Monday, August 12, 2013

Pattern Review Contests - August and September!

At some point late last month I decided I needed to sew a cute trench-style coat for K. She's almost 2 and I've seen super cute versions in RTW but I am cheap and don't want to pay that much for a teeny, tiny coat.

So of course, I decided I'd sew one! I found the Peek-a-Boo pattern shop and the adorable Annabelle trench - plus it was on sale for $4 (regularly $7.95)! Score! Then...I realized August was the sewing for children contest! Double score!!! At this point, I am now making three Annabelle jackets! Turquoise for K, deep eggplant for C and hot pink for E. I'm going to collage the photos and enter it as one entry, so as to not compete with myself for votes.

I was totally planning on skipping the mini-wardrobe contest. I mean...I'm not ready for all THAT?! But of course, I am of great ambition and figured, why the heck not?! Worst case scenario is...I don't win. But that's okay. I'm totally okay with that.

Within 45 minutes of deciding to enter, I have my plan. I'll be sewing for fall, of course, and one of my favorite color palettes is brown/cream/tan neutrals. Our bedroom at the old house was a mixture of browns and tans with cream and taupe. I loved that room! Very relaxing.

My mini wardrobe (assuming the contest remains at sew 4 items, add a 5th RTW item), will be 2 tops, a skirt, a pair of trousers and RTW jeans.

Top #1 is Simplicity 1779 - View B in brown cotton voile
Top #2 is Burda Style 7192 - View B in a cream stretch fabric (not sure of content)
Skirt is McCall's 5523 - View D in tan/cream wool blend (-OR- swapped with tan suiting)
Trousers are Butterick 5908 - View A in tan suiting (-OR- swapped with tan/cream wool blend)

Really, the wool blend is better suited to become trousers and the suiting fabric would be better as the skirt...or lined if trousers...but Fabric.com sent me only 1.5 yards of the suiting when I'd ordered 2. The Butterick pants didn't use near 2 full yards so I will try to squeak them out of 1.5. Otherwise I will do as initially stated above.

I am a tiny bit hesitant of the flutter sleeve but I am going to muslin both tops and the skirt...I want them to fit well. I want to make the long sleeved version of this top too - maybe when I conquer sheer fabrics! The Burda style pattern was chosen initially for the very RTW styling of the pants. I might actually like that cut a little more than my Butterick pattern. I should muslin those pants if I get a chance just to see. I think that flare is a little too flared, but I'm told that isn't a complicated adjustment to make.

McCall's 5523 looks SO drab on the envelope! But look around the web and you will see fantastic renditions of this pattern! Heck, I was sold! I might even do a giveaway because I must have picked the pattern up at two different $1 sales because well...I have two of them! :)

I don't have photoshop or anything like that so I'm old school. Screen captures of the technical drawings with swatches of fabric ;-)

(That's totally the Jalie 2908 drawing to simulate my RTW jeans!)



I'm pretty excited! Will you be doing the mini-wardrobe contest? Any capsule wardrobe sewing for fall? How about for you Aussies heading into summer?


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In other news...that list I made the other day (LIST)?? I have already veered off that list.

I don't like sewing non-garment items. I think I will - like we needed those curtains - but I don't want to. And oldest daughter has only stretchy type pants here - no good for taking measurements from so her shorts will probably be non-existant. It's cooling down already. Maybe I can take some too-short jeans and make them shorts for her??

Younger daughter's shirt can now resume since I found the fabric. Yes. It was lost.

Annabelle #1 is 98% done. Annabelle #2 is half way cut out. Annabelle #3 is still a plan in my head.

I am also going to sew up B5526, hopefully as a wearable muslin.