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Psychedelic Leopard 3: Modified M6078c cowl neck top

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So this was suppose to be a shortened Burdastyle Magazine Blumarine 2011-06-139 wrap dress. But after I traced out and altered that pattern, I just couldn’t squeeze the wrap top out of the leopard print fabric. And I laid out pieces for all 3 projects at the same time to conserve fabric too. No luck. So another sleeveless cowl top it is then.

As V1282 has all the drape from bust down, I decided this one should have all the drape from bust up. Just for variety you know. So people don’t think I’m wearing the same stinking top day in and day out! (Not that my DOH could tell the difference.)

The Pattern

I made M6078 view B before and was quite pleased with the result. So I’m sort of using this as a TNT pattern / design block for cowl neck tops in moderate stretch knit fabrics.

Style Shots & Mug Shots

Fabric & Notions Used

Size Used

XS (4-6) like my last make of M6078 view B. Recommended size for me would be M (12-14).

Changes Made

Fitting changes = Adjusted M6078 view C pattern
m6078cMod-2

M6078 view C pattern (minus SA) on top of my final pattern (with SA)

  • Wide Shoulder Adjustment: 1/4″
  • Rounded Upper Back Adjustment: additional 1/2″ on back shoulder, eased during sewing
  • Misc shoulder / upper-back adjustments (based on fitting assessment of my last make):
    • Raised front shoulder/neck point by 1/4″
    • Lower back shoulder/arm point by 3/4″
    • Raised CB Neck by 7/8″
  • Narrow Lower Back Adjustment: 1/4″ at under-arm to 1/2″ at waist
  • Sway Back Adjustment: Slashed across waistline & overlapped 3/4″ lengthwise at CB. Redrew CB below waist and removed 7/8″ width from back hip as a result. Added back 3/4″ lengthwise at CB hem.
  • Narrowed bodice for a more fitted look: 1/2″ at under-arm to 1″ at waist
  • Shorten hem 2″
  • Raised armhole by 1/4″. In retrospect I think I should have left it alone. The result was slightly tight. I raised it because the armhole of my previous make seemed a bit low. But that could have been because I laid the patterns on the crosswise grain which is stretchier, so gravity might have pulled down the armhole.

Now before you say “Woah! That’s a hell of a lot of changes” I just want to say “not this time”. I’ve already made most of these changes when I made view B. There were only a couple of tweaks this time. But I listed all the deviations from the original pattern so it’s clear I’m not using the unmodified pattern. As you can see in the photo above, once I got a good fitting version of the pattern, making design changes is Play not Work! 🙂

Design changes
m6078cMod-1

Final pattern with design changes

  • Added a pleat in the front shoulder – like view B
  • Added a rectangular tube-like cowl collar by extending the facing outward from shoulder-neck point half the amount of back neck width
  • Raised CB neck / straighten back neck so the collar / facing wouldn’t sit too low in the back
  • Pleated the back collar vertically so more drape is on the collar outside than collar inside
  • Omitted the shoulder area loops
  • Used self-fabric binding tapes for armhole finishing

Verdict on the Instruction

OK, I didn’t follow the instruction this time as I was too clever for my own good. I thought I’d streamline the process and make 3 projects simultaneously production line style. I probably ended up spending more time on each than if I had followed instructions and done one at a time. But with my design changes I would have had to figure some steps out on my own anyway. The original pattern instruction is pretty easy to follow though.

Here’s how I constructed this one:

  1. m6078cMod-3Stabilized back neck line and armholes with Vilene Bias Tape.
  2. Sewed & overlocked side seams and collar / facing CB seam.
  3. Sewed & overlocked shoulder – back neck / collar – shoulder seam, applying clear elastic in the process to stabilize the shoulder seams.
  4. m6078cMod-4m6078cMod-5m6078cMod-6

    Turned CB collar / facing edge inside and slip-stitched to CB neck seam (like I did for my Golden Cowl Neck Tunic – are you getting the same sense that I LUV COWL??? :-D)

  5. Pleated the back collar / facing vertically, leaving only the desired collar height on the inside (in my case about 1-1/2″ on the insTextide). Secured the outside pleats to the inside collar / facing portion with a vertical stitch along the collar CB seam.
  6. Oops. Tried on the top and discovered the armhole was a bit tight. Ripped out the Vilene Bias Tape to allow the fabric to stretch naturally.
  7. Sewed binding tape to armhole (in the same method as instructed by V1282 I was making at the same time).
  8. Overlocked hem edge then turn and sew hem in place.

