Style Arc Monty

Monty is another of Style Arc's easy-fitting dresses that I am really enjoying right now - both the sewing and the wearing.

All of them have only needed small length adjustments for fitting. (I am 5'8") Monty here I lengthened 1 inch, just adding on to the lower edge. 

Not having to struggle with fitting problems makes sewing so much more enjoyable! Even loose styles like this one need to sit well on the shoulders and so far the Style Arc patterns do that  for me. Forward or sloping shoulder adjustments have not been required, at least with these dolman type styles.

I did make a couple of minor easy changes. Because I was not sure exactly where the horizontal seam would fall across the chest, I made the faux pocket flaps narrower in case they wanted to project themselves forward. Happy to say that they don't. With this very busy fabric I could have left them off completely because they tend to disappear.

All the corners on the hem were mitered instead of just making the right-angled folds. It doesn't take that much time and really gives a nice result. Being fast is not a big motivator for me. These days I'm more interested in trying to decide what techniques will give the most finished results and are suited to the fabric and style.

The sleeve hems are supposed to be turned and stitched. I finished mine with a 3/4" bias facing instead. The facings were attached before sewing up the side seams, then the sides and the facings were joined all in one long seam. Then the facings were understitched and topstitched.

hem facing inside the sleeve

When cutting out, I moved the center back 1/2" away from the fold, so that the center back pleat is an inch deeper than designed. This was for fit insurance. It wasn't strictly necessary, but I like a little extra ease in the back.

I would have followed Style Arc's directions for the collar but couldn't really understand them, so after puzzling over the diagrams for a while I did it in a way that made sense to me.

This fabric is a Tori Richards dead stock. I've gotten others of that brand from both Fabric Mart and Califabrics, and they all have been very nice. It's too bad that they are all tropical-themed, because there's really a limit to how many aloha-shirt type prints I need. This fabric is really richly-textured and right down my alley - the base is like a seersucker, with a woven in stripe AND a print. All cotton.

This dress is extremely cool to wear, thanks to the airy style with side slits and the light cotton fabric. I think the slits are needed in order to walk, but they make me feel exposed and for that reason this will probably be the only dress I make from this pattern. Would absolutely make the shirt version, though, very likely in one of the Tori Richards lawns that are in the stash. 😉

taking advantage of the mirror in the restroom
while waiting on car repair

 

Style Arc Vivienne

This is a pattern for an A-line dress that has seams at center front and back, but no side seams. There is just one pattern piece plus facings and pockets, and it is laid out with the grainline going down the sides. The center front and back ends up at an angle, not on the true bias, giving an opportunity for a little stripe play. 

The V neck is extra easy to construct because of the center front seam. Mine looks like a rounded V because the fabric (a coarsely woven cotton/poly blend) is pretty thick. The V is narrow and sits very close to the neck. I like having that extra coverage over the shoulders and chest. It's higher in the back, too, than most other V necks.

The wide facings are topstitched down and the hem is faced.

I chose my size using the size chart and my full bust measurement and no adjustments. This is not a fitted style but because of the shape it is not boxy, either. Everything hangs from the shoulders and will be nice and cool in the summertime. Because my fabric was really ravelly, I left off the welt pockets.

topstitched facing

This was easy and fast to sew. The only tricky part was the first step, the shoulder seams. I kept attaching the wrong front to the wrong back. All that needs to be done is to fold each piece lengthwise and stitch the shoulders. Get that right and you are off to the races.

Another stripe version of this dress would be too repetitive, but it would be nice in a print or a solid. A solid would look good with either the welt pocket detail as designed, or angled patch pockets. If I make it again (probably will!) I'll raise the base of the armhole to guard against bra-flashing and lengthen a couple of inches. The dress hits me below the knee and I'd rather have it closer to a midi length.

Style Arc has a number of easy fitting dress patterns and I am really enjoying them! Even though there is a difference of two sizes between my top and bottom halves, I've been able to cut one straight size in each style I've tried so far. That streamlines the process and sure makes things easier. There's another one of their dresses on the work table just awaiting hemming and buttons/buttonholes that should be finished soon.

Style Arc Montana x 2

The Montana dress is a popular pattern from Style Arc. The original pattern is similar to this version in blue, with a round neck, extended shoulder that forms a little cap sleeve, and slightly flared skirt gathered onto a high-waisted bodice. No darts on the original pattern.

Two shibori-look print cottons from Miss Matatabi were used for my first version. The pattern intends for you to make a self-lining for the bodice but since I didn't have enough fabric, this one has bias facings on the neck and armholes. 

