Foxy Lady Tux: M7366 Review and FBA

Several weeks have passed since I was out on the town in my sexy spin on the lady tux. So, it's about time I did a little review and show you how I did an FBA on the top. 

As a reminder, the pattern is McCall's 7366, a jumpsuit with bodice and length variations. I sewed version B. 

First, let me just say that if you - like me - are a regular BMV sewist and normally go down a few sizes from the envelope measurements because you are used to a lot of ease in their patterns, just stop and heed my warning. This pattern fit according to the envelope. For my first muslin, I used my regular BMV size and had to do a wiggle dance to get it over my hips. There was no way I could have zipped it up. However, a few muslins later and the fit was great!

Front View

And peek-a-boo back

And that is the thing with view A and B of this pattern. For a trim fitting jumpsuit that has a neckline that plunges almost to the navel, fit is the thing. You don't want the neckline to gape and risk a wardrobe malfunction. I found that the torso length and the right amount of ease in the legs were both important to fit and comfort. If the torso is too long, you will get gaping down the neckline - no bueno! If it is too short, particularly on the back, you won't have enough ease to sit down without the collar pulling and choking you  - really no bueno! And the leg ease is important so that when you sit, it isn't binding, but yet has a slim fit. I'm actually surprised that the fabric recommendations did not include stretch woven fabrics for this reason. 

Let's talk about the bust fit. Here is my altered pattern piece.  

Alterations

In addition to my normal 2-3 inches of length, I need about 2 extra inches total across the bust these days. On a top like this, which is split down the middle, the temptation might be to skip it. But you really don't want to have the fabric bowing out at the fullest part of your bust or have gaping or pulling there. To avoid any wardrobe malfunctions, you want a enough coverage across the bust and just enough - but not too much - length from neck to navel to keep the neckline pretty snug to your chest. This pattern is drafted with two pleats at the neckline on each side. This made the FBA easier than you might think. I added the extra width I needed down the whole length of the bodice (you can see how I did it in two places which sort of helped me keep the grainline sane) and, instead of adding a dart, simply added a third pleat to eat up the extra fabric at the neck. 

Third Pleat

I also reshaped the side seam at the waist. To complete the FBA, I needed a bit more length at the center front, to go over the bust. I added a little wedge to lengthen the neckline without lengthening the side seam. This makes the neckline slightly bent. But because my body is curved, the neckline actually appears pretty straight on me, without much in way of bowing. Aren't optical illusions great? 

As for the rest, I just played around with the length and width of the pattern until I achieved a fit that worked - there was no magic there, just some trial and error sewing. 

I really loved this pattern and my tux. The only two style changes I made are that I decided to eliminate the pockets for a slightly sleeker look and I changed up the cummerbund/belt a bit.  Honestly, the belt was the one part of the pattern that I didn't muslin and the one part I was disappointed with. I would do it completely differently next time. It's basically a straight (not curved) inside piece with a bias cut outer piece that is meant to drape into the pleats you see. I am very curvy at the middle and the straight cut just didn't work on me - it kept either riding up or slipping down. You can see that I changed the closure from hook and eyes to two ties so I could better adjust the fit, but even that didn't really help. In the end I tacked the belt to the center front and at the side seams so it would stay in place. Also, the bias draping really didn't work without a lot of adjusting. Perhaps it's my fabric. But to do again I would opt for a more complicated belt with shaping and pleats. 

Speaking of fabric, this is a GORGEOUS viscose satin that I picked up at Mood. I didn't want to spend a fortune on silk or be all sweaty in an unbreathing sweaty poly.  For $18/yd this was the perfect thing. It looks and feels really luxe, was beautiful to sew and I was cool and comfy even on the dance floor.  Oh, and I did in the end choose to make the side stripes out of faux leather rather than sequins.

And that is it with fit and alterations!

This style is not for everyone, but I think it strikes a good balance of being sexy, thanks to the neckline and peek-a-boo back, without being trashy thanks to the fuller, more modest side/armscye coverage. With that much front cleavage, I wouldn't want any kind of side-cleavage or a short hem or a skin tight fit. My personal sense of how to be sexy, but not trashy is to go sexy in just one area at a time (ie: sexy cleavage OR hemline OR body con fit, but not more than one at a time). And this pattern fits the bill. So, good style and drafting decisions, McCalls!

I really hope I have more occasions to wear this tux.  I do love a great dress, but this was more comfy and I felt unique and chic and a bit daring in it. And once I worked out the fit, I really did feel secure and not at risk of any wardrobe malfunctions on the dance floor. For a black tie optional wedding, where I really didn't know how formal most guests would be, this was just the thing!

Taco Style: Madras Summer Romper

I just love rompers on toddlers in the summer! It's the perfect thing - cool, easy, cute and no matching required.

This one is Butterick 5625 view A, sewn up in a cotton madras plaid.

It's just about the easiest pattern you could sew for a toddler. One change I made to the pattern was adding a little length, which turned out to be a mistake. It would have been long enough as is.  Also, I didn't use snap tape for the crotch. Instead, I brought it over to Star Snaps in the NY Garment District, which is just a hop and a skip from my office, and had them install snaps for just a few dollars.

