#sewgeeky2018

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#sewphotohop Day 11: My creative process. Typically I’m inspired by a fabric or pattern, but that’s been resulting in a lot of closet orphans, so I’m trying to be more mindful of creating cohesion in my wardrobe. This year I’m being inspired by my geeky interests and making digital wardrobe planning part of the process. Here is a look at my fall sewing plans inspired by SyFy’s The Magicians. #sewphotohop2018 #sewgeeky2018 #syfythemagicians #themagicianssyfy #magicianssyfy #sewing #wardrobeplanning #mybodymodel #mycreativeprocess #fallsewing #isew #imakemyownclothes #nationalsewingmonth https://www.instagram.com/p/Bnl_6Y0hF9n/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=lmawk90oz2c2

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Item 5 of my #prwardrobecontest is up on the blog! #Burda 7195 has been on my sewing list for quite some time, and I think it’s a fun addition to the wardrobe entry. Five down one to go! #sewing #sewgeeky2018 #springcapsulewardrobe #hunchbackofnotredameinspired #purplepants #apparentlytheylooklikeravepants #notravepants

[doctortdesigns]

This is my third piece from my Sew Geeky fall plans, and is also part of my direct interpretation of a screen costume from The Magicians. I’m really excited about this piece because with a wig and few accessories I now have a passable cosplay of the librarian’s costume from the show.  It’s not totally screen accurate, but as a starting point, it’s not bad.

This is a pattern I bought specifically because I wanted to do a cosplay of the librarian’s costume, and I thought the trousers would be a good starting point.  They certainly have enough volume to work with, and I think with slightly different pleating and fabrication, as well as a thicker waistband, it would be pretty on point:

The Inspiration: The Librarian from SyFy’s The Magicians.

I added bias binding to the waistband facing because I wanted to try a new construction technique.  I like it!  It also adds secret coordination to the rest of the wardrobe.

    Here is my official pattern review:

Pattern Description:  Top, tunic, shorts, and trouser pattern.  I made View D, the trousers.

Pattern Sizing:  Vogue sizes XSM-M and L-XXL.  I used the size L, but I had to make some adjustments for fit, and it is still very generously sized.  I would recommend going down a size because I had to take quite a bit out of the waistband, and you may not want as much volume on the trousers as I did.

Were the instructions easy to follow?  The instructions were ok.  I followed the general construction order and general techniques, but I also used different finishes for the edges and hems.

Did it look like the photo/drawing when you were done with it?  I think this pattern is actually much more voluminous than the drawing indicates.  If you want a slimmer leg as shown, I would recommend going down a size.

What did you particularly like/dislike about this pattern?  I bought this pattern because I thought it would be a good starting point for a costume I want to make.  For that, I wanted the most voluminous trousers I could find, so in that sense, this is a great pattern for my purposes.  I enjoy having side seam pockets, and I like having a fly front, and back darts.  If I had made this pattern with a different purpose in mind, I think I would have been a little disappointed with how big these pants are – they have a lot more volume than the envelope indicates.  Also, I was worried that the waist would be too small based on the measurements given on the garment pieces, but I ended up having to take the waist in by 2 inches.  I don’t know that those really qualify as “dislikes;” I did get what I wanted from the pattern, but I think it is worth cautioning against in a review.

Fabric used:  I used a gray master fabric from the Michael Levine Loft.  I expect it is a suiting with some sort of poly/cotton or poly/rayon blend.  It does wrinkle a fair bit, and based on the hand I expect it might be cotton/poly, but I’m not entirely sure.  I STRONGLY RECOMMEND using fabric with a lot of drape for this pattern; stiff fabric is going to look insane on the pants.  This is not a great pattern if you want a firmer trouser with crisp pleats.    

