I’m happy with the way this shirt jacket turned out - even though Marfy is pretty much an Outward Bound sewing experience, the patterns are expertly cut and they fit together beautifully.   When I do tailored shirts like this, I turn into the Template Queen.  Years ago I learned the hard way that the only way I can really replicate the [...]]]>

I’m happy with the way this shirt jacket turned out - even though Marfy is pretty much an Outward Bound sewing experience, the patterns are expertly cut and they fit together beautifully.   When I do tailored shirts like this, I turn into the Template Queen.  Years ago I learned the hard way that the only way I can really replicate the crisp look of RTW shirt details is to use templates.   I just can’t rely soley on my eyes and hands for neat and tidy details. 

Details 

There are a few design details on this shirt that really stand out:  the topstitched bellows pockets with flaps, and the epaulettes.  The beauty of a template is that each detail will look exactly the same - sure you do need to make them, but a piece of thin cardboard or a manila folder works fine and cutting them out takes just a few minutes of extra time.   Here are the templates I made for this project:

 The cardboard for these came from the back of  a legal pad  The big payoff with a template is nice crisp pressed edge for details such as patch pockets.   The only other tools you need are a piece of silk organza to use as a press cloth and some spray adhesive to hold the template to the wrong side of the fabric (spray the template, not the fabric.)  The template/fabric sandwich is placed right side down on a big piece of silk organza.  Grab the silk organaza and use it to pull the fabric over the edge of the template as you press down the edge with a hot iron and lots of steam.  Let the pressed piece cool completely and remove the template.

An Interesting Challenge

I must admit to being perplexed when I first saw the collar pieces.  The fact that there were two of them made sense – there is an upper and lower collar, and they are different sizes as you can see – but the stand incorporated into the collar really had me stratching my head.  The fashion illustration really looks like there is a separate collar stand, and in the end I decided that must be the case and seprated the two pieces (the photos below show them before they were cut apart.)

Another thing I do with a collar stand is to mark the stitching line all along the curve of the stand at center front – it’s just impossible to rely solely on my seam guide and still get a perfectly curved edge.  If I mark the seam line there’s no guesswork.

Sizing

This is a 46 and when I orderd the pattern I used a Burda WOF size table to help me decide, and I erred on the small side.  Still, after I did a muslin it was clear I had to narrow the shoulders a full 1/2 inch on each side – I do have narrow shoulders but over all the shoulder and back width seems large to me: 16 1/2 inches across the shoulders.  I also shortend the waist a solid 2 inches and the sleeves 3/4 of an inch. The back was let out 2 inches below the hips and no adjustments had to be made for the front hip area.  The patch pockets were moved down a bit so they don’t hit me right at the waist.  The fabric is a Rayon Poly Stretch twill from Gorgeous Fabrics. 

So – on to another Marfy! My Fall/Winter 2007-08 catalog just arrived, and inspiration abounds.

I have to give Diva Els a giant hug because I misplaced my photo of the original RTW Valentino shirt.  She located it on her hard drive and emailed it back to me.  Els has an astounding ability to locate things on the internet and in her PC files, and I think this research skill [...]]]>

I have to give Diva Els a giant hug because I misplaced my photo of the original RTW Valentino shirt.  She located it on her hard drive and emailed it back to me.  Els has an astounding ability to locate things on the internet and in her PC files, and I think this research skill must serve her well in her professional couture career.

The photo above is from September ’06 Vogue, and I fell in love with this shirt right away.  The combination of the sporty style and sweet heirloom embellishment is sexy yet demure, and it just screamed “knock me off” when I first saw it.  If you can believe it, this shirt was about $400 when it was in the on-line Neiman Marcus catalog.

The pattern is McCall’s 4922, a good basic princess seamed women’s shirt with a few sleeve variations.  I made the French cuff version.

The drafting on this pattern is excellent – every piece fit together beautifully.  If you’re looking for a basic women’s shirt that will be current for several years this is a good choice.  I also recommend it if you’re ready to tackle your first stand collar because the directions are clear and accurate.  I actually had to use them for once because it has been a while since I made collar stand, and I needed to refresh my memory.

If you’d like this to really resemble the original, the separate placket would need to be incorporated into the center front as a facing, and you’d need to get a fell  seam foot.  These are fake fell seams, I sewed them on a regular machine, finished them on the serger, and then topstitched them from the front with white machine embroidery thread.  The buttons holes were also stitched with white machine embroidery thread.  The center front panels were cut out single layer so they could be mirror imaged across the front.  More pattern details are on Pattern Review.

