Twister Dress - Final Attempt

After pondering this yesterday, this is the quasi FBA I tried. It's sort of modelled after the FFRP Kimono sleeve FBA.



Additionally, I added the two inches at the fold and added a good inch and a half all the way up to the arm on the right. But unfortunately, I still don't think it fits they way it should if I didn't have the bust I did. I'm not willing to post the muslins, they were seriously indecent...I felt like a sausage.

This one is wearable, I think, with the right accessories. Plus it's a Tshirt cotton which will stretch out as I wear it. I have a yoga skirt out of it and by the end of the day it's almost dropping off my hips it's so stretched out.

I realized too this morning that I sewed it together wrong sides out. Not enough light in my sewing area. If I cut it open and restitch I'll lose a bit of space but I refuse to pick apart serging for this.

It's just ok. There's still so much diagonal pull across the bust that it pulls the neckline all the way over. Now I realize this kind of garment is not super drafted to fit and you can get away with certain things, but it kind of bugs me.



Now if I pull it and stretch it, it will move over to be even on my neck more.



I made this shirt awhile back and at first I hated it. I was mad that I wasted some really nice tie dyed cotton on it, but now I'm looking at it and it's ok. I don't like that the sleeve flares give no option of finishing. It looks sloppy to me, but the lines of the shirt fit a ton better than the Twister dress does on me. It's the same kind of thing with the one side longer and ruched up.

I think it could be more easily modified to look more like the Twister dress. But don't get me wrong, the Twister dress is adorable and a great little pattern. It's just drafted for smaller figures plus despite having lots of ease on top, it's not real large bust friendly. Look at the picture I posted of the creator, that's how it's supposed to fit and I can't get it to fit me like that. Wish I could though.

I may wear the Twister dress, I may not. We'll see. It was fun to play around with.

Burdastyle Twister Dress

Here's an image from the creator from Burdastyle



After seeing Ann's review on PatternReview for this dress I fell in love. I downloaded it at about 8 pm last night, taped and cut out the pattern and had two muslin's done by 9 ish. There are only two sizes, I cut out the pattern for the 38-40 size and I'm more of a 42-44 depending on the pattern and fabric. So, I added an inch to the side seam which is on the fold.

Picture of the pattern piece:



For Muslin #1 I only added an inch at the fold, so two inches total all the way up. I figured I could use it in the bust as well. But it wasn't enough, no pictures, they are indecent!

For Muslin #2 I added two inches at the fold, so four inches total. And I tapered it out under the arm to about a half an inch to the hem for almost another inch. I defintely want room, no hoochie mama'ness. It was almost enough room but now the dress hangs funny.

So what I'm thinking is I need to add in the added width in a couple places. Like an inch at the side seam, cut the pattern and add an inch in the middle somewhere, and then add to the other side seam.

Now that I'm looking at the pattern closer, I'm wondering if I shouldn't do an FBA of sorts. Cut and rotate at the armcyce of the right sleeve/shoulder. There's no rule that the fold has to be on a fold, it's just to make it easier. I could cut and rotate then add a seam allowance and stitch the other side seam as well. There is a lot of "ease" for the bust but mine is larger than most and I think it's making the neck pull funny.

The fabric for the muslin I'm using is super nasty. Super cheapy poly knit and is very clingy. I want to make this out of a nicer rayon knit that I think will lay nicer and not be clingy.




I'm not quite sure why I'm bound and determined to make this fit...lol. Any suggestions?

Burda Magazine 11-2009-120

I finished up the skirt last night. I've been trying to make some more work appropriate quasi casual clothes since I broke my toe and can't wear any of my nice shoes, really anything other than sandals still. I managed to get a ballet flat on yesterday but it hurt by the end of the day. It was only a high of 47 F here today too and I was running around in sandals!

I loved this skirt when I first saw it but forgot about it. Someone on PR made one for the wardrobe challenge and reminded me about it. I cut it out in this Mystery Bundle linen I got from Fabric Mart awhile back. It's very nice linen, probably a blend because I didn't wrinkle like crazy today. The pictures are from the morning though, see the wet hair ;-)

This is a very nice pattern. It has a double knife pleat in the front. The pockets attach to make belt loops, but unless I read it wrong, I didn't see where you added other belt loops. I tend to really gloss over BWOF instructions though. This would be nice if you added a couple more wide loops to it but isn't needed. This skirt could be made easily with one pleat, or even with no pleats and still be really cute. I was going to make it with a single pleat out of the madras but now I'm thinking maybe no pleat at all. I'm not sure how the madras will deal with a pleat.

Great, quick easy pattern with some detail.

Fabric Fast....Maybe for a month

I really admire all these people who can fabric fast for months or a year at a time. I'm not that strong! I did manage to walk away from the computer on Saturday after the FabricMart sale email with a free bundle if you spent $75. I kept thinking, "They're just toying with you." I really don't NEED any fabric. They do have their leather skins 50% off though and even though I just bought a couple of black goat skins, I was really tempted with the new cow skins they have. I was good though.

