Dear Bisque trousers: I hate you but I kind of love you too.

 So the problem arises, when a pattern is taken on by paid/influencer/instagram career/etc types - that it's *really hard* to know what you are going to think because nobody is being honest. 

One great post on this pattern is here. She compares the Bisque to the Miller and covers a lot of potential fit issues.

However, it doesn't help me much.  I'm in the standard size range. My waist is 27, my hips are 37.  Sounds like I should just....go by the size chart, right?  However in the small print you note there is 7" ease at the hips, partially created by the front pleats.  Hm. ok. 

I went by the size chart and made a size 6 in this lovely drapey rayon blend. I've used it before, it's from The Fabric Shop, decent to work with, and quite cheap when you are in Auckland.  (No online sales, sadly.)  Now, one pattern in that batch of A0s was printed incorrectly.  It was just one sheet - an A3 that hadn't been corrected and was printed as A0 or something.  So since naturally I never learn and had NOT measured my size box, I figured I must have gotten this pattern at the wrong scaling too.  The shop was super kind and reprinted the messed up things so I had a second copy of Bisque to try again.  

Here's that first attempt:

So I went with size 6 again. (Yes, I measured the box.)

I used a really fantastic Japanese chambray, a great match for this pattern.  And I started to feel creeping concern as I got near the end and HMMMM I guess the first pattern was printed to size after all.  FML.  But also, what's with the advertising of a pattern worn on a designer in a very fitted way:  

photo taken from designer's website

 

and the assumption that you would get the same fit by using the size chart. 

Ok version 2: 

Deep breath.  So I size down to a 2 because it's just a bit narrower than my hips at the waist and I think I'll be able to houdini into it.  I have one last piece of fabric for this experiment, and I'm mildly cheered on realising I can cut the pattern down, just printing out a new pocket on A4.  Also, the shit instructions are getting more tolerable now that I'm on the third time around. No, scratch that.  They are no less annoying and in fact I got a bit lazy this time around, with slightly less perfect results in the pocket area from not getting my pleats quite flat and long enough.  On some thought I think all my fit adjustments might also have caused a slight curve change at the pocket. 

OH? Fit changes?  Right.  So I shortened the pants 1" at the lower line, 1cm through the entire rise (front and back), plus I took out a wedge from the front rise of about an inch.  This is easy, you cut the pattern from the crotch to the outseam seam allowance and overlap it, just smooth out the crotch line when cutting.

The fabric is a truly sumptuous Italian wool suiting.  It was more slithery than the chambray, which was a delight to sew with, and less precise cutting, pressing, etc probably resulted.  I think I was getting a bit bored with the pattern.  

 

Pattern instructions include: irritating changing seam allowance, confusing pocket instructions, and a heavy dependence on the contradictory statement: "Press seam open...to the centre front" (which means press the seam to the centre front).  

Overall, if the designer is going to sell the pattern as fitted (when she is the model, wearing the pattern you are buying) but describe it as loose, she needs to add in some explanation of which fit you'll get when you follow the instructions.  If you want that fitted look, as others have mentioned, you better not have a waist/hip ratio difference too big because you won't be able to get the pants on.  That means this pattern is being sold with a picture that not everyone can achieve and it's not obvious up front since the size range is relatively large. 

Making a size 2 is the smallest I could have made. I can indeed get my hips into these pants, just barely.  With fit adjustments, the pants fit me in a pleasing way, but they still don't create quite the same fit that the designer is selling.  If you want a pair of elastic waist pants with nice pleats and pockets, and you want them to be loose fitting - this pattern will make you happy.  But if you want something quite fitted, like the designer here is wearing in her own advertisement, then I think other patterns are probably better.  

I like these pants, but I'm not sure I'd make them again when I could make a pair of Pomona pants instead.  I especially notice it when I'm pulling them on and the elastic literally has no stretch because the waistband is basically the size of my waist without needing elastic.  Once on they are comfortable and the pockets are delightfully roomy, so I might do an about-face at some point.  I mean, the hard fitting work is done!

Papercut Patterns Celestia dress review

 I read a few reviews of this dress and was therefore prepared to muslin the bodice to make sure it didn't gape too much in front.  I made the bodice in S, which matched my measurements, and then in XS, which is a bit small.  I expected it to be challenging to fit as I have sloping shoulders.  I thought the S wasn't too bad and I wondered how the weight of the dress would change it, so I carried on to make a full dress toile which I knew I would give to a friend with darker coloring.  It's straightforward.  The pockets are in a weird position because the tiers are in weird positions, but the high hem of the middle tier means it really balloons out at the bottom in a comfortably tent like way.  Overall it felt like too much fabric to me, but this is Ankara fabric which is very solid.  