Pattern alterations or design changes you made:  I added 1-5/8″ to the hem because I thought it would be too short (based on measuring the inseam), but then ended up with a 3″ hem because it was so long.  I was ok with that though because I think having more fabric at the hem does help it to drape a bit more easily.  I also had to take 2″ out of the center back.  I had fit the waistband and it seemed fine at first, but after adding the waistband to the trouser leg, the weight of the fabric pulled down the waistband, and the only way to get it to sit properly was to take it in at the center back, so my waistband now has a center back seam.  As far as finishing goes, I changed the waist band finishing to one using bias tape, and I used a blind hem instead of a topstitched hem.  I also left off the button and sewed on a trouser hook instead, because I wanted a cleaner look on the front.  Otherwise I made it as drafted.

Would you sew this again?  Would you recommend it to others?  Sort of and maybe?  Now that I have the fit somewhat addressed, I plan on using this pattern as a starting point to make some more screen-accurate trousers for the costume I was replicating, so I will be using the pattern again, but with even more modifications.  As far as recommending it… I’m not so sure.  I think the pants have way more volume than advertised, and I really think going down a size would help with that.  However, I think there are other similar trouser patterns that may give a more flattering fit to someone who is just looking for a nice wide legged trouser with a pleat.

Conclusion:  I’m happy with the pattern, as it suited my purpose to have a “wearable muslin” first attempt trouser for my cosplay plans.  I think I worked out some important fit issues, which was the goal with this project.  I also think it fits into my Sew Geeky fall plans well, so I can’t really complain on that front either.  I’m not sure that I would return to this pattern for anything outside of the costuming though.  I enjoy wide-legged pants, but these are not my favorite variation of the style.  Overall, I think this pattern suited my needs, and I’m happy with the result, but I’m not sure I’ll ever consider this to be a TNT wardrobe staple sort of pattern.

I felt this was a pretty fitting post for Halloween because it is ultimately destined to be a costume!  And, finally, because when one has swooshy pants, they must swoosh:

    Pattern Review: Vogue 9257 (Fall Sew Geeky) #sewing #voguepatterns #vogue #v9257 #patternreview #TheMagiciansSyFy #bookbounding #almostcosplay #sewgeeky2018 This is my third piece from my Sew Geeky fall plans, and is also part of my direct interpretation of a screen costume from The Magicians.

[doctortdesigns]

While my first piece in my Sew Geeky mini wardrobe was clearly a direct interpretation of a screen costume from The Magicians, my second top in this collection is more a mashup of something I feel Queen Margot would approve of and something Alice would potentially be excited by in one of the alternate storylines or in her more rebellious phase.

Butterick 6134

  To be honest, this Butterick pattern hasn’t really been on my radar, but I did pick it up at a pattern sale a while ago, and when putting together my Sew Geeky Fall Plans, this seemed like a good fit into the collection.  When I decided to try to bang out a mini “work” wardrobe for the Pattern Review contest, this seemed like a more work appropriate top than most of the others I’d chosen for this collection, so it made it’s way to the top of my sewing list.  Even though that mini-collection ended up not being an actual thing, I am very pleased with the construction and quality of the result:

Here is my official pattern review:

Pattern Description:  Princess seamed top with neckline, sleeve, and hem options.

Pattern Sizing:  Butterick sizes 6-14 and 14-22.  I used a size 12 at the shoulders and graded out to a 14 at the hem.

Were the instructions easy to follow?  The instructions were ok, but at this point I have my own preferred techniques for things like inserting an invisible zipper or finishing off seams.  I followed the general construction order, but I didn’t follow the actual instructions too closely.

Did it look like the photo/drawing when you were done with it?  Yes, I think it looked very much like the drawing for View A on the pattern packaging.

What did you particularly like/dislike about this pattern?  I like the style and fit of this top, with all of the princess seams for shaping.  I also like the the pattern indicates grain for normal fabrics and grain to use if you are trying to use a lace with a scalloped edge for a hem (my lace did not have this, so I just made a normal hem).  No dislikes.

Fabric used:  I used a blue poly lace from the Michael Levine Loft layered over a black leather-look ponte knit from FabricMart.  I reversed the lace so that the back side faces up – I think it adds additional depth, texture, and interest to the fabric.