The usual Walking Foot and stretch stitch advice applies. I didn’t bothered with twin needles for hems because I always get a ridge between the two stitching lines and it drives me crazy! One day I’ll treat myself to a cover stitch machine. But I haven’t earned it yet.

This time I also omitted the interfacing for the hem and hoped for the best when overlocking. Unfortunately my fabric was too stretchy / difficult to control. I ended up spray starching the hem to temporarily stabilize fabric for overlocking and heming.

Would I sew it again / Would I recommend it to others

Probably not this particular pattern modification. It didn’t turn out exactly as I envisioned. Then again my visions tend to be a bit hazy! }:-)

I do like the concept, so I’ll probably play with this type of cowl neck again. I just need to figure out where exactly I want my drapes and where I want it snug.

I would most definitely recommend the original pattern, and for the more adventurous amongst you, playing with this type of modified cowl neck.

Psychedelic Leopard 1: V1282 Donna Karan cowl neck top

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If you were reading this blog April last year, you’d know I bought this pattern hoping it’d be The One for this leopard print fabric. It only took 10 months for me to finally get around to it. During that time I of course flirted with other ideas. But in the end, true love was meant to be. So voilà, a top that I’ve already worn twice to the Office this week. Score!

The Pattern

Style Shots & Mug Shots

Fabric & Notions Used

Size Used

I went for size 4, down from a recommended size 12 and my current norm of FBA’ed size 8!

This is partly on the advice of the Pattern Reviewers (with their complaints of how big and low cut the pattern is). I compared the sizes against the adjusted pattern for the M6078 cowl neck top I made last summer and 4 come out the closest (I went down to XS or 4-6 for that top as well).

I also roughly compared the pattern’s B-W-H measurements with my B-W-H to ensure the negative ease won’t too much for my fabric to handle. Eg if pattern hip = 30-3/4″ and my hip = 35″, then 30-3/4″ − 35″ = -4.25″ (negative ease) ÷ 30-3/4″ (pattern hip) = -0.138 OR 13.8% that the fabric cut at 30-3/4″ would need to stretch to fit my hip of 35″.

I checked all three measurements and took the largest % number, then compare this to how much my fabric would stretch. In this case, 10″ of fabric stretched to 12-1/2″ OR 25% (12-1/2″ − 10″ = 2-1/2″ ÷ 10″ = 0.25 = 25%). So the fabric stretches more than required by the pattern size I chose and I’m fine to go with the 4 – for widths at least.

Changes Made

v1282-2

  • Wide Shoulder Adjustment: 1/2″
  • Rounded Upper Back Adjustment: additional 3/8″ on back shoulder, eased during sewing
  • Narrowed upper back by removing 1-1/8″ per side (2-1/4″ total) from CB at neck level tapering to nothing at bust level.  This was on advice of Pattern Reviewers as well, but the precise amount was based on a comparison of this pattern with my  adjusted M6078 which now fits relatively well. Also raised CB neck 3/4″ so the CB neck angle is closer to original pattern.
  • Widened 3/8″ per side (3/4″ total) at hip level to avoid hip being too small and riding up.
  • Short-Waist Adjustment: shortened at waist 1-1/4″. The way I did this also narrowed the upper front 1/4″ per side (1/2″ total).
  • Shortened hem 1″ – I’m taking the Pocket Stylist‘s advice that a top length closer to the high hip is more flattering than one ending right at the hip.
  • Raised armhole 1″ and reshaped it to scoop a bit out at the back. My arm joints seem shorter and wider than standard. So the shallow curve of the original looked uncomfortable. In the end though I should have scooped out more or not bother raising the armhole as the result feels a bit tight.
  • Reduced CF stitching line (step 6) by 1″ after basting the seam and trying on the top. The smaller size and my short-waist adjustment resulted in a higher cowl neck opening – unlike for most Pattern Reviewers.  I decided I can show slightly more skin and avoid what to my eye is a strange contrast between the drapeless CF seam and the drapy cowl below the bust line.
v1282-1

Compared with the original before short-waist alteration.

v1282-3

Final pattern compared with altered M6078 which fits well.

