More pants fitting posts for the Curvy Sewing Collective

I've done a couple more posts for the CSC and thought I would link them here.

Creating an stretch pants block

Using an stretch pants block

Creating a pocket stay

Let me know if they aren't clear enough!

McCalls 6754: knit dress

Time to battle my arch nemesis again - raglan sleeves! I've had this dress sitting on my wadder shelf for a few months, I had this idea that I could make a knit pattern out of sateen and I just couldn't get the fit right (no big surprises there...). A lot of the fit problems disappeared once I made it in a knit......


Pattern details:
I made view D, the full skirted dress with sleeves.
Sz XL
1" FBA
1.5" added to the sleeve cap length
Added 3" to the skirt length
Added 2" to sleeve length
Added 3" wide waistband
Added inseam pockets





I need to the some length out the back next time, looking at these photos I have some excess there.

The fabric is a medium weight cotton knit, its pretty stiff but is surprisingly nice in a dress. I added the neckline binding instead of turning and topstitching.

So raglan sleeves, I have come to the conclusion that raglan sleeves will have draglines but there is a difference between normal lines and uncomfortable lumps of fabric. Happily for me, adding the sleeve cap length gets rid of a lot of the excess fabric and makes them a lot more comfortable plus gives me more movement so I can live with a few lines.

I haven't been able to find any real advice in adding to a raglan sleeve cap length and have just been adding height across the arm pattern piece and dropping the underarm seam to allow for the extra sleeve cap height, if anyone can refer me to a book/source or give me some information it would be great!

I found the skirt really short, I've added 3" to the length and I still had to add the waistband to drop it lower. I'm glad I added the waistband though, I really like the look with this dress and I'll be doing it again!

I actually like this more than the lady skater dress, a princess seam bodice is always going to fit better on me and I like that the skirt is full without being a circle skirt (its roughly about a 3/4 circle skirt). Plus with the added length to the skirt and arms I can wear it to work and what's not good about wearing what is essentially pyjamas to work all day!

McCalls 6953: Knit and Voile maxi dress

 

I've been a bit obsessed with mixed fabric dresses lately, I love a knit bodice and a woven skirt, seems the best of both worlds!

Pattern detailsn (same as last time I made this dress);

• sz20 with d cup
• 1" fba
• 1" wedge from back neck alongside of the zipper
• 2" petite bodice
• 1" wedge out of bustline length
• lowered neckline
• added waistband
• added pockets from Simplicity 2588

There were a couple added adjustments since the bodice is a knit;

• Took in the sides by a total of 4"
• Took out length in the bodice of about 2"
• Cut the back on the fold
• Gathered the skirt instead of pleating it so I could make the dress a pull-on.
• Bound the neckline instead of lining the dress.
• Added a 4" facing to the hem to help weigh it down

I do need to take some length out of the upper chest as its buckling slightly. It looks like the princess seams are ripply too but in real life they sit flat.

Fabric:
Cotton spandex knit for the bodice from Spotlight and a cotton voile for the skirt that was left over from my Cambie dress

I'm happy with how it turned out and I'll be making more mixed fabric dresses soon!

BurdaStyle 01/2013 #113: Layered jacket

I'm really not sure about this jacket. I loved the technical drawings and it on the model in the magazine but I'm not sure on me. Its quite a boxy jacket and the under layer is deceptively long, I cut it a lot shorter (probably a bit too short looking at these photos).

The chiffon under layer means the jacket slides around a lot so you are constantly pulling it back to sit at the front.
The instructions are atrocious as Burdas normally are, I winged it a fair bit on the construction and it all came together and looks pretty close to the drawing. I didn't add the back under layer because I didn't want to waste my chiffon!


Pattern Details:
Sz 44
1" FBA
Shortened the underlayer by about 5"
1" added to bicep width
Burdastyle Layer jacket







Materials;
The main fabric is leftover spandex knit from my yoga pants and the underlayer is a scrap of silk chiffon from Spotlight. I'm really glad I used a scrap because the fabric is a lot more beautiful than I first thought and I have enough left to make a dress.

All in all, I wouldn't sew this again, if I wanted a style similar to it I reckon I'd make a simple cardigan style jacket more fitted with princess seams and then just sew in a scarf around the neck to get a similar look but would fit a lot better.

McCalls 6707: Tuxedo capri's



I always seem to need cropped work pants for warmer days, it seems to be a staple I am always sewing! I got this pattern at the last big Spotlight sale, its one of the fashion star patterns (I haven't watched that show I have to admit). I've had a mixed run with the fashion star patterns but I can class this one as a win.

 

Pattern Details:

View A
Size 22
Dropped front rise 2"
Raised rear 1"
Changed the waistband to a folded over band
Added 2" to the calf as a hyperextended calf adjustment.






On that last adjustment - I made my first pair which fit fine through the waist/hips but my calves were pulling the side seams backwards terribly. I did a hyperextended calf adjustment like Cation Design showed here to fix it.

 

The first pair I also did a proper zipper fly and button like the pattern directs you to, but the benglene I used was so stretchy I could pull them on without using the zipper so the final pair I left off the fly and just did a basic pull on waistband.

 

The main fabric is a pinstriped bengaline from Darn Cheap fabrics in Melbourne and the black is either from Spotlight or Lincraft (I tend to stockpile it when its on sale).

I haven't made a tuxedo style pant before and its pretty easy, I did think about changing the front pockets as a slant pocket always gapes on me but left them alone as they do seem to suit the style of the pant.

This seems to be a pretty good pattern - everything fit together fine and I made less adjustments than usual which is always good!

SBCC 302: Cosmo maxi skirt

I'd been contemplating this skirt for awhile and then I saw Thornberry's version and downloaded it straight away!
I've been wanting a simple pull on knit maxi for ages - I made up Simplicity 1616 (unblogged) which was ok.....but not swishy enough and it was really short. Agreeably this pattern is specifically towards petite so is too short as well but at least you know it before you cut it out.

Pattern Details:
Size 1XL
Added 3" to the lengthen line
Added 3" to the waistband height (I'm 5'7" and I like my maxi's to graze the floor)

Fabric is a spandex knit from Spotlight that's on sale (I bought a few metres of it and am thinking about going back for more!)

I am so impressed with this pattern - I never have to do this few adjustments and the fit is pretty spot on. I could potentially go up a size and I think I will for the next version but other than that its kind of perfect! And so swishy!

I do have a couple of nit-picks about the instructions though, I found the waistband attachment a bit confusing - there are no notches or markings on the pattern piece, I went with the grainlines to work out what was the sides and top of the waistband. The instructions on how to attach were a bit odd too.

But overall, highly recommended.