Completed: Sewaholic Granville Shirt, + Pattern Review

I was thrilled when Sewaholic released the new shirt pattern, with all the neat details you'd find in RTW. I have wanted to sew myself a perfect shirt for a while but didn't want to invent my own pattern. The shirt was quickly out on all sewing blogs too with nothing but amazing reviews.

The only alteration I made on forehand to the pattern was my usual FBA. Other than that I cut a straight 8. Other alterations that I did during the process in the pattern review below.

Finished shirt!!

and back!

And here is my pattern review: 

I'll start with the things I liked: All in all a very well drafted pattern with a lot of attention to details. I love the clever collar stand construction and the beautiful sleeve plackets. I also love the back princess seems and the self lined yoke - it all made for a very professional finish. Another good thing (personal preference) were the slim fit sleeves, which makes the shirt look very tailored in my opinion.

Just look at those collar points!!!! SHARP.

I added a placket button to keep the fabric in place, since I had to overlap quite a bit.

There were, however, things I didn't like as much with the pattern too. The suuuuuper long sleeves, for example. Many blogs mention it, but they are seriously long. Chimp long. I need to shorten them at least one inch next time, maybe more.

Also the cuffs where enormous. The sleeves are not eased or tucked into the cuff, but the cuff matches the circumference of the sleeve exactly. This means the cuffs fall over my hands completely if I don't overlap A LOT. Next time: make the cuffs at least 1,5 inch narrower and ease/tuck in the sleeves instead.

The pattern, like all Sewaholic patterns, are made for pear shaped bodies. I do have a narrow waist and big hips, but apparently I wear my extra load somewhere else than at the sides because the original shaping gave me wings! It actually looked kind of ridiculous so I had to unpick the flat felled seams and reshape it. I graded from size 8 down to a size 0 at the hemline and it still has plenty of shape and room. Well, I guess we are all different ;-)

Showing the long sleeves and the side wings :)

After grading to size 0 at the hemline.
By the way - look at that smooth hemming job! I am seriously proud!

Another thing that threw me off was that I had to cut back the collar 3cm (more than 1 inch) to get it to fit! Which means that I must have fucked up somewhere (or else it should have been mentioned in all those blog posts, right?!?). I double, and triple, checked everything but could not find where it had gone wrong... Thankfully the shorter collar would still fit around my neck (better actually!) and no weird wrinkles appeared either. I am still puzzled.

All in all, this is a lovely pattern. With my new learnings, this will be great next time. I know this pattern will become a staple and I already want to make my next Granville! Thank you Sewaholic  the best pattern yet!

Completed: Minoru Jacket from Sewaholic Patterns

I have just finished the best thing I've ever sewn! Not due to my skills or anything, but totally due to the awesome pattern and brilliant design. A pattern that really delivers!

First, let me show you the finished product and then let me talk you through my alterations and learnings :) Sorry about the poor picture quality. They were actually taken in the dark, by my kid, and I didn't feel like waiting and making it all pretty. Just so EAGER TO TELL THE WORLD you know.

I decided to make the pattern without the hood. The only reason was that I thought I'd get by with the supplies I already had if I did. It turned out I didn't and still had to go buy a zipper but at that stage I was already too far along in the process. I actually don't like the jacket with the hood out, but I love the detail with the zipper on the collar and that rushed decision I will be mourning long and hard probably. Anyway.

A back view showing the great shape of the jacket.

The mandatory peek-over-the-top-picture

In the above picture all the gathers are showing pretty well. I did an FBA (the same way as I did for the wardrobe basic here) which caused A LOT of gathers around the neck. If I'd do it again I would sew a shoulder dart to eliminate the excess and then gather according to pattern. The dart would be pretty concealed in the gathers anyway. That's how I did it on the lining and that turned out great.

Another mistake I made was that I forgot to lengthen the front placket the same amount as the FBA, which meant that it ended up a good 1,5'' too short. The jacket feels like a good length still so I don't mind, but something to keep in mind for those of you who do large FBAs.

My next alteration was to add an inside zipper facing. Because, let's face it (haha) - without a facing the wind will get an autobahn to my always cold body and make me hate the jacket. I am actually surprised that this pattern doesn't include one since it is so incredibly well designed in every other area. Well, it was an easy thing to freestyle.

Upper end of zipper facing

Lower end of zipper facing (duh)

Interior pocket with hook and loop closure

 I added interior pockets as the pattern suggests, but I highly doubt I'll ever use them. I do think they give a more finished look though, so they get to stay. Maybe one would have been sufficient.

inside the jacket

For the inside of the jacket I chose a cotton with a cute print that I already had in stash and interlined it with cotton flannel for some extra warmth, except for the sleeves which I lined with a slinky (perhaps silk) fabric that I've been given and no interlining. The sleeves are narrow in design so I didn't want to risk making it feel too tight. I also lined the inside of the collar with a layer of organic lambswool that I originally bought to make cloth diaper covers, but I had a piece left and it now makes it incredibly soft around my neck.