Red buttons and stitching

The only tricky part of sewing this romper is trying to under stitch the facing as far as you can around the curves. My under stitching is pretty messy in parts.

I sewed this romper in a "Kaufman Plaid Patchwork" cotton madras-style fabric from Fabric.com. The seams of the patchwork made for a bit of extra bulk at the neckline, armscyes and hems. But the fabric is super soft, which is perfect for a tot. Madras is such a casual fabric that I didn't try to do anything more than the most basic matching of the horizontal lines and trust that the mixed plaid would just look cute any which way it came out on the center front and back seams.

There really isn't anything else to say about this quick and cute sew, other than that I would sew it again, just a bit shorter, at least half a dozen times if summer were longer. I can't believe that September arrives tomorrow.

So, here is Taco, wearing his romper at Touch a Truck Day, a benefit to support our local library. It was HOT out; good thing rompers are cool.

He liked the back of the Fire Engine

On a WWII Mechanical Mule vehicle

Steps leading to a Lackawanna railway car

Taking a break from the sun

On the treads of a mini excavator

Post office truck - yes, that blue treasure in his hand is a chip clip. Don't ask. 

Fire engine again

And again

We've had enough!

Taco Style: The Boxtop

This spring, that rebel of men's fashion, Peter of MPB fame, introduced American men to the part-boxers, part-dress shirt sensation, the Boxtop. That fashionable and fun one piece outfit taking the Riviera by storm has been a bit slow to capture the imagination of the adult American male audience. The toddler set, however, has embraced this style since, well, it's basically what they wear anyway.

So, here is Taco sporting his boxtop at a recent family function at a beach-front restaurant on the Irish Riviera.

My poor little guy. This was at the height of the recent heat wave in NY, and there was a very inviting looking jungle gym right in the sand outside the windows. Taco was longing to be outside, but it was just too hot.

It was impossible to get pictures of Taco toddling around in the outfit, unfortunately. Toddlers don't make the best models. With so many people at the even, my tiny guy just wanted to be held. But I hope you get the idea.

Anyway, the pattern is KwikSew 3730. I sewed view B, minus the trim and pockets, which I thought this cute whale embroidered seersucker didn't need.

The pattern is terrific, with clear instructions, simple methods and really great results. Toddler and baby clothing has a very short lifespan given how fast little people grow. So, I kept everything very simple and easy with this make, using my serger for most of the seams. I even outsourced a bit; I had the crotch snaps set at Star Snaps and the button holes made at Jonathan Embroidery.

 As always, the romper was rather wide on my skinny little boy. I probably could have gone down a size, but I was needlessly worried about the length thru the crotch. So I took the side seams in about 1/2" tapering to about 1/4" on the sleeves.

If it was earlier in the summer, I would probably make three more of these cute romers, but since my mind is already turning to Autumn sewing, I could more realistically see myself sewing the shirt version of this.

And just because I find him so adorable, here are a few more Taco shots.

Elizabeth Taylor + Scarlet O'Hara + Grandma's Curtains

I'm usually not one to chase a trend, but I found myself looking longingly at all the off-the-shoulder tops floating around the streets of NY this summer, especially as the temperature soared. I had to have one. STAT!

I can't help but feel like the result is what would happen if Elizabeth Taylor circa her caftan phase and Scarlet O'Hara decided to get crafty together in my grandma's kitchen. I love the results, but doesn't this cotton eyelet remind you just a little bit of grandma-esque kitchen curtains?

There are a number of tutorials for DIY off-the-shoulder dresses around the blogosphere at the moment. I consulted two that are virtually identical - here and here. The only real change I made was, obviously, to shorten from a dress to a top. I didn't have a lot of fabric, so I had to settle for a minimally gathered top (1.5 gather ratio). I'd make it a bit fuller next time.

I find that there's always a caveat with quick and easy DIY makes. The caveat with this style of top is that it doesn't always stay put when you move your arms. I often find that I'm wearing it Flashdance style, which is fine with me.

I spy Taco playing in the yard...

And really how much can I complain about a top that that I didn't even have to hem? All in all, this top was ready to be worn with a heat-wave hairdo and a bit of red lipstick in about ninety minutes flat.

Voila!


Oh, and thanks to the heatwave, I am excruciatingly behind on photographing finished projects. I've been ridiculously productive this summer and currently have 6 unblogged finished garments (1 trousers, 1 maxi dress, 2 tank tops and 2 rompers). Plus, I owe you a post about my lady tux. I haven't forgotten; I just wither in this heat. Stay tuned because cooler days and more posts are ahead.

Sister Sewing: Cashmerette Upton Bodice

Today, I'm doing a little bit of blogging catch up. 

Here are a few pictures of my beautiful sister, Poly, in her sari with the bodice I sewed for it. 

When I delivered the blouse, I thought how great it would be to take pictures of it actually being worn with the sari, instead of staged shots. I realized too late that you really can't see much of the bodice under the sari. Absolutely fine since its' supposed to be an accessory to the sari, but not so good for photos. 

Anyway, this is the bodice portion of the Cashmerette Upton Dress. 