On Babette it looks like this is a maxi length. That's not accurate; it's more like a midi, although a maxi would be a possibility in the future. The skirt length is the same as the pattern, not altered. Poor Babette is old enough that she keeps returning to her factory settings. I can't make her tall enough or adjust any of her vertical measurements to match me anymore.

I selected my size using my measurements and the sizing charts. This is meant to be a loose style. The 3/4 view shows that there is no shaping to the bodice. Everything hangs straight down.(That is not meant as a negative.)

Easy fit - no shaping

Version 2 was made using the expansion pack for Montana, which includes several different necklines and sleeve variations. This one is in linen, also sourced from Miss Matatabi. For this version, there was enough fabric to do the self lined bodice, which is a great way to finish sleeveless styles. There is no facing to roll out and fuss with, and no topstitching. Nothing against topstitching, but sometimes you want it and sometimes you don't.

The pattern instructions for doing the self-lining will work, but it seemed easier to me to use a burrito method. Sew the neckline (with the collar sandwiched between the layers) right sides together. Understitch, turn, and press. Then, making a burrito, stitch the right sides of one armhole together. Again, understitch, turn, press. Then do the same with the other armhole. Lastly join the sides (bodice to bodice, lining to lining) all in one long seam.

I do like this slit neckline with the little stand up collar. This view, along with most of the others in the expansion pack, has armhole darts that don't really add any shape to the dress, but do eliminate armhole gaping. It was a disappointment that the sleeveless versions are achieved by just leaving off the sleeves. Armholes really need to be drafted differently if there is no sleeve. Look how deep that armhole is. I have to own up to that mistake myself, because I really knew better and should have corrected the armhole before cutting out, but it would have been nicer if Style Arc had done that for me.

Showing the deeeeep armhole

I did make one fitting adjustment on version 2: added 3/4 inch to the length of the bodice. It is still high waisted on me, like it is supposed to be, but a little more in proportion with my long ribcage. That means that it also hits me just a bit longer on the leg, because I still did not change the skirt length.

Both these dresses have been laundered 3 or 4 times already, showing that I am wearing them often! They were not pressed for the photographs - the fabric looks good enough without it. 

After decades of wearing only pants, dresses are suddenly appealing again. Very casual styles like Montana are just the ticket for me and there will likely be more in the future. I wore things like this in the 80s and still enjoy them now.

Ottobre 5.2015 #8 "Solid and Striped"

Don't let that moiré pattern make you dizzy!

This dress began with a micro-striped jersey that just seemed to be meant for a raglan or a style with a somewhat similar sleeve. This top in my Ottobre library was the easy winner. The saddle shoulder avoids the dart from neck to shoulder that raglans generally have. 

Although the top could have just been lengthened and the width at the hip adjusted to fit fairly easily, there was a variation of this basic pattern in the same magazine that was a long cardigan with a shaped center back seam. Ottobre collections are often like this, which makes it easy to mix and match the features of related garments to make exactly what you want. 

Combining the two views made my design changes even easier with the added benefit that my dress has the refinement of a little shaping in the back. It makes the dress just a tad less tent-like than what it would have been without the seam. I also shortened the sleeves so they would be elbow length.

Since the stripe in this fabric was so tiny, I didn't make any effort to match across the center back seam.

showing the basic sleeve shape

Here are some views of the shoulder seams. I thought that years ago these saddle shoulders were also called "magyar", but when I google that term now, I don't see this style at all. 

The fabric has two layers to it, giving it a bit more heft and making it better for this simple dress than thin jersey.

I like this a lot! Soft, cozy, comfortable to wear. It pairs well with the Burda jean jacket I made last month. The two understated and neutral patterns look kind of playful together. 

Love Notions Tidal

This pattern was purchased specifically because of a video posted by Karina Trinidad to her channel Lifting Pins & Needles. I really like interesting back views and loved the chevron effect in the back that she demonstrated. 

Tidal is a fit & flare type of style without side seams. The back pieces wrap around to meet the front forming princess seams. It's an interesting design.

Once I had the pattern I was on the lookout for something stripey to make the back chevrons. This ITY from Fabric Mart was appealing with the scrolling paisley design. Another YouTube style influencer has recently advised in one of her "how not to look old/frumpy" videos to quit wearing paisley, but there are really a limited number of print motifs that I like and paisley is one of them. In fact, there's another paisley dress on the cutting table right now. 😄 Us old hippies will never give it up.

Changes to the pattern: my measurements would have put me in a L, but I sized up because I do not like negative ease and cut an XL, blending to 2X at the hip. Raised the neckline (which is very scooped) 3/4 inch and lowered the bust point 5/8". I also added 6-1/2" to the sleeves so that they would be elbow length.

