Summer Spark, Week 1: Pattern + Adjustments

The Summer Spark Sew-Along is on! Some have asked how you join: All you have to do is join our Flickr group at http://www.flickr.com/groups/sssa/ and post a photo of your finished garment by July 4. 

But you can have a lot more fun in-between: charting your progress on your blogs, if you have one, and in Flickr. I'm going to post about my progress at least once a week and if I need any help (i.e. with my muslin) I'll post a photo/question in the Flickr group. Happy sewing!

You all know I'm always looking for that sweet spot between comfort and style, retro cool with contemporary casual. And so how would that manifest as a summery garment? 

Jane Birkin

I love this photo of Jane Birkin. From here, it looks like a sleeveless dress with an empire waist, stripes on top solid on the bottom. Classic but casual. Legs and natural hair. Beautiful but understated.

From Shabby Apple

So it's no surprise I fell head-over-heels over this dress from Shabby Apple last summer. I was weary about the sizing, so I adapted the Colette Rooibos for my own version last June. 

 

I got compliments on it (I think it's the stripe/solid combo) but it was a bust. The skirt was made out of a cut-up muumuu and the seams bulged in the most unsightly way.  

So this June, I'm going to do it right. This time with Jalie 3024, a knit dress pattern I've made once before, in the center view, with black and white stripes for the boatneck top, and black jersey for the skirt (sans flounce).

Easy to make, easy to wear, but I think it'll be high on style. I might use this as an excuse to buy a few beautiful summer scarves—can't you see this layered with a coral floral scarf or an aqua print? Not to mention my army of colorful cardigans.

ADJUSTMENTS

I have my usual trifecta of adjustments: Sway back, short waist and small bust.

But I was at the Maker Faire in San Mateo a few weeks ago, hanging with a 5-year-old in the bathroom line. I was wearing Jalie 3024, made without any adjustments, and she pointed to my belly and asked, "Is there a baby in there?" (Which, there is not.) I did not want to go into how my mad swayback tilts my belly forward, so from now on I'm adding a full belly adjustment to the list!

I drew in some cutting lines on the pattern, as instructed in this Coletterie Full/Flat Belly Adjustment tutorial.

Cut them.

And then tissue fit the pattern piece on my dress form, padded out to mimic my protruding belly. Probably not the greatest pic, I kept messing with it until it hung straight on the body.

Interestingly enough, I consulted Fit for Real People, and they recommend adding length to the top of the center front of the skirt. And when I taped up my new pattern piece, this adjustment did exactly that. I would think I would be adding more width, but it actually added just a wee bit of width and more length when the pattern is flat. 

 

Sway back adjustment above, as outlined in this great Pattern Scissors Cloth tutorial. I think Tanit-Isis might have gotten me hip to this. 

When I'm moved to do so, I just make a half-inch tuck in a back pattern piece to address my swayback without even worrying about a muslin or tissue-fitting, since it's been a consistent problem across patterns. I actually think I need more than a half-inch (and adjust much more drastically with a natural waist seam or center back seam), but it's a start.

I've been thinking of doing this in reverse (adding length at the center front) to address my full belly. Easy adjustments that don't make you want to pull out your hair.

A wee tuck for small bust. Because of the design, I didn't have to worry about my short waist.

And now I have a pattern to work with! That's typically my process -- I trace the pattern, make flat pattern adjustments, and use my dress form as needed. I typically go straight to the garment, but this time I'm going to make a muslin by cutting up this thrifted Eddie Bauer dress.

In this next week I'll be sewing my muslin and searching high and low for the perfect stripe. So hard! My sister-in-law and I went to two fabric stores yesterday without luck :(

How are your summery garments coming along?