Cashmerette Upton line drawing

I could not be happier with this beautifully and thoughtfully drafted pattern. It was the perfect canvas for the changes needed to convert the bodice into a sari blouse. I used only the bodice pieces of the pattern; the scoop neck for the front and v-neck for the back. I lengthened them both by 7 inches so that they would be waist length as my sister requested. This required me to lengthen the darts. What worked best was sewing a muslin with lengthened darts and then doing a little pinning. Another design change that I made was to relocate the zipper to the side seam and cut the back as one piece by trimming off the seam allowance and cutting the fabric on the fold.

At this point, I should mention - and by "mention" I mean bow down and kiss Jenny Cashmerette's feet and then sing songs of praise - how easy it was to fit my sister's bust. Holy guacamole, those separate pieces for different cup sizes was a life saver! Between kids and work, we didn't have a lot of time for fittings and multiple muslins. It was a relief that muslin 1.0 fit with just a few changes.  Aside from a little adjusting of the darts, the only other fitting change was pinning a little bit out of the back neckline. Like me, my sister's upper back is rather narrow. We did a second fitting - this time of the basted together top.  All I had to do was tweak the darts slightly and mark the hem.  

I sewed the blouse  in a beautiful gold silk taffeta from Mood Fabrics, which I finished at the neckline and armscyes with gold piping and sequined trim. When it comes to sari's and sequins it seems like "more" is the way to go. 

I should have taken a few pictures of the top on a hanger, but I just didn't think of it.  So, you'll just have to cope with a few more sari shots. 

Sari, not sorry. 

It was so fun to be in a sari for the wedding festivities. I think my sister looked positively regal in royal blue and gold. Don't you?

And I was glad to have a chance to sew a Cashmerette pattern. I've heard such good things about them - all true!

Foxy Lady Tux

If you are ever invited to an Indian wedding - or have an opportunity to crash one - you should go. We had a sensational time last weekend at my cousin's wedding. Here I am with my sisters in our saris. That's my dad in the middle. I wish we had gotten my mom in the shot, too, but she was behind the camera.

But that's not why you read my blog. It's for the sewing. I'll do a pattern review of my foxy lady tux (aka McCalls 7366) with staged shots in good lighting so you can see the details as soon as I can, and I will include how I did an FBA on the top so that there were zero wardrobe malfunctions.

To whet your appetite, here are some shots of my tux in action, which are a bit blurry and dimly lit - such is the nature of cell phone shots.  I'm not sure why half of them were photographed square. If you follow me on IG, you've already seen many of these. Overall, I'm really thrilled with how my tux came out and I felt tres sexy at the wedding reception.

From below: On the way to the reception

From above

My uncle (l) and dad (rt) in their kilts.

The one I'll show people when I am a decrepit old lady

Apparently, 40 is not to old for your parents to disapprove of what you are wearing. They both chose to compliment my hair instead of commenting on my attire. hee hee hee

Anyway, it was a wonderful weekend, but it was nice to be back to our normal routine after all was said and done.

Exhausted parents + one energetic toddler

Here Be Dragons... the Socks

Wow, these socks really took forever...

... by which I mean more than 2 months. I started them when it was still cool enough to wear wool socks.

This is the Here Be Dragons sock pattern by Rachel Gent for Knitty. It's supposed to look like dragon scales, I suppose, but you can be the judge. One thing that I like is that the sock was designed to be knit toe up and has some very cool details.

I like how the lace chart starts near the toe, adding a distinct widow's peak to the sock. However, I did change the toe a bit to make it less narrow by casting on more stitches and adjusting where I started the pattern chart. You can see how narrow the toe is in this picture.

Right before frogging

After a quick try on, I decided to frog and start over. Not only was the toe really narrow, but the sock was too big overall. A smaller needle and some additional stitches and I was back on track.

So, that set me back a bit, but the real hold up was that each time I got to the heel, I ran into troubles. I ended up ripping out and reknitting the heel flap 3 or 4 times on each sock. You would think that I would have figured it out after having successfully done it on the first sock and taking notes. But no. However, it is a pretty cool detail of the sock that the pattern bleeds into the heel flap.

I had trouble where you have finished the heel flap and start knitting full rounds in pattern again.While they were correct, the instructions could have been more clear. That said, I soldiered on and did get thru it.

Next, on the ankle of the sock you are instructed to just keep repeating 10 lines of the 20 line pattern chart, but I decided that I liked the full pattern and so did all 20 lines, keeping that diamond pattern going.

Lastly, I like the twisted knit stitch of the ribbed cuff. It crowns the sock nicely by making the rib slightly more dramatic.

Anyway, I am happy with the results, but not with the 9 weeks it took to knit these socks during my 3 day a week commute. I tend to oscillate in my sock knitting between doing more and more complicated patterns until I get frustrated with how long they take, and then more and more simple patterns until I get bored, and then back the other way. However, I'm glad these complicated socks are done! And I look forward to wearing them, although probably not until temperatures cool again...

PS - I am in the home stretch with my lady tux - a good thing since the wedding is on Saturday. And my sister's blouse has been delivered to her. Stay tuned for reviews and photos!