This poor old dress form is not even doing a good job for display any more. It won't stay at the height that matches mine, so the photos show how it would look on someone about 4 inches shorter. It also has the upper body longer on one side than the other because it can't maintain the settings for the waist length on one side. And the ITY really shows off every pointy angle where its circumference has been adjusted. Maybe I'll get motivated to figure out a routine for taking selfies wearing my stuff.

The back view that inspired this dress

I do like the way this dress looks and feels when wearing it and could see making it again, but not with the chevrons. That would be too recognizable as the same pattern. The maxi/tank version could be very nice.

After decades of never even considering a dress or skirt, I am on a dress making binge. They are what I want to wear now. There are more on the way!

Burda 2.2024 #114

There are two jean jacket styles in the February 2024 Burda magazine. One is this kind of stripped down view, and the other has a collar, flaps on the breast pockets, and sleeves that gather into the cuff. I made the stripped down version, adding the collar. It's great to have a classic pattern like this all fitted and ready to go for whatever fabrication strikes your fancy.

line drawing

It was this issue that convinced me that I wanted to subscribe to Burda again after taking a Burda break for many years, and it was because of this pattern. It wasn't a guarantee that the subscription would start in time to get this particular issue, but lucky for me, it did!

Fabric: this is the first cut to be used from my Miss Matatabi order. Everything in that order is sooo nice, lovely quality, and their shipping was ultra fast. This fabric is a kind of mysterious taupe/celadon/celery color cotton, with woven-in off white dots. The weave was kind of spongey and there was more drape than you want for a jean jacket, so it was underlined with batiste. That provided just a tad more oomph and is so soft next to the skin.

back - the seaming doesn't show much in this photo

Sizing and alterations: traced a 44 for the neck and shoulders, blending to a 46 at the base of the yoke. 46 sleeve. All the torso pieces were lengthened 1", the sleeve shortened by 1", and the bust fullness lowered about 3/4".

Cutting out: it was a real puzzle figuring how to lay out the pattern pieces on the fabric it order for them all to fit and it took hours and hours. Everything was originally traced with 5/8" seam allowances, and I had to go back and reduce them all to 3/8". When that was done, I could just barely get everything cut out except the undercollar. A leftover piece of linen from another project that was really close in color supplied that piece.

almost zero waste

Details: I debated a long time about how visible to make the topstitching and finally decided to keep it low-key. Plain silver buttons kind of recall snaps and look right to me.

gentle shaping, not totally boxy

There is a lot of sewing involved in a jacket like this and a nice feeling of accomplishment when it is all done. I love my little dotty jacket and know that it will get worn often.  AND, this fills in one of my Make 9 squares: "make something from the current Burda".

Style Arc Logan Shacket

Why this project? Lighter jacket weather is on its way. This fabric was bought a year ago with a differnt jacket in mind. At first it was meant for the Sewing Workshop Haiku, then later on their Tremont. A window display convinced me that a little less volume would be a good idea. I like back details, like Logan's curved yoke, so it was my pick.

One day those display grids will be stored someplace else

Sizing: straight size 16 based on my full bust measurement.

Fabric: heavy but loosely woven cotton with a lot of texture. Too ravelly for the felled seams intended. I ended up serging and topstitching. It's warmer than I expected and that's a good thing.

to show the texture

Alterations/Modifications: lengthened 1" at the hem. Eliminated the sleeve turn ups by shortening the sleeves 3". The chest pockets are really oversized, so I cut them out without the seam allowance, which reduced the width of each pocket by 3/4". No fancy fitting alterations!

Results: It's a versatile jacket. I really like it and am already wearing it a lot. If I had known how much I wad going to like it, I would have done a Hong Kong finish on the seams.

What's good about the pattern: It's a loose jacket so there didn't need to be a lot of fitting done. It was a little surprising to see how high the sleeve cap was for a style with an extended shoulder, but Style Arc got it right. Those sleeves hang nice and straight with no excess folds or twisting. 

What's bad about the pattern: Not really a pattern fault, but there is a collar stand and that needs to be taken into consideration when choosing the fabric. Mine was thick enough that even though construction of the stand was not a problem, putting a buttonhole in it was. In the end I left the button on the stand but picked out the buttonhole. It would never be worn buttoned all the way up, anyway.

back with deep curved yoke

Denouement: One day I hope to get a photo of myself wearing the jacket to update this blog entry. Meanwhile I wanted to get it written while it was still fresh in my mind. If shackets stay in style, I could see making another one. This would be so nice in a plaid with the yoke on the bias, or with some other treatment that brings more attention to that curved seam.