New Look 6891

I love this pattern!  It was very easy once I had the right fabric. :)

Aren't the sleeves so feminine and sweet?

And check out the bias I used for the arm ties.  This is quite possibly the best bias I've ever done.  I found a really cool tute here.  It worked beautifully.

Pattern Description:  New Look 6891. I made view D.

Pattern Sizing: 10-22 - I cut a size 10.

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

Were the instructions easy to follow? Yes, very clear instructions.

What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern? The ease and the number of variations in the pattern.  It was also loose fitting enough that I didn't need a FBA.  The only thing I didn't really like was the lack of an armhole finish.  The pattern has you trim the SA under the notches.  That's it!  I wound up pinking the rest of the SA and trimmed the SA under the notches to about 1/8".  If it starts to ravel, I'll go back and zig zag over it.

Fabric Used: 100% cotton - Michael Miller

Pattern alterations or any design changes you made: We didn't like the gathers in in the front, so I made 2 small pleats on each side.  I also made a thread loop in lieu of using the neck binding.  I cannot find the link to the tutorial to save my life. :(

Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others? Yes, I absolutely would sew it again. And I definitely recommend it to others.

Conclusion: This pattern has a number of different styles that are very current.  It is super easy, so a beginner could easily sew it.  And it would take very, very few adjustments.  I made this for my daughter, Brittany.  She is typically a size 4/6 in RTW, so I made the smallest size in this pattern - a 10.  It fit very well.

Newlook 6103

I absolutely love this skirt and will definitely make it again.  This is the second one I've made from this pattern.  I did view A the first time and view B this time. I do not have modeled pics yet.  This is for my friend, Sarah.  I am working on a matching top and will snap pics of the whole outfit when it's finished.

This is a close up of the feather stitching, but it is also a better picture of the colors in the fabric.  I found this fabric at Fabrika in downtown Savannah.  I love the girls in the shop.  They are always super helpful in choosing fabrics.

Pattern Description:  Newlook 6103. I made view B.

Pattern Sizing: 4-16 - I cut a size 6.

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

Were the instructions easy to follow? Yes, very clear instructions.

What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern? I love the hem of this skirt.  I used a hand feather stitch to close the hem and draw attention there.  I did not like that it used interfacing on the hem facing.  It makes the bottom of the skirt too stiff.

Fabric Used: 100% cotton

Pattern alterations or any design changes you made: I increased the front skirt width by 1" and the back by 4".  I also added 2" to the back length and graded it to the side seams.  Baby got back!  I didn't need all that extra room in the front.  I also added 2 drapery weights to the back hem of the skirt.  Sarah has an ample bottom, and skirts like this will ride and flare at the center bottom despite the generous 2" length alteration.  I took in the center back seam grading it up to the zipper, and that solved the problem until I attached the facing.  The stiffness created that flare again.  I clipped some binder clips to the bottom just to see if the weight would solve the issue.  It did.  So I incorporated drapery weights into the hem rather than removing the facing to redo it without the interfacing.  That's why you see those small drag lines in the above photo.  It doesn't do that on Sarah.  I also replaced the lapped zipper with an invisible one. 

Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others? Yes, I absolutely would sew it again. And I definitely recommend it to others.

Conclusion: This is a very versatile skirt.  I would not recommend this skirt for a beginner but intermediate and advanced sewers will have no trouble at all.  FYI: I used Joy Mahon's pattern alteration methods in her Crafty Class "Fast Track Fitting".  I love me some Joy!!  And I used Katrina Walker's methods in her Crafty Class "Sew Smarter" to get dimple free darts and bubble free zippers.  Both worked quite well for me.  Love her too!  I recommend both of these classes.

PS

I was asked about the flare and thought I'd explain with a photo.

 This was my first muslin fitting.  See how it rides up at center back and flares out?  That is from having a bubble butt.  Once I lengthened the back by 2" and took it in more at the bottom center seam allowance, it solved the problem.  Lengthening it alone was not the answer.  Understand, this is how I solved it, not necessarily the best solution.  I couldn't find any information on how to fix this.  My side seam is a little off here too, but that fix didn't solve the problem either.

Lace scarf - hand dyed lace

I have wanted for a long time to try my hand at dying lace.  I saw this done by one of my online sewing friends, and the dress was absolutely stunning.  I didn't want to attempt this on a large scale, so I opted for a simple scarf.  My wonderful MIL gave me a big box of fabric and this was in that box.  I believe it is satin.

It was super easy.  I just used cotton lace that I had on hand and soaked it in Rit dye with hot water.  I didn't like the color the first time around, so I repeated it a second time.  I thought I could always make the color darker but probably not lighter.  I followed the instructions on the bottle.  I let it air dry and pressed it with my iron to set it.

Then I used Wonder Tape to hold the lace in place to stitch it.

Here is a close up.

So what do you think?  Will you try it?  If you do, I'd love to see it.

Happy Wednesday!!
Angela