Cynthia Rowley 2406

I've been gone way too long & I'm excited to return to blog land! Instagram has been fun & convenient & I love the eye candy on there, but I do miss documenting more details of my sewing adventures. So here I'm sharing a Cynthia Rowley dress by Simplicity 2406 that I actually made about two summers ago and just now got around to asking my hubby to take some pics of me wearing it. It's a cute and flattering fit, and fun to wear. Hope you like it! My Pattern review can be found at the bottom of this post as also shared on the PatternReview Site. 

Pattern Description: Misses Dress in Three Lengths with Sleeve variations. 
Pattern Sizing: 14-22 ( I originally made the pattern size 16 which is equivalent to a size 12 in women's clothing. But I'd like to size it down a bit since I've lost some weight since I made this dress ).

Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you were done sewing with it? I sewed up View B & Yes it looked just like the pattern envelope once it was completed!

Were the instructions easy to follow?The trickiest part for me I would say were the sleeves, and I consider myself an intermediate to advance sewist. I admit I goofed up and attached one of the sleeves incorrectly so I had to pick it apart & re do it, so you really have to pay close attention to the illustrations to make sure you attach the sleeves on the correct way.

What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern? I did not particularly like the open back specifically because it didn't seem to fit very flattering on me as it tends to open up a little wonky. I think the interfacing I used on the back portion was maybe a bit too thick which is why it doesn't drape as pretty. And although I love side pockets, I was not too happy with how low mine sat, but that's really because I did not take the time to experiment the most comfortable placement. 

Fabric Used: I'm not exactly sure if its a poly-sateen...I bought it a few years ago & had it in my stash. 

Pattern alterations or any design changes you made:I did not attach a zipper to the skirt portion since I don't think it really needed it since the backside opens up making it easy to slip on. I also did not have enough to make a sash so I wear it with a belt. But I do think the matching sash would have been pretty. 

Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others?It's a lovely pattern & I bet many women would love it since it's an attractive style. But personally, I don't see myself making this exact view again. The sleeves traumatized me...just kidding! I'm just a little lazy sometimes when it comes to this particular lined sleeve. I have made View D before & it's a much easier make. 

Conclusion: Very stylish, and attractive style. & you will get lots of compliments! 

My first, but not my last Anna Dress By Hand London

I had been wanting to make the Anna Dress, BY HAND London pattern for a while now. I've seen it made in a wide range of skirt variations,  mostly on DollyClackett blog ( that girl has a serious collection of dresses ). I was particulary attracted to the simplicity of the bodice, with the kimono style sleeves, which means there are no separate pattern pieces for the sleeves, just the front and back bodice piece. The pattern offers a long and short version of a panelled A-line skirt and both slash and V-neck options on the neckline. My original plan was to make this dress in a rayon stretch fabric, with a bit longer skirt ( not quite maxi, but just slightly below the knee ). But since I decided to test the pattern first, these pics will be from my first attempt using fabric that has been in my stash for over 5 years ( some kind of sateen ). I had made a panelled skirt from it and still had about 2 yards left over, but I barely had enough to make this dress in the mid skirt version. And even though this fabric has absolutely no stretch in it, I still decided I may as well use it up for a muslin.

The bodice has some basic pleats in the front & some darts in the back. The skirt is sewn up in 6 panels. I made this dress in the 16 pattern size, but I still had to take out a few stitches on both the pleating and the darts on the bodice since it was a tad tight around the bust line. The next one I make, I will most likely lengthen the bodice by about an inch, and use a fabric with a slight stretch in it, so I think the pleats & darts will fit better as they were designed.

 I also have to say that the skirt is way too short for my liking. I had enough fabric to lengthen it by 3 more inches ( which I originally did, but I accidentally cut one of the panels shorter than the other 5 & since I had no more fabric left, I had to just cut them all equally ). But this size is exactly how the pattern will look if you are cutting a size 16 and are making the Mid size skirt. For reference, I'm 5' 6.5" tall. I know it may not be too short in general, but it is for my own personal liking.  I may just wear it once this summer, but then I will have to pair it up with some black leggings and just wear it as a tunic. 

The backside calls for an invisible zipper, and I'll admit that I still have a few issues when I install invisible zippers. I use one of those "invisible zipper" foots which work great, but I have trouble toward the bottom & I always have to do some hand stitching. And if if you look closely at the top of the zipper....I have no idea why it won't zip all the way up. There are no stitches in the way that I can see, so I'm not sure what's happening there. Oh well, good thing my hair will cover that part up. 

But overall, I really do love this pattern. I will most definitely be making a few different variations. My next one I will be pairing up the Anna bodice with a different skirt pattern, a bit longer in length, pleats, side pockets, and no panels. Oh, and definitely a softer, more comfortable fabric. 

Simplicity 1419

I thought I'd share another version of pattern 1419 by Simplicity, where I opted to make a straight pencil skirt bottom ( not in this particular pattern, but easy to make from another skirt pattern ). The top bodice has short sleeves and no collar, but it has a button front closure. The fabric is rayon & it was given to me by a family friend who had it stashed away for over 20 years. I like that it looks a bit vintage & is very comfortable to wear, so I will most likely be making a few more in solid colors. 

Here's a close up view of the front neckline.