Fitting notes for Simplicity 8243 blouse

It's been a busy week, and tomorrow is also busy, but I want to get these notes posted before I forget them.  On the Simplicity 8243 blouse, when I googled for reviews (there were none on Pattern Review) I found just two: one from Tanya at CurvySewingCollective and one from a blogger who calls herself Seam Racer.  I am honestly surprised this pattern is not more popular.  It's been out for a while, and I bought it up in Chicago when Mom and I hit JoAnns the day before son's wedding.  I think it ought to be more popular ... but then again, I tend to be very much out-of-step with most folks.

So, these fitting notes are for the blouse only:

• Collar: I love the cut-on collar.  Once I wrapped my mind around it and grokked the fullness, it seemed absolutely brilliant and I wondered why this technique isn't in common use for camp shirts, casual button-fronts, and of course Hawaiian shirts.  I think I'll do the facing in a solid white next time I do up a for-reals shirt.  Which brings me to:
• Shoulder pads: Apparently they aren't a "thing" right now, because I had to scour Goodwill's racks to find something to swipe the shoulder pads from.  For some reason I thought I read they were big in the NY Fashion Week?  Maybe that's the forecast one for spring ...?  The only reason I pay *ANY* attention to that is because it affects my ability to get certain items.  You know, like fancy or unusual sleeves ...
• Pleated sleeves!  These are cute enough on their own, but the pleats really shine with shoulder pads.
• Back to the shoulder pads: I posted a thread on PR about how to back out the shoulder pad allowance, and Gloria came through like a real champ, even emailing a snapshot of one of her sewing books.  I am going to give it the ol' Girl Scout try here, probably in that silly cherries cotton broadcloth I got in a FabricMart bundle and have been using for pockets on jeans when I run out of green shamrock fabric. (pic to follow)
• Length: The blouse is supposed to be tucked in, and tucked into high-waisted pants, but I like it untucked and so I'll lengthen it a bit to avoid my fishbelly-white belly playing peek-a-boo.  Wouldn't want to blind anyone.
• Sleeve width: these are VERY close-fitting sleeves.  While it doesn't impede my movement, they are a little too close for my comfort, so I am going to try widening them a bit in the cherries broadcloth experimental version.
• FBA: I did an inch-and-half FBA on this, so it does button without gaping, but looking at the pictures makes me think I need just a smidge more to eliminate the drag lines I see.
• Swayback adjustment: I didn't do anything to the back piece, and I am thinking of widening it a bit to add two fisheye waist darts to give it proper shaping in back.

This probably looks like a whole lotta things to do to the pattern, but I feel it's certainly worth it.  This is a classy blouse, and I intend to keep playing around with it.  Now, if I could just find which box has my rayon satin, then I'll make a seriously fancy blouse!

from Power Sewing by Nancy Zieman Sandra Betzina, 1993 edition
snapshot by Gloria

Simplicity 8243 blouse finished

I'll do a bunch more notes in a few days, but I wore it in to town yesterday and got pics when we got home, so I wanted to post them up here.

Simplicity 8243 blouse, with arm down

Simplicity 8243 blouse, with arm up showing
the crease up near the shoulder pad

Simplicity 8243 blouse, back view - no back shaping

of course the front view picture is fuzzy - we just cannot have a photo session
without an out-of-focus pic (or three)

This top came out WAY fancier than I had envisioned.  I was going for "cute and casual," but as you can see, it stepped over that standard.  I had quite the time finding shoulder pads locally - finally decided to scour Goodwill's racks, and sure enough I found a red dress (probably poly) with red shoulder pads and a red long back zipper and even a cute bit of red lace across the front.  Trust me, the blouse doesn't look right without the shoulder pads ... unless you adjust them out.  That's another post.

Dreams and schemes for a mini wardrobe

Wearing my linen work jeans around the property for chores has made me want MORE!  More linen work clothes!  And then, right before a stronger-than-normal summer storm hit the other evening, inspiration hit me first.

For over a year now, my precious linen/cotton denim chambray has hovered near the top of the fabric piles, and sitting close to it in my imagination is of course Simplicity 8447, the Rosie the Riveter overalls, along with two blouses and the pants without the overall bib.  I now intend to make the pants in a heavy linen from Fabrics-Store (in the patriot blue color), get those fit well, then the overalls, the regular blouse in a medium blue handkerchief linen I think I got from Fabric Mart more than a few years ago.

While I was pulling out the overalls pattern, I grabbed up Simplicity 8243, a 1940s sportswear pattern with a short sleeve blouse that caught my eye when Mom and I were doing some shopping the day after son's wedding up in Chicago.  I have some red bandana paisley cotton from WalMart I think would be cute.

Today, the rules for the PatternReview.com mini wardrobe contest were posted, and it is work themed ... but you need 5 garments to create 6 looks.  Oh, and all five must be cut and sewn between 1 September and 30 September.  I hit on an idea for a fifth garment this afternoon, if it's ruled as a garment: Simplicity 4282, view C vest style apron, and I'll tweak the pockets to make it an egg-gathering apron.  The pockets are more to the side, so I'll be able to scrinch down to get the egg laid in the smallest part of the corner of a tractor, because you know there's always one hen who must make it an obstacle course for you.

So, that's my inspiration and plans.  Now the big question is: how long will it take me to sew all these up?  Only one way to find out.

Some fitting notes on Butterick 5682 jeans pattern

Yeah, yeah ... I've been quiet almost a full year here.  I have been sewing, though not as fast as I would like.  Yesterday I finally (FINALLY!) finished my linen work jeans using the Butterick 5682 pattern and some jacquard weave linen from Fabrics-Store that I cut out over a year ago.  It's the dog days of summer down here in humid inland Florida, which means my last two working brain cells are trying to come up with ways to either sweat less, or catch every possible air movement while outside working.  Hence, linen work pants.  A few fitting notes as I further refine this pattern to my body:

• I want to try raising the crotch curve.  While I am going for relaxed fit, there is a point it gets too relaxed and just feels baggy.  I'm going to start out by raising half an inch.
• I need to compare the size 22 with the size 20, as I needed to take in two small tucks in back to keep them from sliding down.  I also do this with the denim pair now.
• I shaved off about 3/8 inch from the hips from the denim version to this one, and it feels just about right in the very flexible linen.
• My front panels are still rotating towards the center, so time to shift the seams from inside to outside and vice versa along the thighs.
• Lengthen the zipper in front, and take a bit more out below that.  While I'm at it ... don't sew the zip in quite so high.  I'm lucky I didn't hit the metal zipper teeth while sewing on the waistband.

Overall, I am quite pleased with these work pants.  They may not be much to look at, especially since my idea of a dye job was to wash this piece of linen with three new pieces of denim and just let it do its variation thing as it pleased, but they certainly are comfortable now that I've taken in the back waist a bit.  I guess my yoga stretches are having a bit of an effect.

My precious fabric has arrived

I picked it up at the post office today, and had to wait until I got home to get it open.  Fabric Mart is thankfully dumped FedEx's SmartPost in favor of the USPS Priority mail, which means I get my order 1-3 days sooner.  It does look as photographed, although it is a lighter weight than I like to use for jeans ... so now for a Plan B.  I have this pattern:

Simplicity 8447
"Rosie the Riveter" pattern

Yup, I intend to dress up as Rosie the Riveter come autumn, when it is rumored first the overnight lows may actually get lower than 70F, and then the daytime highs may actually go below 85F!  A nice linen and cotton blend in this weight ought to work no matter what the weather does when Hallowe'en comes around.  It could be some fun.