Vogue 8605 for a Store Display

It's that time of year again when the staff at Fabricville is encouraged to sew garments or crafts out of the new fabrics coming in daily to be used as displays for the various fabric collections.
The deal is that we get all fabrics and notions including patterns,for a particular project at no charge.We must leave the item on display for about three months .After that we get to take it home.


Vogue 8605 caught my eye right away when I first saw it on someone's blog ( maybe Carolyn's?) It's that type of pattern that I know would be more suitable for that tall willowy model-like creature who is wearing it in Vogue patterns catalogue.You've heard me go on and on about that before.Well,since this jacket isn't going to cost me one cent and I get to add the pattern to my collection and I really like the skirt and pants in this one,I decided why not!





I used a wool /acrylic sweater knit that I feel was very suitable for the style .A light wool double knit was recommended and this knit would be very much similar in weight .It's a hazy floral with navy and other blues as well as a couple of shades of green.Because the wrong side of the fabric shows at he collar,I decided to use a navy knit facing and I'm not sure it works. I may decide to take it out and just let the wrong side show when I get this home in late fall.




When I chose this pattern I thought it would be a quick project but not so.First up, I hand-basted all the markings ( pockets,tabs,etc).Then the fabric insisted on curling at every edge so I ended up turning the seam allowances over a scant quarter of an inch and stitching them down.After joining seams I then top-stitched them on each side of the seam .This took a considerable length of time.What with having to figure out how to add a facing and working it in into the style of the piece,I worked 11 hours on this little beast.



I really enjoyed making this garment though. It was fun!I love trying different things.The only change I made,besides adding the front facing, was to make the buttonhole in the "band" rather than in the spot indicated by the pattern because I just didn't like the effect of having a buttonhole so far from the edge of the jacket.

Do I like this rather boxy and floppy cardigan-like jacket? Yes I do. I think it's cute and will be fun to wear with jeans. It would look great with a longer pencil skirt like the one in the pattern but to be realistic,for me ,it will be a casual piece. And if I change my mind and decide it's too baggy ,I'll at least wear it as a wrap while I'm on the computer in the winter on those cold days.

It has been so terribly hot and humid for the past ten days here that I just couldn't persuade myself to try the jacket with a turtleneck and the appropriate pants for a photo. Instead, I waited to get a couple taken at work. The setting on my camera wasn't right but these pictures will give you an idea of how it looks on .




Look here if you want to see more V8605.

Hope you got the chance to sew this past week.If not, maybe you will this week.

Tamara's Mini Wardrobe,Summer,2009

Well, I worked for three weeks on these pieces and was a bundle of nerves wondering if Tamara would like them and if they would fit. To my amazement,I sent the parcel out (to Ottawa from New Brunswick) by regular post on Monday and she received them on Thursday.Not only that but each piece fit!!.She said it was like Christmas and was very excited and pleased with everything.

The first piece I made was the jacket from this pattern (Vogue 8232)



Originally, it was suppose to go with this royal blue dress from my last post.
But later, I decided to add sleeves to the dress. Well,DD can still wear the jacket and dress together if she wants.



I used cotton twill and made two changes to the pattern.
First I added one inch to the front so that I could add these pretty big blue button and buttonholes.



The second change was on the sleeves. This twill was not stiff but an adequate bottom weight fabric. Thus, the raglan sleeves tended to stick out. To tame this, I formed a pleat at the hem and added a button and this simple step solved the problem.




Here is the dress and the jacket together. What do you think?




The next piece I made was a top using this pattern.( By the way, Debbie Cook has the directions for making an FBA on this pattern here)Is it OK for me to post a link like this?




I had never made anything with a twist on it but I found it quite easy,especially since I used a rayon/lycra which was quite lightweight.I want to make DD a long sleeved dress with this pattern because she really likes the top.




Actually.I'm not crazy about rayon/lycra.It is a little too see-through and clingy for my taste.In Tamara's parcel,I included a white RTW cami to wear under her twist top.



Next up was this skirt made from the same New Look pattern as this one I made for myself. DD chose this fabric so I was quite confident she'd be pleased with it. It's a light, stretchy, cotton poplin.



Instead of gathers on both front and back, I used pleats.



Here are the twist top and poplin skirt together.Tamara agrees that this style is slimming.



The last two pieces were made from a stretchy cotton denim I had in my stash, for DD to wear on casual Fridays.I decided to make the vest as an afterthought because I had a little of the fabric left over from the skirt.

I bought this pattern back in 1995 or so and had never made it.



The vest ended up being shorter than it showed on the pattern jacket so it's a little too short. Tamara agrees with me on that . However if she wears it with a shirt like this RTW T-shirt I picked up for her,tucked in , I think it's wearable..





The skirt is from this pattern (OOP) and is like this skirt. DD loved this one she said.

Well,this has been a long post. I hope you were able to stick it out to the end.I made up a folder of all the pieces if you want to have a look here

I hope you found time to sew this weekend.This week I'm making the jacket in this pattern as a store display.

Presenting Tamara's Vogue 8571

I've been sewing a lot for the past three weeks (as usual) but I've been too lazy to blog. I've visited many blogs but haven't left many comments,not because I had nothing to say,but because I was too lazy to say it.Tonight (it's 11:30), I've suddenly got my blogging mojo back,so here goes.

I've made my daughter six pieces since last you heard from me.Yes six.However,because I want some of these pieces to be a surprise for Tamara, I'll only show you what I think is the best of the bunch.
( I've already E-Mailed her the photos of this dress).

The pattern is Vogue 8571 and the fabric is a poly/lycra.



I added sleeves because I thought she could wear it well into the fall and beyond. My DD really doesn't like sleeveless things for work.Here it is and we both love it.



I used the sleeves from her last dress. I simply flared them out at the bottom ,gathered them at the center and added a narrow band.The gathers echo the gathered bodice, don't you think?



I had a heck of a time with the bodice, I must admit. At first I spread the gathers almost all the way around the band ( I didn't read the directions) and had to take the band off and start again.The band twisted when I stitched the band facing in the ditch. This happened not once but twice!! Finally I can say that it's finished,not perfectly mind you but it will have to do.



I really like the back of this dress. I think it has a retro feel



I almost feel like making this again right away to prove to myself that I learned a lesson or two while making it. One, to read directions and two, to mark all notches and circles,etc. clearly before beginning a project.Wouldn't you think I'd have learned this many years ago?

Check back in a few days for the whole mini-wardrobe reveal. I'm mailing it to my DD tomorrow.

Have a great week everyone! Hope you got some sewing in over the weekend!