Wednesday, March 10, 2010

Sewing Spree, part two

This past weekend, I purchased the Butterick pattern B5217 'Fast & Easy'. My focus is on the red top but I am also interested in making the sleeveless version in yellow below. I purchased a Symphony Broadcloth fabric in flamingo pink. Exotic!

I have been wanting to tackle some new tops for awhile. I picked this one because it was labeled 'very easy.' WRONG! I am not a novice sew-er and there were parts of this pattern I found extremely difficult. Namely, the pleats and the cuffs. I put one of the cuffs on upside down. Oops! It ended up that you couldn't really tell. I'm still not sure how that happened. I have trouble selecting sizes with patterns. In tops, for some reason I subscribe to the theory that I should go true to size, or down a size. So, I cut this one in a 10. I thought it would be okay because it was pretty flowy. If you make this pattern, keep in mind that I am not a large-chested girl and the bust area might be a bit tight if you are more endowed than I. On me, it was okay though. Unfortunately, the cuffs ended up being too tight. All that weight lifting, you know! After an hour of seam ripping when I thought I was done, I re-sewed them larger and now they're fine. Oh, seam ripper. You are both my best friend and my worst nightmare.

Anyway, what do you think?




Pardon the non-hair and make up. I took these after my workout/shower. It doesn't look too maternity, does it?



Here is a close-up of the front. I had to learn how to slip stitch the top part. An invaluable skill, I'm sure, that I will use many times in my years of sewing to come. I can't believe I never learned until now! I love how the stitching is hidden. Super fantastic!


And here's the back. The color doesn't look right in this picture but I think it's going to be very fun for spring.


Yes, I hit some rough spots but in the end I persevered and I'm glad I did. I think it turned out relatively well. Enough that I'll be proud to wear it. I just hope it doesn't look homemade. That is never the goal. I can't wait to wear it, especially with shorts. :)


Breakdown
Pattern: $.99
Fabric: $3.60 (for 2 yards with a coupon, originally $2.99/yard)
Thread: $1.79

Grand Total: $6.38

Not bad for a few hours work!

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