It's Cursed! Simplicity 3835

I made a cute, quick top.  Totally inspired by Faye's Top-A-Thon, but I did not participate in the actual event.  I would have liked to, but once I get going on a project, I don't stop and start something else until it is done.  So my Dad's xmas present got in the way.

The pattern I used was an old Built By Wendy top, Simplicity 3835.  I made the shirt yeeeaaaars ago, and I think it was the first project I made with my serger.  It was awful, both in fabric and construction.  What I love about the pattern is how much it looks like a RTW Express knit top I bought years ago.  Maybe I'll enter this blouse into the RTW contest, even though it's not that special.

And if you want to know why it's cursed, read the review below:



Pattern Description:
The top is a peasant style with a gathered neckline and short, gathered sleeves. The mini-dress is shown with elbow-length sleeves with a band at the lower edge of the sleeves. The band has extensions which can be tied. There is also a band at the neckline which the top of the dress is stitched to. The regular length dress has pockets, elbow-length sleeves without the band, and a yoke/band at the neckline.

The dresses have back centered zippers and darts. The top is pullover without darts or closure. The top uses the same pieces as the dresses so this means whereas in the dresses darts take up excess room, in the top back there is a slight billowy effect due to the absence of darts.

(Great description taken from RenRen's review)

Pattern Sizing:

4-14, I made the 12 because I wanted it loose!

Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you were done sewing with it?

I modified the sleeves, so yes and no!

Were the instructions easy to follow?

I did not use them at all this time.  I think they were good the first time a made the top (pre-bloggling and PR).  I just did not like the material I made the top out of the first time so it got chucked.

What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern?

I love the casualness of the top and the ease of construction.  It only took a couple hrs from cutting to finish, and I'm slow and easily distracted.

Fabric Used:

$1/yd cotton/rayon? lycra print from the swapmeet. Woo, woo!

Pattern alterations or any design changes you made:

I made the 12 because I wanted it loose and breezy.  I also removed teh CB seam as I felt it was unnecessary.  I also did not use elastic on the sleeves.  It looks less peasant-like and more modern IMO. I constructed the entire thing on the serger except the neckline casing and used a twin stretch needle for the hems.

Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others?

Yes and yes!

Conclusion:

I love the top, unfortunately it is cursed!  While trimming the hem, I cut a hole in my fabric! And then my dog, who occasionally has bowel issues and leaves little presents on her behind, left me a "little present" on my shirt when I picked her up.  I'm going to re-hem the bottom to hide the hole and of course wash the shirt!

More pics:

Also thanks to my newest follower, KnottedRose, who recently made two cute floral tees!

160 Followers! I need to get a giveaway going soon!

Blast From the Past: I wish I knew... (Simplicity 3964 and 3850)

I wish I knew how to sew cornered seams when I started to sew.

This was the first (or second) shirt I ever made myself:

Built by Wendy S3964

I was really proud of the shirt, but it was too small in the chest!  There is lots of bunching!

I did a really good job on the shirt, IMO.  I knew nothing about sizing, or how to finish seams properly.  I also could not sew corners.  The inset is a little wonky, but I did an awesome job on the neck binding.  Sometimes I wonder how I made this shirt.  

And the Pattern Review:

Pattern Description:

3964 Misses Tops and Dresses

Misses Built By Wendy Collection Dress, Tunic or Top

Pattern Sizing:

4-12.  I didn't know much about sizing and ease. I made a 4 and it was way too tight.  I think I did this because I made another top in a size 8 and it was huge!

Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you were done sewing with it?

Pretty much, yes.

Were the instructions easy to follow?

Yes. At the time I was a true beginner and I could understand all the directions. The only reason I said it was difficult and great for Advanced Sewers is because the cornered inset was very difficult to sew.  Now, I would have no problems with it. 

What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern?

I thought it was a cool, funky pattern.  I thought the inset was difficult to sew though. I also thought that with the crappy quilting cotton that I used (I didn't know I should use fashion fabric) the sleeves stuck out quite a bit.  

Fabric Used:

Quilting cotton.