For version 2 I used a nice bedsheet I had ice dyed and the size XS pattern.  I shaved a tiny edge off the straps to adjust for my sloping shoulders. Doubled the second tier and halved the third tier, and put the pockets higher in a more serviceable location.  Despite all of this, the bodice still feels like it will fall off me outwards.  I think I would need to adjust the curve of the front bodice inward a bit to gain more security, though I like the look of the back.  

 

I can see that people are more taken with the other view of this dress but I wasn't keen on the straps.  The adjustable straps do fix the problem of adjusting the bodice for a snug fit because you can pull the back in between them.  Eventually I might go there using some very lightweight fabric. I'm not sure what I think of the change I made to the skirt tiers.  It feels more normal when wearing the dress, but I think the original tier height is more flattering (though difficult for pockets.) 

Overall this was mainly an experiment conducted to calm my curiosity.  The friends receiving the dresses are happy so it's no loss to me but I'm not really interested in using my fancy Liberty fabric to make another one (which is always a thought in my mind as that Liberty slumbers sadly in the stash, waiting for some unicorn - the perfect dress pattern...)  I feel like there are too many small things that bothered me with the fit of this pattern and I don't have enough interest to keep working on it at the moment.

Criswood Parasol dress, again.

 Made two of these last year.  Reckoned the long one was a bit too long but then after I sent it to my friend I looked harder at the pictures and thought it actually had felt pretty lovely on.  Yes, oversized, but in a subtle way, as long as the fabric choice is very drapey and light. So out of the blue I decided I wanted another one and I wanted it in this fabric I had earmarked for something else.  I wanted a kind of grown up (not pink, not highly patterned...) dress.

I think the fabric is from The Fabric Box.  It is a crepey textured rayon.  It's heavier than the bird print rayon of my first version and that led to some pocket dramas.  Up to the pockets things were going ok. My sewing machine was serviced last year and the results of that service...are that I wouldn't recommend those guys to anyone.  It doesn't seem to be any different than before the service (still barfing furballs, still hesitating and mis-stitching all the time like it got lost along the way, arg!)  I noticed that led to some missed stitches and very obvious stitching, but I don't really mind the look, it creates a kind of obvious facing look at the bodice which is ok.  Possibly my thread wasn't a perfect match but I did use a new needle.  

 

I put the pockets on and they sagged down to the bottom of the universe.  I went ahead and made the whole dress, even let it sit while I debated whether to cut the hem straight.  Decided not to.  I think the hem having a high-low look adds to the dress.  The huge pockets cutting up the flow of the dress, not so much.  With a sad sigh I went forth to remove them and retrofit in side seam pockets.  It's painful mainly because you can't get the insides as pretty, but perfectly serviceable anyway.  Wore dress the next day.  Happy with it!  It is heavier than the pink one was which should have been foreseeable, but that doesn't pull the front or the back down in a bad way, the back tie keeps the dress from falling forward to show too much (nonexistent) cleavage.  I really like the feel of this dress. 

Lysimaque nenuphar jacket review: a patchwork piece of art

 I saw this pattern and I was so completely in love with the back.  I had an irritating meter of boiled wool and so immediately I thought it would be amazing to use a bunch of colours of boiled wool for this jacket.  I went on a hunt for all the colors.  It took awhile to accumulate, because all the nice ones were in Germany and wouldn't ship to New Zealand.  I finally had them all, and I had the pattern pieces ready to go, and then realised I needed *one more color*.  Ugh.  I ended up moving, with this in a kind of mess as one of those projects I really wanted to do before I moved, but just didn't manage.  

Blue boiled wool was from Miss Maude

White boiled wool was from The Fabric Box 

The other 3 colours were from Mood Fabrics, an order that I justified specifically because of this project.   

I made size 36 for a 84 cm chest, as my chest measurement is about 83 cm but I am happy to overestimate a touch due to my wide back, rather than sizing down, especially for a jacket.

So, other people have mentioned there are two options for the button placket.  Maybe the original, non-pieced pattern has two button placket options.  But the pieced pattern only has one - you have to sew on a separate button facing on both fronts, so you end up with double thickness and seams everywhere.  I would have liked the other option to decrease bulk.  I tried to use a different fabric but it was a catastrophe so I went back to double thickness boiled wool, which at least does respond to a hot damp iron.

