One Pattern, Many Dresses: Kwik Sew 3394

Kwik Sew 3394: Dress #2

In the summer, I live in t-shirt dresses. I often prefer a dress to shorts on the weekends. I love Fresh Produce and Lulu-B designs, but neither sell in stores near me. :(

Kwik Sew 3394 was one of the first patterns I used when I began my ready to waer fast. The pattern has the look and feel of the Fresh Produce and Lulu-B dresses I love.  In my first versions, I found some nice cotton interlock on sale at my local Hancock Fabrics before it closed. The first dress was so comfy, I made a second in another fabric. When the two dresses became summer favorites, I bought more fabric to make fall versions with long sleeves. In further versions, I varied the length and I varied the neckline.

Snippets (from Collette Patterns) arrived in my in box and recommended making patterns multiple times. Yup. My third was by far my best. Nicest fabric and best fit. Although I made the dress now years ago and I still love both the pattern and the original versions of the dress. OK, my first attempts look a tad faded and some of the stitching could be improved... but with each wash it gets softer and my stitching stood the test of time. Still a favorite!

Kwik Sew 3394: dress #1

The pattern was easy and I made minimal modifications to the pattern design. I used a rolled edge on the sleeves and a lettuce edge at the hem. I also used scrap fabric to add a belt to each dress. IMHO this pattern is a winner.

Pattern:
 Kwik Sew 3394

Related Tutorials
Use Your Serger to Make a Belt from Scrap Fabric
Embroider a Belt Made from Scrap Fabric

Pattern Report: Kwik Sew 3700, version D, clutch

Kwik Sew 3700 clutch

I love patterns that include multiple styles. I like choices and I like to be able to try different techniques. The other day my daughter and I used scrap fabric and the pattern for version B of Kwik Sew 3700 to make a purse as a gift.

Today my daughter and I  share version D of Kwik Sew 3700 that we made as another gift for another friend. The pattern was cute and the clutch purse we made did come out looking like the bag on the package. Yay!

Cut the fabric

My daughter embroidered the name on the fabric using our embroidery machine before cutting the fabric.  She cut the pattern while the machine embroidered and then asked me to take over so she could Skype.  We were on a deadline as we needed the present for a party.

I cut the fabric (taking care that the name was placed correctly on the flap) and cut heavy Pellon fusible interfacing. The pattern made a facing optional, but after discussing it, we opted to face both sides of the purse. I ironed the interfacing to the fabric.

Serge the point

After cutting the pieces, I departed from the instructions. I used my sewing machine to sew the two notches on the bottom of the purse and then I used my serger to make a rolled edge on the "V" point of the purse flap.

Serge the seam

I pinned the two pieces of the purse together and then basted the purse using a 1/4-inch seam allowance. I then serged the purse, again using a three-thread, rolled edge.

Once the purse was serged and I checked my work, I turned the purse inside out so the seam no longer showed.

My daughter then added velcro to fasten the purse. She then added a wire wrapped ring and a set of earrings she made to "fill" the purse.

This is a quick, fun project that we will make again. Great teamwork.

Related Reading
Pattern Report: Kwik Sew 3700, Scrap Fabric Purse
Make Wire Wrapped Rings
NJAD Index by Type of Found Object
NJAD Index by Type of Jewelry Made with Found Objects


Further Reading
"Exclusively You: Easy Fabric Purses (Leisure Arts #4228)"; Leiasur Arts; 2006.
"It's a Wrap: Sewing Fabric Purses, Baskets, And Bowls"; Susan Breier; 2006.
"Making Vintage Bags: 20 Original Sewing Patterns for Vintage Bags and Purses"; Emma Brennan; 2007.
"The Bag Making Bible: The Complete Guide to Sewing and Customizing Your Own Unique Bags"; Lisa Lam; 2010.
"101 Fabulous Fat-Quarter Bags with M'Lis: 10 Projects for Totes & Purses Ideas for Embellishments, Trim, Embroidery & Beads Stylish Finishes-Handles & Closures"; M'Liss Rae Hawley; 2008.

Pattern Report: Kwik Sew 3225 Dress

Kwik Sew 3225

Yesterday I finished making Kwik Sew 3225. I am not sure how I feel about this dress. On the hanger, it looks really cute. I am very pleased with the decorative stitching I added to the yoke of the dress in lieu of top stitching.

Decorative stitching at yoke

The problem with the dress is the way the sides sag. Sometimes the sagging is just unsightly. Sometimes the sagging reveals bra. Not a pretty look. I added snaps to help deal with the issue, but the snaps caused the dress to lay funny.

I've decided the pattern may work, but just not for me. Bummer. I really liked the look of the dress on the pattern envelope and on the hanger. On me, not so much.

Reference
"Easy Sewing the KWIK SEW Way"; Kerstin Martensson; 2002.