Pattern alterations or any design changes you made:

None. I didn't know how.

Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others?

Maybe I would make it sleeveless.  It was fun to make.  

Conclusion:

It's a fun top. Lots of different techiques to practice your skill set.  I wish it would have fit. 

Oh, in the picture above I'm also wearing the first pair of shorts I made.  I totally forgot about those. 

They are also a Built By Wendy pattern S3850:

I was an ambitious beginner sewist, wasn't I?  

I actually referred to Pattern Review for these shorts and everyone said they ran big.  I still made the size that matched my measurements ( a size 12) and they were huge! I had to take in the side seams to fix that, but in doing so, the pockets got really tiny.  I finished all the seams by zig-zagging and the front fly looks really good.  They are still too baggy so I don't wear them, but I can't get rid of them because they are one of the first things I ever made.

Pattern Review for the shorts:

Pattern Description:

3850 Misses Pants

Built By Wendy Misses Slim Pants, Capris & Shorts

Pattern Sizing:

4-12. I made a 12. They were huge!

Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you were done sewing with it?

I guess. They weren't as slim as the picture indicated.

Were the instructions easy to follow?

I thought they were easy to follow.  They were one of my first projects.  My first attempt at pants other than pjs.

What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern?

They ran ginormous, but I liked the style.

Fabric Used:

Cotton twill.

Pattern alterations or any design changes you made:

Since they were large, I had to take in the side seams on both the legs and the waistband.  This caused the pockets to shrink.  I could barely fit my hands in them.  Thank goodness for little hands.  

Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others?

Now that I know about sizing and flat pattern measuring, I think I would try them again. Maybe for spring or summer.  

Conclusion:

Flat pattern measure.  It will save your sanity and your pockets :)

Do you guys hang on to your "firsts?"  

Stripey Summer Beach Cover-up

This weekend I made something! A beach cover-up, that was originally going to be a dress.  It's Simplicity 2865, a Built By Wendy pattern.


I got this fun fabric from my one of my favorite sewing instructors.    I'm finally making my way through her stash.  On Tuesday, I'm going to a friend's house because she is moving and wants to get rid of some of her fabric. I have the best friends!


The color isn't quite true, but it was the best picture I could get in my apt.  


Here's the back and the close-up of the front.  You can kind of see the shirring too.

The Review from PR:


Pattern Description: 

Misses Knit dress, mini dress, or top. I made the minidress without the weird collar.
Pattern Sizing:

4, 6, 8, 10, 12. I made the 10. 

Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you were done sewing with it?


Mostly, I made some adjustments! I added shirring to the sides to camouflage some of my mistakes!

Were the instructions easy to follow?

I did not use them for the most part! Woohoo! I did not use them for the first side inset and should of because I made some big boo-boos. The staystitching and clipping instructions for the inset worked well for the second side. I should have done that the first time instead of trying to pin together a very thin, rolling fabric and serge.
What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern?

I like the idea of the inset, but it was really hard to install. I pretty much constructed the whole thing with my serger except for the topstitching and hem. I would probably redraft the pattern to not include the inset. I think I would like it better.
Fabric Used:

Miscellaneous (cotton, poly, ?) jersey knit. It was very thin, rolled like a B*****! I got it for FREE though from one of my sewing instructors. I loved the crazy bright stripes. Reminded me of the 80s and Rainbow Brite.
Pattern alterations or any design changes you made:

The inset I serged was a disaster and I tried to fix it a number of times, but just couldn't. Instead, I sheared the fabric for 3 inches on either side of the side seam, about 3 inches deep to hide my flaws. It worked pretty well. To put on the binding, I just folded it in half, WS together, and with raw edges even, I serged it to the neck and arm holes. I changed the order of construction to make it easier to serge. I straighted out the hem mostly, because for some reason (probably my hasty cutting) the bottom pieces did not match up well. I used steam-a-seam in the hem and then topstitched.
Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others?

I would sew it again without the inset. I would like to make a simple tank top.
I would recommend it to people who are very experienced sewing with knits and have the time to set in the inset properly.
Conclusion: 

Its good enough for a beach cover-up.