Vogue 1099 Badgley Mischka jacket

I am easily distracted from sewing projects, especially when they are in the planning stage, and the pattern and fabric for another project is sitting at hand. The shirt dress mentioned in the previous post is still a project. But one night I had an hour or so before I had to shuttle a bunch of teenage boys to the movies. So I took advantage of the time to cut out the jacket from the Badgley Mischka Vogue Pattern 1099.

It is a swing jacket with some interesting sleeve and collar details. The sleeves have a horizontal pleat over a separate gathered section in the bottom half of the sleeves. This makes the sleeve quite bell like.
The shoulder seam extends into the sleeve as a dart. The sleeve fits into the armhole with some inset corners.

The collar has two separate layers. Both are rectangles cut on the bias, folded lengthwise with the cut edges eased into the curved neck seam. The outer collar is longer than the neck hole seam by an inch or so and the inner collar, cut of a contrast fabric, is actually longer than the outer collar. So while both collar pieces was easy to fit onto the neck hole seam because of the bias cut, they do not lay flat. Especially the inner collar being longer and more eased onto the seam. The end of the collar has a pleat and the under collar appears to wrap around the end and go into the upper collar. I have seen the open end collar detail on a number of designer tops and the Japanese pattern magazines.

For the fabric I used a blouse weight linen from Hancock Fabrics. It has variegated threads and a subtle metallic coating of some sort on the good side. I half expect the coating to wash off in the laundry, but it was still there when I pulled the fabric from the dryer. The fabric was easy to work with and hangs softly. Other reviewers recommended using soft rather than stiff fabric for this jacket. The lining is Bemberg rayon. The under collar is some sort of sheer green metallic mystery fabric from ‘the table" in Walmart. It looks and acts like a metallic silk organza. It can be ironed on high heat with no ill effects, other than smelling like my husband’s workshop when he is sawing fiberboard (lots of adhesives in fiberboard (MDF)) so I suspect it is a synthetic. It feels fine against my skin.

The pattern envelope picture shows the jacket worn with very wide leg pants. For my size, the pants on the pattern have a bottom leg width of 32 inches. I tried the jacket with a pair of RTW pants that have a 30 width. The silhouette is sort of a tall triangle. I also tried the jacket with a pair of slimmer cut cropped pants and high heeled sandals. I think I like the second look better than the first, but it is a more casual look, not suited for work.

Shirtdresses for Spring

After two weeks of no sewing, I wanted to make something fast, and easy. So I made view D, the sleeveless version of McCalls 5661 blouse. using 1 yard of a 60 wide poly print from the G Street $2.99 table. I loved the print of circles in brown, beige, teal and citron green. If it had been in silk or even cotton I would have had been in fabric heaven, but it was in shiny finish polyester. Oh well. I eliminated the back opening with the plan to use an invisible zipper in the side seam if I had needed it. It slips on over my head easily. I have been thinking a lot about sewing dresses lately. I don’t know why. It doesn't seem like women wear dresses that much anymore. At least not the ones I work and play with. But dresses make summer dressing a snap, especially shirtdresses in comfortable breathable fabrics. I am currently enamoured with this one, which is from the Newport News catalog. For some reason I really like the simplicity of a simple shirtdress in a solid khaki colored fabric, embellished with self fabric roses.


The price was actually pretty reasonable, but they only had it in one very small size. It must be a popular item. The "roses" look more free form than ones for which I have instructions. So I am currently collecting information on making fabric roses from internet sources and books. I have found some interesting techniques that I had not seen before. I have a lightweight twill blend fabric that I am considering using. It is cross woven tan and black so it has a slight iridescence when it moves or changes direction.I thought that effect might be interesting when made into the roses.
I'll keep you updated.

Blog Diary - Grand Finale

I finally named my SWAP, which I have been blogging about since December, The Drafting Demon Swap. By the time I submitted the pictures for the contest voting I was so tired of every aspect of it; the garments, the fabrics, the colors, pattern drafting, etc. I felt that all the other SWAPs were fresher, more coordinated and better executed than mine. I had to prepare and sew samples for a ASG presentation the same week the photography had to be done. I was a bit stressed. In fact I seriously considered bowing out of the contest at that point, and not sending in photos. So I was totally shocked that it won the Grand Prize in the SWAP contest sponsored by Stitchers Guild the sewing discussion board over at www.Artisanssquare.com.



Pictures of all the SWAPs, every single one of them a winner, can be viewed at
2009 Swap Photos

I just want to say a very heartfelt "Thank-You" to everyone whose vote contributed to my receiving this wonderful award. And for all the hard work the Stitchers
Guild folks did in planning and running the contest. I know it took an enormous amount of time. And thanks to the very generous sponsors who made it possible for every one of the contest participants to receive a prize.

Now on to spring/summer sewing