Pattern
Kwik Sew 3225

Pattern Report: New Look 6915 Dress

Trina Turk Eye Candy

What my husband calls fashion porn arrived in the mail today: another fall collection, this one from Lord and Taylor. In the mailer was yummy dress designed by Trina Turk, a simple, elegant silk with a bold print. I don't like the lining she and other RTW designers use in many silk dresses. What's the point of wearing silk if you have polyester next to your skin? The design in the dress is a shape I wear and sew (in different lengths and variations) year after year.

I found a really nice cotton print that I wanted to make up using a similar design. Thumbing through my collection of patterns, I noticed that version A of New Look 6915 would fit the bill if I added to the length.

I cut a size 8 of New Look 6915 (version A) but added 6-1/2 inches in length to create a dress that hit just above the knee. I basted the seams and the dress fit perfectly.... but all was not well.

The scissor elfs were playing games again. I cut the size eight facings for the size 8 top and the facings did not fit. Not even close. I checked to see if I cut the wrong facing for the top or if my sizing was off for either, but it looked as though I had cut per instructions. Oh, well.

New Look 6915, as modified

Now I had a problem to solve. The pattern called for 2-1/4 yards of fabric for a mini-skirt.  I had only 2 yards and I was adding 6-1/2 inches to the bottom of the pattern. I had enough to cut all the pieces on the fold as instructed, leaving plenty to make the belt from the left-over around the selvage....but I did not have enough material for a do-over on the facing. Oy.

To work around the facing issue, I serged a three thread rolled hem on the neckline and arms before stitching the dress together. I used my serger to create a matching hemline. Since serged edges figured prominently in the dress, I skipped the instructions for the belt altogether, cut a 2-1/2 inch piece of fabric for the belt and then serged all the way around the edges using the technique explained in my earlier tutorial.

Pattern
New Look 6915 version A.

Related Tutorials
Embroider a Belt Made from Scrap Fabric
Use Your Serger to Make a Belt from Scrap Fabric

Pattern Report: Two-Tone Purple Color Blocked Dress

Vogue V8552, as altered

Everybody in the fashion world is now familiar with Tim Gunn's "make it work" fashion design philosophy. When my sister was studying fashion design in college, she had a professor that was even more specific. Her prof advised the students that there are two choices when confronted with a mistake: hide it or accentuate it. I was reminded of that advice as I worked on my most recent project.

I had leftover fabric from a dress I made using Kwik Sew 3394 , that I reviewed here when I joined patternreview.com. I loved the drape of the blouse I made for my daughter using Vogue pattern V8534, reviewed here. So I decided to make a dress that combined the look of the two patterns, Vogue V8534 for the top and Kwik Sew 3394 for the bottom of the dress.
I know, how many purple knit dresses does a girl need? ....but I had leftover fabric and purple is a great color on me.

Close up of belt detail

As it turns out, my idea was not new. Vogue already had a pattern doing close to what I wanted: Vogue V8552. I used V8552 view B as a guide and planned for  a number of small pattern alterations. I added a belt and omitted the pockets. I skipped the zipper as there was plenty of ease and this worked well as a pullover dress. Rather than cut cap sleeves, I constructed the top as a dolman sleeve. I used my serger to make rolled hem at the sleeves and lettuce edge at the hemline.
 

Close up of color blocked inset

True confessions. The surprise pattern alteration was the color block I added to the sides of my dress. It seems the scissor elf played a trick between the time I cut my fabric and I began sewing. That has to be what happened....because the dress was cut wrong and I did not have quite enough fabric for the dress to cover my rump. :( Not a pretty look. I decided to create side panels to solve the problem. I pinned in matching fabric and contrasting fabric as tests before sewing. The matching fabric just looked like strange construction. The contrasting fabric (I used a darker shade of purple) looked like a color blocked fashion statement. Yay! Since the dress fit fine up top, I cut an inset panel that ran from 1-inch to 3-inches. After a 5/8 seam allowance, the inset ran from just under 1/2 inch under the arm and at the bodice to about 2-inches over the hip to the hemline. To tie the look together, I used my serger to create the belt with leftover fabric the color of the dress and dark thread the color of the inset panels.

I love the look of color block, but the look goes in and out of fashion so fast I could not remember whether the dress I just created was a modern or retro look. That evening, I found the latest Lord and Taylor Style Guide in my mailbox. Whoopie! Lord and Taylor devoted nine pages to color block styles labeling it "The Modernist." The brochure read, "Mod-style colorblock creates a stand-out effect. It's the new way of looking at vibrant head-to-toe color." Good to know. :)

I do not have Sofia Vergara's figure and, even if I did, there is no way I could wear a tight dress like she does in a downtown DC work environment, but I really love the way the color blocked side panels came out on this dress.

Patterns 
Vogue V8534
Kwik Sew 3394
Vogue V8552
 
Summary of pattern alterations for Vogue V8552: 
1) no pockets;
2) added belt;
3) added color block sides;
4) omitted zipper;
5) omitted cap sleeve and constructed as a dolman sleeve;
6) rolled hem at sleeves;
7) lettuce edge at hem line.