So I thought about it yesterday and am thinking I can do a fast for a month. Just a month! So for the whole month of May I will not purchase any new fabric, unless it's lining or something to go with something I already have AND I will not purchase any new patterns! Whew...I'm getting all clammy here and feel a bit of an anxiety attack coming on.

I really need to do this though. I have surpassed all my storage area, claimed new areas under beds and even in my son's closet. I have patterns coming out the kazoo which I don't feel all that bad about. McVogerick has been discontinuing patterns altogether too quickly lately so I grab them up when they come out and are on sale.

So here's to a month of stash sewing both fabric and patterns! Wish me luck and keep me honest if you catch me falling off the wagon!

I have ths skirt from Burda 11-2009-120 all done except for the hem. It's in a navy blue linen. I'm channelling my prepster. I really like how it sits low on the waist. I plan on making another one out of navy/green/red madras plaid. I will only be able to get the single pleat though since the fabric isn't wide enough but it should look cute anyways. I'll post some pics when I'm done. It's a great skirt.

Back to Basics With a Twist - Simplicity 3775

It's really a shame this has been put to pasture by Simplicity. If you can get a copy and don't have it, do it! It's a great basic dress pattern and extremely flattering. I've made this several times but have never reviewed it or posted it here. Not sure why. It's kind of my "go-to" dress pattern if I want to make something TNT and quick. You can do the whole thing nearly on a serger.



I was inspired recently by a couple blog posts from Fashion for Nerds and Already Pretty about a clothing line called Desigual. Link I immediately loved this dress and started thinking about making one myself. I have so many scraps left from all the other things I've made I figured it would be a fun way to use them up. I'll never look at a 1/2 yard of jersey the same way now.

I think this is either a case of Love or Hate and for me it's Love! I'm going to send this off to my BFF along with the Vogue 1250 dress and see if she likes it. I have lots of scraps to play with and have plenty to make myself another one. My closet is on overload.

Vogue 1250 - Donna Karan

I've been a sewing fool, then again, I'm into instant gratification and none of these things I've sewn lately is very complicated or time consuming.

This is a great dress! It is 3, yes 3 pieces, no zipper, buttons, very little marking. I cut this out this afternoon and sewed a bit here and there tonight. The only fiddly thing I can find with it is the side seams. They are kind of like darts in that they don't go all the way down and in my fairly sheer, light colored fabric, they were tricky.

This is some poly I bought online somewhere. I think FabricMart. I'm pretty sure it was a nicer one. It definitely feels and acts nicer than some of that $1.99 junk. It didn't shed and was very easy to sew with. It is thin though and required a slip and some Spanx. Otherwise you could see all of my tattoos and every lump and bump I had.

This is a great "going out" dress if you need something quick and easy yet really nice. I will definitely be making more of these. Donna Karan is a genious in how she makes clothes fit women.

For the next version, I will probably shorten it in the waist about an inch. It's too long on me which is not abnormal. Looking at the photo on the pattern, I think the back waist seam sits too low on me.

Stewie says "HI" again! And ignore my lovely shoe....;-) Hopefully, I will be back in my heels soon. I already miss them.

Vogue 1224

I'm working my way through the newer Vogues. This time it was Vogue 1224.


Another one I loved from the get-go. But also another one that is iffy for my figure. Generally I try to shy away from elasiticized waistbands. They do nothing for me. I need sometthing that delineates my waist between under bust and hip because that's my narrowest. Yes, this pulls in at the waist but it doesn't do much because I'm so top heavy. I did want to try it though as it would be nice for a quick summer dress.

I'm not completely unhappy with it. I did a few modifications like adding an inch to the bodice and adding two inches to the hemline. I bought this cheapy fabric at Joann's, once again, Red Tag 50% off so it was bout $2 a yard. I bought it because I wanted the border to go around the hem. Well, I didn't even check it but this is only 2 way stretch and it doesn't stretch that way at all! So I got creative. It is also supposedly rayon but I'm not so sure on that.

For this version, I cut an 18 which is actually pretty close to my measurements. I don't usually cut it that big because anything over a 16 is usually huge where I don't want it to be, shoulders, back, arms, etc. I figured though with this having elastic in the waist and neckline, I could adjust it easily instead of doing and FBA. I was mostly right. The elasitc is good to adjust it. I should have cut it smaller in the shoulders anyway though. It hangs on me. I think I will add the inch to the bodice but cut the shoulders smaller. It is pretty low too. I could not find any finished measurements on the pattern either so I figured I'd go big and cut down if needed. However, it's pretty comfy and fits ok. I usually have to add to the waist in a 14 or 16 anyways.

This is very short as others have said. I'm 5 foot 3 on a tall day and I added 2 inches to the hem. It hits me above the knee but it's an ok length for me. Two inches shorter and I think it would be too short for me.

I didn't add the lining, I was making a cheapy trial run, so I just folded over the waist seam to make a casing. I like the lining idea if you were making this out of thinner fabric. I just wanted cool and easy for this one.

It's a decent pattern.

Excuse the pretty shoe...I broke my baby toe the other night pretty badly.