Pattern alterations or design changes you made:  I added about 1/4″ to the front of the side panels at the hem.  It probably wasn’t strictly necessary, but after my muslin I was worried about having enough room at the hem.  Otherwise I made it exactly as drafted.

Would you sew this again?  Would you recommend it to others?  Maybe and yes.  This is a great top pattern, and it has a lot of great details as drafted, plus it is super simple to alter for fit because of the princess seams – the resulting fit is fantastic.  As I’m working to explore my own sense of style and wardrobe preferences, I think that this is perhaps not a style I need more of in my closet – I’m quite content with this single piece.  I am very pleased with the construction and how well the garment turned out, but I don’t think I really need another.  While I could possibly see myself making more lacy tops, more practically I think it could be a great pattern for workout gear in a technical knit because of the close fit.

Conclusion:  Great pattern!  I’m so excited I tried it, as I think it fits in well with the fall wardrobe collection I’m working on, and I’m really pleased with the results.

Pattern Review: Butterick 6134 (Fall Sew Geeky) #SewGeeky2018 #sewing #wardrobeplanning #TheMagicians #SyFy #Butterick #B6134 While my first piece in my Sew Geeky mini wardrobe was clearly a direct interpretation of a screen costume from The Magicians, my second top in this collection is more a mashup of something I feel Queen Margot would approve of and something Alice would potentially be excited by in one of the alternate storylines or in her more rebellious phase.

[doctortdesigns]

Pattern Review: BS-09-2012-123A (Again) (Fall Sew Geeky)

Pattern Review: BS-09-2012-123A (Again) (Fall Sew Geeky) #sewgeeky2018 #TheMagiciansSyFy #booknerd #BurdaStyle #patternreview

So I’ve made this top before, but when you leave off all of the details it is a really nice, simple, long sleeved top. 

So I thought it would be great to use as part of my didn’t-quite-make-it-in-time-for-the-contest-mini-wardrobe-in-a-wardrobe fall sewing plans.  Plus, I could use it as part of a future cosplay as well!  The inspiration for this top is clearly from the Librarian from The…

[doctortdesigns]

This #bestof2018 pretty well sums up my sewing year! Looking forward to the next! #happynewyear #sewing #sewgeeky2018 #bestnine2018 #lookingforewardtothenewyear https://www.instagram.com/p/BsEra-JnD31/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=15na7ch330jim

[doctortdesigns]

Day 2️⃣: WIP (works in progress). To be honest (and boring) my real WIP right now is organization of my fabric stash, which has grown completely unruly and taken over the house. I also have my WIP/forever UFO trench coat that’s been half finished for almost 2 years. Finally, I’m going to start working on my fall sewing plans today, as part of my personal #sewgeeky2018 challenge, which I’ve posted about on the blog. Oh, and a few commissioned pieces in the works as well. Time to get sewing! #wip #sewing #sewgeeky #ufo #sewingplans #fabricporn #organization #sewphotohop #sewphotohop2018 #day2 https://www.instagram.com/p/BnOxx21h0mr/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=jantig6bo1qz

[doctortdesigns]

Top number 3 for the Pattern Review Wardrobe Contest is finished! Details up on the blog today. For this one I’ve brought out one of my favorite OOP patterns - @simplicity_creative_group 3536. #SewGeeky2018 #prwardrobecontest #selfishsewing #simplicitypatterns #ooppatterns #S3536 #rhinestones #hunchbackofnotredameinspired

[doctortdesigns]

Latest #SewGeeky2018 make is up on the blog! BurdaStyle 06-2014-103 is going to be a wardrobe workhorse, I can already tell. #selfishsewing #prwardrobecontest #hunchbackofnotredameinspired #burda #burdastyle #newtop #halfwaythere

[doctortdesigns]

This color combo may be one of those decisions I’ll regret when it’s not late’o’clock... oh well, too late now! #prwardrobecontest #sewing #teamnosleep #s3536 #simplicitypatterns #wardrobeplanning #sewgeeky2018 #hunchbackofnotredameinspired