For the outside I chose a thin green wool blend fabric, much like the thickness you would find in a regular suit. I was worried it would be too thin and flimsy, but with the lining and interlining it is just the perfect fall jacket. I have tested it today and it withstands plenty of wind and keeps me toasty.


My last alteration was to add pockets on the outside. Or in the side seams to be accurate. This is my biggest regret. I soooooooo wish I had made patch pockets with flaps instead since that would have taken the design through the roof, but I got lazy again and made the quickest pockets I knew.
My best advice to anyone making this jacket - spend time on pockets. You won't regret it!

side seam pocket.

 So now I'd like to say I'm gonna sew another one, because I truly enjoyed it and I love the result, but in all honesty it is not very likely. I would never buy two of the same jacket in a store regardless of the deepest love so...

Summary: awesome jacket! awesome pattern! I looooooove it. Yes. I think you should sew it too if you haven't already.

/Alexandra

Completed: Staple Dress x2, incl. tutorial for FBA on cap sleeves

This is my first two Staple Dresses (pattern from April Rhodes), but I am fairly certain I will sew this pattern again. It is simple and quick and the perfect canvas for any busy, crazy woven fabric!

Since my friend Malin has sewn this pattern many times, and I love her dresses, I thought I'd go wild and sew up my first dress without making a muslin. Did I mention I "forgot" to do an FBA? Well, I thought, for some reason, that the simple and generous fit would let me go unaltered, but I was punished. I'll show you soon what I'm on about...

But first I want to show the second one - the one that I truly LOVE! Sewn in a gorgeous, fun print from Liberty of London. The best cotton lawn makers in the whole world.

Relaxed, yet with a lot of shape, and pockets.

The back is nice and flat.

Enough shape, even without a belt, thanks to the shirring.

I added a little lace on the front neckline just to make it a little fancier. I am contemplating letting this dress be worn at a wedding.


And now to the other one, the one without FBA, which a think looks more awful every second I look at it.

Just look at this picture. Obviously, since the pattern is flat, the shirring will add the shape, and if you have boobs on the front, it will create the same amount of boob space on the back! Then it looks like this:

Handy design for people with boobs on both front and back.

And this is not the only problem! See the hemline! Since the boobs lift the fabric up and is not compensated with an FBA, the dress becomes too short in the front. Or to short in my own personal preference, that is. This can and MUST be avoided, people! And now I'll show you how!

FBA on a cap sleeved dress

(For other FBA alterations look at my tutorials here.)

1. Trace the pattern and mark apex and shoulder 

My first dress was a size S on the upper body and a size M on the lower, simply graded in between. The great thing about that is that the whole dress would fit onto 1y of fabric. Because of that Idesperately wanted to avoid my altered pattern to become any larger so that I still would fit it on the fabric :-) So I decided to start my upper FRONT pattern on size XS instead and keep the other parts the same as before.

Trace the pattern and then wear it to mark apex and shoulder line. I put it on my dress form like this:

Pin it to a dress form or to yourself :-)

Mark where the shoulder begins.

Mark the apex.

2. Do the FBA work

Since we have cap sleeves that are part of the front pattern piece we need to cut of the sleeves before the FBA can be done. Draw a line between the shoulder mark you made and the armpit. Then cut it off. Then:

a) Draw a line from the apex mark, parallel with the centre front line, all the way down.

b) Draw a line from the side seam to apex, in the angle you'd like the dart to be tilted.

c) Draw a line from the apex to the lower part of the sleeve.

All the cut lines in read.

 Cut and spread like this. Make sure to not cut all the way through in all places. Look carefully at the picture.

Cut off the sleeve completely

Cut and spread the desired amount.

The desired amount the spread the pattern for me here is to get it to the same width as the size S I used for the back. The alteration will then give me the boob room I need (and the right SHAPE), but still fit together with the rest of the pattern. I put the old sheet on top of it to see how much I need to spread it.

After this it is simply to put new paper into all the gaps and true up the dart legs.

Note!! This will create a dart, which is not part of the original dress design!
Since I use a busy fabric, plus will have shirring at the waist, I don't mind the dart. But if you do, then follow my other tutorial here.

Test wearing the pattern and see the magic you just created!

A lot more shape, and a lot more length in the front!! Yay!

And to really demonstrate that it is making a huge difference, have a look at this...