Verdict on the Instruction

The instruction is pretty straight-forward. And having step-by-step illustrations is helpful for beginners. So as long as you have a Walking Foot and stretch stitch of some sort (zig-zag would do) then any beginner can whip up this stylish top. Picking the right size is probably the trickiest part.

Having said that, I did deviate from a few steps.

  • I ignored the layout instruction that called for a bias layout and just used the standard lengthwise layout (with the stretchiest crosswise grain running around the body). First of all I didn’t have enough fabric because I wanted to squeeze 3 projects out of just over 2 yards. And while I love bias results in wovens I loathe the fabric wastage. Plus this is a lycra knit. So I see no point as the knit bias doesn’t seem to have the same obvious advantages as woven bias.
  • I also interfaced the back neck area with So Sheer tricot interfacing. The stable direction of the interfacing runs across the back neck to prevent it from stretching out of shape during sewing or wearing. Shoulder seams were stabilized with clear elastic and armhole with Vilene Bias Tape – which I had to remove later because I shortened the armhole too much.
    v1282-4
  • For step 8, I used 3 pennies for weight. And while the weight did enhanced the CF drape, it didn’t prevent the drape from flipping out like it did for one of the Pattern Reviewers. So I tacked the tip of the weight pocket to a fold in the underbust drapes. With so much drapes there, plus the busy print, the stitch is hardly visible.
    v1282-5
  • I skipped steps 14-16 for adding hanging straps. I don’t know who would want to hang up knits. Isn’t that asking Gravity for trouble?

Would I sew it again / Would I recommend it to others

Hell Yeah! I want a shiny one like Clio & Phineas’ or SewEllen’s. I also really like Merche of Aventuras de Costuras’ partly because she modeled the combination of this top and Burdastyle 2012-05-113 draped skirt for me – saves me from having to use my unreliable imagination! 🙂

I just hope I have enough pennies left for a few more tops!

Watch out! Psychedelic Leopards on the loose!

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This one is dedicated to the MC of Junglist Massive,
a Ms Anne of Pretty Grievances.

I’m not convinced the 3 Psychedelic Leopard cubs want to play nicely together, nor with other regular leopards either. But seeing as I’m terribly late for Jungle January, I thought the least I can do is to herd all of them into the same room for some OTT Jungle Fever photo ops. So here goes…

First off:
Vogue Donna Karan 1282 Cowl-Neck Top
& Burdastyle 2012-05-113 Skirt,
with well-worn Joan & David Circa lizard skin  pumps.

Next up:
Modified McCall 6078c Cowl Neck Top,
Skirt restyled from old H&M Dress,
Mini-Beret restyled from old scarf (never blogged),
with threadbare Anne Klein leopard print pumps.

No birds were killed during the making of these pictures. Well, not by me anyway. I blame the friend who gave me the feathers.

Fashionably Late Of Course

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Hurrah, I finally have my cutting table back. For over a couple of months now it’s been the dumping ground for our bathroom bits while the room was getting a make over.

Pretty Grievances's Jungle January Party

So that’ll be my official excuse for not arriving at Pretty Grievances’ Jungle January party on time. Not that I’m there yet. But finishing that Plenty Good Enough tote bag has emboldened me to get on with my Psychedelic Leopard projects.

