Purple Princess Line, Simplicity 1018

Simplicity 1018

Fall is coming to Texas!  I am ready with this dress.

Pattern:

Simplicity 1018, View B

Fabric:

Purple ITY knit 

Construction notes:

This pattern uses lots of fabric  The skirt is full and sways as you walk.  Just beautiful.

It takes longer to cut and pin this dress together than to sew it.

No surprises in the sewing.

Fabric selection is critical on this dress.  The ITY is almost too thin and gives you the ability to "see" what is underneath.  A velour would be stunning for this dress. 

I did a FBA and sloping shoulder adjustment. 

This purple ITY was not very forgiving and wouldn't allow you to ease in very much.  I can see a few wrinkles in the back of the sleeve.  Not sure many will notice when the skirt catches their eye first.

Unforgiving ITY in easing in the sleeve.

My grown up twirly dress.

Total winner project.

Mad for Plaid, Simplicity 1465

Simplicity 1465

Pattern:

Simplicity 1465, View C

This is my favorite straight skirt pattern.  Nothing too special about it, front and back with a single dart at the waist.  My dart is a few inches shorter than the pattern's dart, but it fits me perfect.

Fabric:

Brown, tan, and green cotton woven that loved to stretch from my stash.
(Wish I would have quilted the fabric to the underlining.)

Cotton lawn underlining.

Brown poly lining.

Rayon Petersham ribbon at the waist.

Construction:

I am in love with an "almost" couture skirt.
("Almost" due to my use of a serger for the seams of the lining.)

I trace the pattern pieces onto the interlining fabric with wax paper.
Thread trace the pattern pieces onto the fashion fabric.
Leave 1" seam allowances.
Hand baste all the seams.
Machine sew all the seams.
Hand pick the zipper.
Add the lining.
Add the Petersham ribbon for the waistband.
Hem the skirt.

All the hand stitching helps match all the plaids.
The skirt was used as a sample for a quick hand-picked zipper class I taught for Midnight Oil Smockers in Sugar Land.
The comfort of a Petersham ribbon waistband is unbelievable.  

Plaids match and the zipper is almost invisible.

Zipper is hidden in the plaid.

Petersham waistband.

Hand stitched hemline. 

The moral of this story..... I need a skirt like this in every color.

Drapey Top Love, Simplicity 1014

Simplicity 1014

Pattern:

Simplicity 1014, View B

Fabric:

Rayon lycra knit and velour knit

both from Fabric Mart

This rayon knit is very soft and super stretchy.  You could go down a pattern size and still have wiggle room.

Notes:

For a simple knit top, this pattern required lots of alterations.

Front -

 Took out 1 1/2" from the center neckline, causing it to be too wide in the shoulders.

Added a FBA to get the width back from taking out of the center front.

Took out three huge chunks of fabric from the armseye.  The bottom of the sleeve would have hung at my waist without taking out all that fabric.

Back - 

Took out a chunk from the armseye length.

Sleeve - 

Did my forward rotated shoulder adjustment.  The photo shows where I cut and overlapped the pattern.

I used my serger and coverstitch machine and this top went together quickly.  (That is, after I spent a good while doing flat pattern alterations.)

Front pattern piece

back pattern piece

forward rotated shoulder adjustment

Back view of Simplicity 1014

Done!

The top is super comfy and great for Houston's fickly winter weather.  (It's still in the 80s.)