Without FBA on the top and with FBA on the bottom.

Now, go adjust this for yourself! 

/Alexandra

Completed: The Wardrobe Basic. Including tutorial for FBA on shoulder dart

The first garment of my spring SWAP is done; the "Wardrobe Basic" from Ottobre. Can I just say, what a quick, cute and usable pattern!! Or actually, not quick at all if you count more than 1,5 h of hand sewing to get invisible hems and facings. If you like topstitching it will indeed be very quick, but I love neat finishings and pretty insides of garments.

I think the pattern of the fabric turned out fun!

Inside trimmings. The bias tape has GOLD stripes!!!

Matching pattern on the sleeve too.

And the back. Nice fit, don't you think?

I LOVE pretty insides!

I love how it turned out. I did make some alterations, without making any muslin, but I just had a feeling it was going to turn out the way I wanted anyway. Luckily it did - phew! I am pretty certain I'm gonna use this pattern again. Imagine this as a summer jacket made from dark denim!! Want!

The fabric was a vintage scrap designed by Maud Fredin Fredholm. The pattern was quite intricate so it took me a while to decide how to put the pattern pieces so it wouldn't turn out too crazy. The leftovers will be enough for a couple beanies, an infinity scarf or some other accessory.

Sorry for not showing any live pictures, but I have a pajama-day with sick kids at home. Didn't feel like posing...


So, what alterations did I make?

#1 - FBA (Full bust adjustment)

I ALWAYS do an FBA these days. There is really no reason not to since it makes a world of difference to the fit. Don't be a lazy fart when it comes to FBA - it is always worth the effort, trust me!

This pattern already has a dart in the shoulder on the front, and I believe alterations like FBA should not have to change the design of the pattern. So, therefore, after having done the FBA you move the dart into the dart you already have on the shoulder. I thought I'd show you how it's done, but since I forgot to take pictures during the process and I don't have time to redo it, I'll give you a quick and dirty drawing tutorial instead :-)

Mark the regular FBA lines (blue) and slash the pattern. For more details on the basics go here. Spread the pattern your desired amount. Then it will look like this:

Tape in paper everywhere except in the new bust dart, which remains open. That is, within the blue dotted area:

Now, we don't want a bust dart because that alters the design of the garment, remember, so we need to move it! To do this we slash from the shoulder dart down to the point of the bust dart - but not all the way through! See red line:

Then we close the bust dart by pivoting the paper like shown by the arrow. Tape the dart closed and notice the shoulder dart wide opened. Continue drawing the shoulder dart legs until they meet (and make sure they are equal length) and there you have your new dart.

Tape in paper to fill the gap - voila! The green shape is the new pattern.

#2 - Reshaping the front panel

Since I knew I don't want to wear this cardigan closed I prefer the shape at the front to be more rounded. I simply shaved off a slice from the front pattern and did the same to the facing.

Hope this was helpful!

/Alexandra

Hazel Dress in all her glory on the darkest day of the year!

So she's done, my darling Hazel Dress from Victory Patterns.
This was an easy pattern to make except that I chose to make it in a very heavy, yet drapey (and slinky!!) rayon/viscose. It is very comfortable to wear so worth the slinkiness.

The only things I changed is that I made an FBA, as usual, and also took off 1cm each side of the shoulder width. Even on the pattern model you can tell that the sleeves start too far off the shoulders, and to be fair I think I could have taken an extra 2cm since my fabric stretches. I don't think the FBA was completely necessary this time, but if you're a picky person like moi...

Anyway... Today is the darkest day of the year in Sweden. The sun barely comes up at all and taking pictures is a struggle. Especially if it is also poring down with rain. Well, these photos are as good as we could get them today. This dress is my third garment of the winter SWAP by the way. Enjoy!

/Alexandra

FBA for garments without darts - tutorial, part 2

The swedish version is found here. 

This post on FBA is not done only because it's fun, but because I haven't found anything satisfactory out there - and I have searched a lot. I had to develop my own method, and it works!

For FBA introduction I recommend reading part 1. It is found here.

I will now show you how to make a full bust adjustment (FBA) on a garment without darts, such as a t-shirt. The pattern I'll use is 'Rose Top' from the book Sy! Från hood till skjortklänning by Jenny Hellström Ruas. This tee is cut with a slightly A-line.

The first time I made Rose I did the classic mistake, i.e. cut one size larger (size L) to give the boobs enough room. Then I ended up with this amazing (hmm) piece:

You can clearly see that it is very tent-like around the shoulders and waist, but still tight across the bust. This is not what we want, unless taking the family camping - just bring the tent poles and get installed!

Here we go.