20121111_112221.jpg

Projects plural I said. For I’m ambitiously trying to squeeze 2 tops and 1 skirt out of 2 yards of the 60″ wide turquoise leopard print fabric. Remember, this is the fabric that if I were to follow instruction obediently wouldn’t even be enough for 1 wrap dress. But tweaking the McCall 6078 view B cowl neck top I made last summer, I discovered I can go way down in size, especially with these stretchy spandex jersey. So I’m hoping that by going down to a size 4-6/XS and then some (from a recommended size 12), then throw in industry standard narrower seam allowances for knit, I just might conjure up a miracle.

But just in case, I’ve already purchased another 3-1/2 yards of this lovely from B&J Fabrics. Just need to hop on a plane to pick it up from my brother’s across the pond. Going by my sewing rate though there’ll be plenty of time to pick it up. (Speaking of stashes, OMG, have you checked out Modern Vintage Cupcakes and Mercury – Handmade Fashion‘s stashes? Big sigh of relief that I’m not alone.)

So here’s Plan A:

Burdastyle Magazine 2012-05-113 skirt
BSmag_2012-05-113B_tech.gif

Donna Karan Vogue Pattern 1282 cowl-neck top
1282-top-line

Burdastyle Magazine Blumarine 2011-06-139 wrap dress
shortened to be a 3/4 sleeve wrap shirt
bsmag-2011-06-139_tech.gif

Next up:

Tracing out & adjusting the patterns. And pray, pray, PRAY that I won’t need a Plan B.

Honey, really, I don’t have enough…

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The Spring Coat(s) have fallen by the way side of course. My next project(s) of fantasy desire will be fashioned from this gorgeous turquoise leopard print jersey from B&J Fabrics. Drool.

turq leopard print jerseyturq leopard print jerseyturq leopard print jersey

My initial thoughts were a cowl neck top and a wrap dress.

Actually, this fabric looks a lot like the one Assorted Notions used for her Burda Blumarine wrap dress (Burdastyle Magazine 2011-06-139).

bsmag-2011-06-139_tech

I don’t think it’s exactly the same, at least from what I can see of her close-ups. Mine has short strokes in the turquoise area presumably to simulate the furriness of leopard skin. Anyway, I love her wrap dress. But I’m not sure it would work so well on my rectangular figure – you need a bit of VaVaVroom to bring this preternatural creature to live. But at least it’s an option.

Then there’s Vogue 8379, a classic DvF style wrap dress that everyone seem to rave about.

V8379B_line

Or the slightly straighter Vogue 8784, though that’s designed for woven rather than knit so might have too much ease.

V8784B_line

And for the cowl neck, I think McCall 6078 view B can be pressed into service again, maybe with an extended collar to up the drape quotient.

M6078B_line

Then I thought this cowl neck might be a good accent to build a wardrobe sewing plan around. Looking through my other swatches there are a few that would be a lovely combination with this. Hmmm…maybe I should make that wrap dress a separate 3/4 sleeve top and skirt to up the mix-and-match possibilities.

Maybe Vogue 8790 for the top and Burdastyle Magazine 2012-05-113 for the skirt. I’d probably line the skirt with a power mesh for a bit more heft – this knit is a bit on the thin side. And I’ll have to insert a zipper because the fabric doesn’t really have enough stretch.

V8790C_lineBSmag_2012-05-113B_tech

I was getting quite giddy from the thoughts of all these possibilities. So imagine my dismay when I discovered that my 2-1/4 yards are not even enough for one of those wrap dresses.

With all my expensive fabric habit, I failed where it counts. Am so regretting not getting more. Now I can’t find anything as nice. 🙁

It’s always the case. I’d find some heavenly but expensive fabric. I’d think to myself if I only get a yard or two it’ll still be somewhat affordable. And then I’d find myself afraid to make anything because I have so little of it that I can’t decide what to make. Where as the uglier cheaper stuff I’d get yards and yards, but then not be inspired to make anything.

I’ll have to wait until my brother’s gone home to spread out the fabric and see what I can possibly squeeze out of it. Wish me luck on that!

But what do you think? If you have 2-1/4 yards of this fabric, what would you make? And if you find a gorgeous fabric what’s the minimum you’d usually buy?