Tag: Vogue 1859

Success or Fail?

It is finished. Beautifully finished, actually. But it is a FAIL.

Of course, this was a trial run with ugly fabric just to check the pattern. The fabric type and weight were suitable for this design. So the ugly fabric didn’t cause this fail. This fail is due to the pattern drafting.

The gaping under the arms is huge in real life, about three inches too low. The pattern envelope photo is posed in such a way to hide this fact. I can only guess at the number of hidden clips used in the photo shoot. I made a size 22, and the armhole depth finished about 9 1/2 inches deep. Nope. Way too deep.

Then there is the issue of the massive width of the front bodice above the breast line. In the next photo I have assembled the bodice pieces for your viewing pleasure. Note that this is for only one side, so the total width of the front bodies is about 23 inches! The back bodice width is good.

The shoulders are too wide. I would need to reduce this by an inch.
The fit at the bustline is good, but it is pretty slim through the waistline. The finished length hits me right above the ankle, and I am pretty close to six feet tall.

If I decide to have another go at this design I will definitely trace off the bodice front, back, front band, and arm bands. I still like the style of this dress, so I might do it.

And lastly I want to mention the pattern instructions for assembling and stitching the front bands. They are crap. No diagram, just a couple of sentences suggesting to put it together on the inside while pinning on the outside. Craziness. If you’ve been sewing for fifty years you can work it out. Goodness help you otherwise.

I was a bit surprised that the pattern instructions for Vogue 1859 didn’t recommend interfacing the seam allowances prior to inserting the zipper. This step stabilizes the seam and results in a much easier zipper application, especially in a seam that is curved. It eliminates those aggravating ripples and gives a nice professional finish for any type of zipper. It is super easy to apply, especially if you use fusible interfacing. I cut straight strips 3/4 inch wide and add an inch to the length of the zipper I am inserting. These strips were cut 15 inches long. I consider this step as essential for knit fabrics.

I also press my zipper completely flat.

There’s an invisible zipper in this seam!

The only thing left to do on this project is hemming.

Thanks for stopping by!

Hideous. Just hideous. See for yourself.

The hanger shot. Should I say more?

I chose this fabric because I have tons of it and it is too hideous to wear. That made it perfect for a trial run of Vogue 1859. So actually, this is working out quite nicely. I am pleased so far. This is not fabric I am going to cry over. The goal was to find out what pattern alterations might be needed for the REAL version of this pattern.

I’m almost done. Finish the arm bands, baste in a zipper, decide on a hem length, etc.

I’m picturing a real version in navy blue linen.

More to come. In the meantime, ponder this photo.

I love the pattern sales at Vogue. This latest haul just arrived. Thirty six of them!

Thanks for stopping by. More to come.

A commentator asked a question regarding multi-sized patterns and pattern tissue alterations. In essence, how do you preserve the original pattern?

The best way is to use a tracing wheel and waxed tracing paper to trace the original pattern onto plain paper.

The pattern piece below shows all the different lines indicating four different sizes printed on the tissue. And the rainbow colors of my tracing paper!

All those lines can get confusing pretty fast if you are new to sewing. The trick is to determine which line is your desired size. In the following photo I have determined my size line and I have started transferring the line directly to the fabric. No alterations were needed here; I just needed to transfer the curved shape. This preserves the original pattern.

The traced lines were very faint so I marked over them with a dressmaker marking pen. Much easier to see this line!

I have cut out all my pattern pieces, contrast pieces, lining, and interfacing. Since I am on a roll here, I will transfer all the pattern markings and load a bobbin, too.

Thank you for stopping by! I appreciate your comments and welcome any observations or questions.

Here is my fabric choice for a hopefully wearable muslin of Vogue 1859. A little on the wild side, yes?

There are several reasons I chose this fabric.

One is that I have ten yards of it.

Two is that it is a very nice 100% cotton.

Three is that it was already prewashed and ready to go.

Four is that this fabric screams “SUMMER AT THE BEACH” and will be perfect for going out to eat seafood.

Five is that the wild print includes a large dose of the Pantone Color of the Year, Magenta.

And who doesn’t enjoy the Wild Side every now and then?

So I’ve spent the morning laying out pattern pieces and measuring grain lines. Followed by a lot of pinning.

After pinning down my patterns and making sure everything looks good, I always walk away and take a break. Today that meant I headed to the kitchen and started cooking a pot roast. A little laundry was done, a little housekeeping was done, and a lot of thinking and planning was done.

Every now and then I went back and looked at the fabric. I looked at it, and it looked back at me. It actually smiled a couple of times.

After lunch The Fisherman and I went for a walk. A cat went with us.

The fabric was begging for scissors, so I caved in.

Now to decide what to use for the contrast bands. I have thread, interfacing, and a zipper. Need to locate tracing paper and the tracing wheel so I can transfer the darts.

More to come!