#1 Select your size and trace your pattern

If I go by my waist and high bust measures, I end up right in the middle of size M and L according to sizing table (my real bust measurement puts me between L and XL, but that we ignore for now). I will sew my top in a stretchy jersey so I choose to start from a size M.

According to the pattern table I would have to increase my bust width by 8 cm (just over 3 inches) = 4cm(1,5'') /half pattern, but the stretchy fabric makes me doubt that I need that much and I now decide half of that should be sufficient. That is 2cm/half pattern.

Trace your pattern.

Front size M, no alterations. 

#2 Finding apex

If you're sewing in non stretchy fabric then you can "wear" your pattern and mark apex, but for stretchy fabric this is not so simple since it tends to have a life of its own when worn. If you don't belive me, put on a stretchy top and mark with a pin your apex. Remove the top and compare with the mark on the pattern. I bet you they are not in the same spot! For me they are a good 3cm apart, see photo below. 

Yellow points at apex for stiff fabric, blue points at apex for stretchy fabric.

Now I will continue my work from the blue apex.

#3 Do FBA

Time to cut and spread! In common fashion we now mark the FBA lines to be cut, but since we don't have any darts we only have to bother about the apex. 

IMPORTANT! Before you cut - measure the sideline of the pattern carefully. Write it down. If you have any notches (I do) then measure the distance to it from the armpit and write it down. You'll need these measures later.

My sideline is 42,5 cm and the distance to my notch (I only have one) is 14 cm.

Now you can cut, spread and tape your pattern!

Adjusting for my 2cm as planned.

But HOLD YOUR HORSES!! What were you thinking? We didn't want any darts! And if we don't have darts, we are making the waist wider and the sideseam longer, right? RIGHT??

Yup. Pretty much about here most tutorials end, but calm yourself, I won't leave you hanging - now we have some fixing to do! :-)

#4 - Adjustment to avoid altering the waist

Now there are a couple of important steps.

First, grab a tape measure or a ruler and measure on your body the distance between your armpit and your waist. It doesn't need to be super accurate. I measure roughly 30 cm /12''. Mark this on your pattern.

From the waist marking and down to the hem we want to remove the same amount as we added through the cut, 2cm in my case. This is the dotted line.

Now grade the dotted line from the waist to the bust cut - we want the boobs to fit now, don't we. Mark your new pretty sideline all the way up.

Now the garment will get the waist size it was designed for, but have plenty more boob space. LIKE.

#5 - Adjustment to avoid altering the length

If you remember the boob drawing from tutorial part 1, I explained that a bigger bust needs more fabric down the front for the garment to keep its length. So far in this FBA we have made the entire front longer, since we don't have any darts. That would make the front hem look like a sour mouth. We don't like sour mouths, we like indifferent, straight mouths. So now we need to take action.

In step #3 I told you to write down your sideline measures. Now we need it.
Measure the side again along your new sideline.

My original measure: 42,5cm
My new measure: 44,8 cm
Difference = 2,3 cm. (approx 1'')

Now mark, from the bottom along your new sideline, the difference you measured (2,3cm).
Grade towards the waistline cut, see the blue line in the photo (psst, ignore the red line down the bottom. I am blaiming the baby). Now, just to be sure, measure your sideline again, between the armpit and the blue line so that is is identical to your original measure (42,5 cm).

Blue line marks the new hem.

Now that this is done there is only one thing left. Adding your notch to its new location. In step #3 I measured it to be 14 cm below the armpit so I measure and draw it in place.

New notch location.

All you have to do now is cut around your altered pattern or trace it again and you are done!!! You have now constructed a nice pattern that goes together like a dream - the sleeve and the back pattern pieces won't have a clue what you've been up to! Sneaky, sneaky!

Done.

Just to prove this alteration visually I've placed my new size M pattern on top of the old one, the unaltered size L. If you look closely you can see that the size M has smaller armholes, slimmer waist but MORE bust allowance!!! That's just perfect! 

Perfect.

#6 - Moment of truth

Results? Strike a pose...

And just a little historic reminder from times when things were suckier:

Before

Extra: 

• If you have a very large bust you may actually want to sew a bust dart. The fabric will try to form one anyway. It is a matter of how much wrinkles in the side you can tolerate. If you do make a dart then you'll skip step #5.
• If you have a tummy that fancies a little extra fabric you may be tempted to skip step #4. That's okay BUT you'll have a quite big adjustment to to in step #5 then. If you're sewing a striped fabric, like me, the hemline will show that it is not cut straight off. If you want you can make this less obvious by doing half of the step #5 adjustment and instead make the backpiece longer until they match up. Note that it would make the garment longer.

Good luck!

/Alexandra