plus hacked off a lot in length to make it into a top instead of a dress.
I made the first version up in a striped drill (totally ripping off Julia Bobbins version!!), I found I had a weird dip happening at the top of the midriff band and I ended up with too much excess under the arm. So it turned into muslin #2......I fixed the excess by making a dart and rotating it out into extra gathering (like Patty the Snug Bug did here) and redrew the midriff curve again.


So the final version - the excess under the arms is gone, but I still have the dip happening. Looking around most of the parfaits I look at seem to have it to a small degree, but not as bad. I'm not sure if its the centre shape of the midriff or the way I'm shaped or a combination of both, but to be honest I'm not sure if I can be bothered to fix it, its a pretty top/dress but I'm not sure if I'd make it again


The fabric is a voile I got at the Spotlight clearance table. I underlined it with a percale sheet I got at the op shop and used a medium interfacing on the fabric and the facings of the midriff band and straps.



I really like the shape of the straps, they are a 2 piece strap and are angled on the top of the shoulder which makes them sit smooth on the shoulder instead of having a gap under the outer side which I always seem to get.


So not sure about if this is a winner or not - it's funny to think that before I started sewing the only consideration of fit I made was if I could squeeze into it or not! I'm a bit too fussy these days and have to stop myself overfitting everything!


PS - I always find it easier to see details of clothing if its on a neutral background so I strung up a heap of white lining I was given to give a backdrop for my photos. Hope it helps!