I knew going into this that the instructions would be sparse, and they were. They don't provide you much help if you are a beginning sewist and need some hand holding.  I took it slowly and thought hard about management of the insides, since all the seams were visible.  I found that the instructions mirror imaged reality, ie when it said right front, it's actually the side on my left when I'm wearing it.  But they were consistent so it didn't matter.  All the pieces lined up and the order of attaching them made sense.  The pockets are just low enough that I can snake my hands into them.  I did not even consider folding in a seam allowance on the inner collar, since the wool won't ever fray, I just sewed it down as is.  I then added some extra stitching to keep the collar hem from rolling out.  This worked ok, I think I would wear it with the collar kind of up, but it will go down too. 

I got to the end, not sure if I was making something just so cool, or a clown jacket.  And I made the fatal error.  Those two layers of boiled wool would NEVER receive buttonholes from my sewing machine, and while I do have a backup workhorse Bernina, I instead committed to snaps.  I think I'm gonna retire my Prym snap set now.  While the snaps do sometimes work, on any complex fabric they are almost worse than buttons.  I needed to hand sew snaps on.  Hand sewn snaps are GREAT.  I realised my error after I made lots of snap holes and was committed to snaps and then snaps started falling out.  I went down a wormhole of snap repair etc which involved glue and one fake snap where things just got too terrible.  At the end of this, while pleased with the back of the jacket, I don't really want to own it.  A friend has raised her hand for it and I'm kind of relieved to pass it on.  I do like it, but I kind of FEEL like a clown in it, and the snaps have been the nail in that coffin. 

But I still really LOVE the back.  I might come back around to this idea someday, just using the patchwork star or something.

Waffle Patterns Pinda pants in stretch corduroy

 Finally picking up my sewing pace a bit!  I have been really keen to make these pants because it's winter and I want long pants that cover my legs all the way.  The flappy elastic-waist ankle length items of summer just are not doing it.  I also love Waffle Patterns and after making the Azuki work pants I realised I had missed just how cool the Pinda might be.  

So, fabric is stretch corduroy from Nick's Fabric in Auckland again shaming me as I bought it for these pants a year ago.  

Size 38 since that seems to be the wisest fit.  Alas, I didn't necessarily think about how stretchy my fabric was and that 38 is kind of loose on me.  I should have sized down for these.  If you make them do take the stretch into account - 38 would have actually been a great fit in ZERO stretch, but you need the pants to have some negative ease when they are so stretchy and that's not happening here. 

The sewing took a few days but not as long as things were going a few months ago.  Hopefully I'm gearing back into sewing mode.  I made the cute double pleat back pockets...um, beware as they will kind of pleat open and make your bum look big.  I find the pocket placement to be too low as well.  

I did the patch front pockets. The instructions don't have you create a separate pocket if you use the zip so what I did was: add a little pocket facing to the zip area, like making a welt so it would be neat and reinforced.  Once my zip was installed to that, I created a back layer to the zipper pocket from some quilting cotton (see bats!)  I then treated the two units as one and finished the main pocket that way.  Thus the zip pocket is in front of the real pocket where you put your hand.  I'm definitely going to do this again.  I love these patch pockets more than I think I love jeans pockets, because they actually have room to fit stuff whereas jeans pockets are full of my hipbones. 

Anyway the waistband was fine, everything else was fine. The fly installation I do not love.  It looks totally fine and was ok while doing it though you are using a folded seam allowance as your guide instead of basting the fly shut to start, but my zip is actually angled a bit sideways at the top as though somewhere the zipper tape wasn't completely sewn down flat well enough.  I think I actually prefer the method where you baste the fly shut, even though I have said in the past I hate that method.  Changed my mind! 

 By the way, no, we are not going to talk about nap direction.  I am really amazed by how many times *in a row* I can forget something so basic...  please, don't be like me.  Corduroy is directional.  Thanks.

Alas upon trying these on they are very large and are now seeking new owners.  Very large like a solid 4" so no, I'm not going to try taking that out.  I'm also not happy with how much excess fabric there is everywhere.  I could probably have sized all the way down to 34 in this stretchy fabric.  I'm happy with my experiment though and luckily I have lots of pants so even if these ones didn't work out for me, I'm still clothed.  I might think harder about places I can put these nice patch pockets.  Even my little pocket zip was very exciting and I want to do it somewhere else.