The two fabrics are a wavy cotton eyelet and a soft cotton twill.  The twill was a gift from Diva Mary Beth and I *think* the eyelet might still be available, so if you like it just leave a comment.  I’ll find out and edit this post.

The front placket was cut back ¼ inch so that the outside edge of the entredeux would align with the  edge of the placket underneath.  I made the high-dome pearl cufflinks from the same buttons as the shirt.  The bottom two placket buttons are regular shirt buttons to keep a smooth line under pants and skirts.

Right now there’s about 8 inches of snow on the ground, but it’s melting fast and Spring is on the way so hopefully I’ll be able to wear this very soon!

I didn’t intend to make a piece of luggage when I started the HotPatterns Mega-Shopper, but in the end, that’s pretty much what I got! This is a Very Large Bag – the finished size is 16 x 7 x 12 inches.

Thank goodness for Diva Ann – I had to finish this up on her [...]]]>

I didn’t intend to make a piece of luggage when I started the HotPatterns Mega-Shopper, but in the end, that’s pretty much what I got! This is a Very Large Bag – the finished size is 16 x 7 x 12 inches.

Thank goodness for Diva Ann – I had to finish this up on her industrial machine, because my Bernina 180 just didn’t have the horsepower to sew through all the layers. And we still broke a leather needle!  The end result is not even close to perfect, but I like it anyway.

 There are 4 layers to this bag: The red wool twill, a canvas fused to the twill, heavy nonwoven double sided interfacing (thankfully there a use for this stuff 0utside of *gag* fabric bowls) and lightweight cotton fused to the second side of the double fusible. All of this structure the enables the bag to stand upright. The bottom of the bag is upholstery grade leather. Inside, between the leather bottom and the lining, is a piece of 1/8 inch thick Masonite with another piece of the heavy fusible glued on top to soften the surface a bit. The Masonite keeps the bag from falling over.

The inside photo shows you just how large this bag really is – I could easily carry a small dog. The original pattern had some interior pockets, and I added a few more. There is a large zipper pocket all across one interior side, two smaller pockets opposite, a gusset for a wine bottle or other tall item, and a swivel hook for my keys. In a bag this large, without the swivel, my keys would drop to the bottom like an anchor.

Aside from the challenge of such heavy materials, this bag really isn’t hard to put together, and using a lighter weight fashion fabric would make sewing much easier.  One thing I will do, if I ever make something like this again, will be to sew the sides wrong sides together and just bind the edges. I noticed before I turned the bag out (which was quite a wrestling match) that the corners were nice and square. Now I know why big totes are often finished with binding.  That idea, however, will require some nice leather and an industrial grade binding foot to really make it look good – a project for another time.

 Ann and I will be in New York next week (stay tuned for some live blogging from the Garment District!), and I wanted a big tote for shopping. That was definitely achieved with the Mega-Shopper!
Phyllis

One interesting aspect to this technique is the individuality of each interpretation. Kenneth King, who originated the technique, [...]]]> by Diva Phyllis

Truthfully, I spent more time on the embellishment than I did on the sewing, although attaching the placket with the completed beading & embellishment was pretty challenging. The fabric is a fine poly 4-way stretch knit.

One interesting aspect to this technique is the individuality of each interpretation. Kenneth King, who originated the technique, has a broader color palette and his examples are much more heavily beaded.

The placket went on last. The neckline as first machine stitched, and then I flipped the placket to the front and fell stitched it by hand to the bodice.

This pattern is harder than it looks. You’ll need to use a regular sewing machine in addition to a serger. The ruching around the placket, and attaching the placket, must be done with a regular sewing machine. There are also no match points for the bust seams on the placket. Sizing can also be a challenge due to the placket – it’s supposed to hit right below your breast bone, and of course you’ll need to take your individual cup size into account. For a size other than a B cup you really should do a muslin because in addition to an FBA you’ll need to modify the placket pattern piece as well.

As the rest of the Divas will attest, I’m not a huge fan of the Luxe Boho look, however this shrunken tunic from Simplicity is pretty cute ‘n current and you don’t need to look like a Calvin Klein model to wear it.

The neckline variations are pretty nice, and the subtle shaping is [...]]]> By Diva Phyllis 

As the rest of the Divas will attest, I’m not a huge fan of the Luxe Boho look, however this shrunken tunic from Simplicity is pretty cute ‘n current and you don’t need to look like a Calvin Klein model to wear it.

The neckline variations are pretty nice, and the subtle shaping is great also. Notice there is a dolman sleeve as well as a set in sleeve – it’s nice to have a choice.

Stay tuned to this space for a review…I might be able to get it done this weekend.