simplicity – Sewtropolis

I made my first business suit this year. I used Butterick 6142 for the jacket and Simplicity 8056 for the pants. I usually purchase McCall patterns and know what modifications I need to make to get those patterns to fit correctly. I made the same modifications on both the Simplicity and Butterick pattern and seemed to get the fit close – but not quite right.

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I did make a muslin of the jacket and decided to go down a size based on the fit of that muslin. But, the jacket still doesn’t fit quite right in the shoulder area. I heard on one of my sewing podcast that a lot of people have fitting issues in the shoulder area due to our bad habit of hunching over our computers and phones. Good to know for future projects!

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I didn’t make a muslin for the pants, but I did make my usual modifications and cut the size I normally wear for McCall patterns… and ended up with pants that are a size too small. I can still wear them, but at the end of the day I can’t wait to take them off! (I’m not one for tight fitting clothes).

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I purchased the fabric for the suit at JoAnn Fabric… the good thing is I didn’t spend a lot on it, so I am considering this outfit my ‘wearable muslin’. This weekend I’ll be making a trip down to Portland with plans to stop in at a fabric store known for its large selection of fabrics. I’ll be on the look out for some nice suiting fabric for a fall/winter suit. Wish me luck!

I wish everyone a happy and safe 4th of July!

Nikol

I tend to go in and out of this blogging thing. For years I used to keep a journal, and even with that there were times I was more consistent than others. Now that I’ve challenged myself to sew my clothes for 2018, I thought I would blog my makes as a way to remind myself of what I did and any modifications etc. End of June seems like a good time to start doing that! HA!!

So, this top isn’t the last thing I made… but it’s the thing I’ve been the most happy with and that’s saying a lot since I’ve been really happy with my makes lately. (finally!)

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I think this makes me so happy is because it reminds me of my Memorial Day weekend in Victoria, B.C. with my friend Jennifer. We had to much fun!

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While in Victoria we did our own walking tour of the downtown area, stopping in to see the Empress Hotel, Totum poles and even walking along the waters edge – before heading out for a whale watching tour.

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Whale watching was amazing! We saw 3 humpback whales, two adults and one younger. They bobbed along and once in a while we would see a tail come up out of the water – which was very exciting – but not as exciting as seeing them breach! (photo taken using my iPhone7+)

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The next day we walked around Buchart Gardens (amazingly beautiful) and visted the China town district.

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And afterwards did a little shopping at Fabric Land where I purchased this beautiful aqua and black polyester crepe fabric.

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Of course I had no idea what I would make with it, but it was just too pretty to pass up. I purchased two meters of it thinking it would be enough to make a top of some sort.

After I got back I decided to make Simplicity 8138, mainly because I already had the pattern in my stash, and I really wanted to sew something I could wear during the warmer weather we were having at the time.

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I combined view B and view C. I liked the ties, but not the slit on the sides of view B. And I liked the flare of view C. I’m really happy with the way it turned out and I didn’t have any modifications other than my standard lengthening. I’ve worn it a couple of times in the past few weeks and each time it reminds me of that weekend in Victoria. Good times, Good times.

Till next time!

Tag: simplicity

Let’s Talk Business Suits

Starting with the last thing I made…