jules' frock

no.6

A stretchy frock. Vogue 2091. This was a supposedly "very easy" pullover frock. Only 4 pieces in the pattern. They say you should buy by the shoulders/bust size for a frock and then adjust the rest. In this case that should have meant a exactly 14 bust and a exactly 12 size for the rest. The upsetting part was that there was a 6-8-10-12 pattern and a 14-16-18 pattern. I bought the larger one, cut a 14, tacked a 14 top, 12 bottom and then tried it on.











And then I changed everything except the bust size.
Shoulders narrowed 6/8" and narrowed 6/8" because the neck seemed gaping and there was bagginess above the bust.

As well as changing the outline - obviously I am not a correctly shaped person - I also had to change the length (and slightly changed the position) of the pleats because I had taken so much off the waist.


The fabric is cotton and very two way stretch. This is why I could not precalculate the required changes before cutting out. The fabric was more stretchy than advised on the pattern. It is fairly firm and quite warm. I think it is definitely better fitted snugly since it doesn't really drape very well. Before I took off all those inches I had strange rucks in all the wrong places. I mostly used the small zigzag machine stitch, with the occassional straight stretch stitch. I used a size 11 stretch needle and size 90 black thread.

Review

jules' jumper

This is number 5.

Kwik Sew 3094 View B. I cut S shoulders, XS everywhere else, but took an inch off the hips and added an inch to the arm length. Decided these measurements based on measuring a jumper I already have rather than looking at the pattern which suggested I was at the top end of S (36" bust).

Messed up the collar by stitching it on with the seam on the outside :-o. Couldn't rip the seam through the weird bobbly fabric and mini stretch stitches so instead I sewed a jeans style double stitched seam. Looks OK since the bobbly fabric hides all mistakes. Otherwise it worked OK, apart from the sewing machine choking on the fabric. I was using a standard size 14 needle. The polyester size 60 thread wouldn't work but some other cheaper thread I have mostly worked, with the top tension increased to 7.

Fabric was black loosely knitted wool with bibbles and bobbles on the outside and only bibbles on the inside. It is nice and warm.

Review

The 4th thing

A sweatshirt which fits a James!

Kwik Sew 3045

Cut size medium, adding 3 inches to the body and 4 inches to the arms. Also made the bottom an inch smaller than the chest.

Couldn't be bothered with interfacing the pocket edge. That, I suppose, is why it looks a bit baggy after James has thrust his hands in the pocket - but I don't think that "real" hooded tops have interfacing there, so why should mine?

I tried using the overlock stitch but it kind of made the edges fan out, so I also did a straight stretch stitch on each seam. I did two rows of stitching on all hems and the pocket edges - not sure why - I think it looks nicer.

Review