Related Tutorials & Thoughts
Use Your Serger to Make a Belt from Scrap Fabric
Embroider a Belt Made from Scrap Fabric
Tips on Using Sewing Patterns
Sewing with Commercial Patterns: Pattern Fitting & Alterations

Tips on Using Sewing Patterns

So I already explained that my goal for the summer was to improve my skills at using a commercial pattern. I still think it is far easier to use clothes hanging in my closet than purchasing a commercial pattern to make clothes, but my skills have improved and so I thought I would share the tips I learned so far:

1. Trace commercial patterns rather than cut your patterns. Use freezer paper (or butcher paper) found in your grocery store to trace sewing and quilting patterns rather than cutting the commercial pattern paper. For more durable patterns you may reuse, consider purchasing a transparent, tear-resistant cloth such as Kwik Trace, Swedish tracing paper or a lightweight nonfusible interfacing. Tracing patterns allows you to reuse patterns again. The ability to reuse patterns is very important if the pattern does not fit well, if you want to be able to reuse the pattern to make the item for another person or if you are sewing for growing children.

2. Use transfer paper (Clover or Saral, in red, blue or white) to trace darts on your cloth so the darts are placed with precision. Tracing the instructions directly onto the wrong side of the fabric is far easier than cutting notches, etc. Precision makes a better garment and it is easier to be precise when using tracing and a pencil.

3. Take advantage of multi-size patterns to craft your own size. Are you pear shaped? Use a smaller size on the top than on the bottom and adjust the pattern. Are you an upside down triangle? Do the reverse, use a smaller size on the bottom and adjust the top. Trace your adjustments using transfer paper to a lightweight cloth to test your self designed patter.

4. Use online resources. There is a rich sewing community anxious to share their experience with sewing specific patterns and sewing skills in general. Check Pattern Review before you buy patterns and consult the notes on specific reviews to see how other sewers with similar builds made alterations and adaptations to the patterns to make it work.

5. Use clothes that fit to check your pattern. Using a commercial pattern does not preclude using the clothes that hang in the closet as a pattern. Rather than draw the pattern from the clothes, using the clothes with a similar design as a reality check can save hours of time struggling to altering the pattern from scratch. Simple, but it took me a few failed projects to realize I can incorporate my success in free drafting to using commercial patterns. As my kids say, duh Mom!

6. Use the pattern layout as a guide, not a bible. If you are cutting a small size, there may be a more cloth efficient pattern layout. Just be sure to cut items on the fold when specified.

7. Read the instructions thoroughly before beginning the project... and ask questions, when instructions are not clear. If you do not have a sewing mentor or a good fabric shop for inquiries, check online resources such as the message board on Pattern Review or the comment section of your favorite sewing blogger.

8. Beware the scissor elf. This little menace may not exist in your house, but properly cut patterns are critical to sewing success and the gosh, darn scissor elf can ruin even the best garments. The old adage holds true, measure twice and cut once.

9. Make a muslin. Test patterns, especially if you plan to sew on expensive fabrics.... but take the test results with a grain of salt when you are using different types of fabric. That polyester weave you bought on sale for $1 a yard to use for muslins most likely will not drape the same as silk charmeuse.

10. Don't be afraid of experimenting....but understand that certain instructions, like fabric recommendations, are made for a reason. Muslins are great places to experiment.

11. Quilting cottons can be used for garment construction, but the weave for quilting cottons is often denser than the weave for cottons made for clothes. Yes, I know this is a hotly debated item in the sewing world and certain fabrics may make you echo Tim Gunn's complaint that an item is "home ecy." If you want to sew clothes using quilting cottons, select patterns that call for denim or use a pattern especially designed for clothes made with quilting cottons such as those offered by Kwik Sew. For example, try Kwik Sew 3653  (Pieced Tie Front Jacket), Kwik Sew 3564 (Dolman Sleeve Jacket), Kwik Sew 3563 (Pieced Jackets),  Kwik Sew 3872 (Dress) and Kwik Sew 3870 (Blouse). Patterns that list denim as a fabric option are often good choices for quilting cottons because the pattern requires a stiffer, denser weave fabric.

12. Take notes on what works and what does not work with each pattern. Write your notes on the directions, package front or on a piece of paper you keep with the pattern. Each alteration brings a new lesson that can be incorporated into the next project, but you may need notes to jog your memory -- especially if you put the pattern or project aside between sewing sessions.

References
http://sewing.patternreview.com/
http://www.colettepatterns.com/how-to
 http://www.threadsmagazine.com/tips-and-tricks

Pattern Recommendations for Quilting Cotton
Kwik Sew 3653  (Pieced Tie Front Jacket),
Kwik Sew 3564 (Dolman Sleeve Jacket),
Kwik Sew 3563 (Pieced Jackets),
Kwik Sew 3872 (Dress)
Kwik Sew 3870 (Blouse).
Kwik Sew 3545 (Bags),
Kwik Sew 3700 (Serged Bags)