Simplicity 8687 in a Panel Print

How about some sewing? I'm finally adjusting to being home, realizing I'm probably going to be here for at least two months because the rates of infection are rising in the NY/NJ area. So I finally finished the topper and I like it as much as I do the first one. I even wore the original to work before the Coronavirus shut everything down. The ease of wear and great details pretty much insured that I would make it again.

I bought these panels from Fabric Mart right before Spring 2019 Sew Camp and picked them up when we visited the store.

These panels looked different online. I thought the panels were half circles (as pictured above) so was surprised when I laid it out and they were full on starbursts. Which is why it took a little longer to figure out how to use this panel print.

What distinguishes this topper is the panel print layout. I laid the pattern pieces out several times before I got the starburst to lay in the most appealing places. I wanted to avoid a full starburst directly on my backside or an unflattering spot on the front of me.

Supply List ~
2 Panels of the 4 I bought from Fabric Mart
5 - 1" white buttons from Pacific Trimmings
Interfacing from Steinlauf & Stoeller

There are no new construction techniques in this one.  Actually I put the first one together better than this one. I was a little too lax and had to fix some mistakes.

Here are some special details ~

The stripe on the collar was cut from the border on the selvedge edge of the fabric

After I put the label in I covered that seam with some of the blue border stripe so the seam would be finished.

I also added some topstitching to the collar to help it lay flat. Those are the only design changes incorporated in this make.

Finally a few pictures ~

The main difference between this one and the first one is that I pressed the collar flat and open so it has a notched collar appearance. There are also fewer buttons on the front of this one. Finally the adjustment I made to the pattern shoulder is working. I'm not really a drop shouldered kinda woman.
 
I'm blessed that during this time of quarantine I can take pictures on the front porch. I will probably move to the front walk as the trees bloom more. 

This is the second garment from the cut pile. I have a few more pieces to sew from the cut pile before I start sewing the garments in my "Love Chicos" wardrobe. I've also added fabric for two Myosotis to be cut too. I'm finding that I really like wearing my Myosotis dresses at home and don't feel overdressed at all.

One more note ~
There have been several requests made in the comments section of blog posts for me to address making masks for hospitals. However, there is so much information available on the internet and social media that if you're interested in this you should either google, check Facebook or Instagram.  A simple search will give you all the information you need. I really don't have anything else to add to this conversation.

I hope you're all safe, washing your hands and if you have a stay at home order in effect...staying home!

...as always more later!

Sunflowers & Stripes in Simplicity 8687

I was really attracted to this pattern when it was released in Fall 2018.  I purchased it shortly thereafter and it's sat in my pattern collection waiting it's turn to be used. I always saw it as a longer blouse, tunic or topper. Of course I searched the internet to find other versions but it hasn't been a very popular sew...only five reviews on PatternReview and because of that it's now on clearance on Simplicity's site.

Supplies ~
I bought two of these panels from Marcy Tilton's booth at Sew Expo in March 2016. I'm finally using this collection fabric - you know my new fabric usage designations. 

As an aside, I bought a lot of fabric that trip and this is the fifth piece I've used of the dozen pieces I purchased. Slowly but surely working through that fabric...*LOL*

7 - 1" yellow buttons from Pacific Trimmings
Black 'n White piping from the trim stash
Floral bias binding made from a quilting cotton purchased from Zooks, Lancaster, PA
Interfacing from Steinlauf & Stoeller

Pattern Alterations ~
Since I'm making View C, I started with a size 28 because I wanted an unfitted topper that a turtleneck or sweater could go under easily. Even starting with a 28, I needed to add ease to the hip area. I added an inch to each side seam from the bust area down starting with a quarter inch to a full inch at the hemline. 

Sleeves ~
o  The sleeves were already oversized so I didn't need to make an alteration to the body of them. 
o  Although I did make a shoulder alteration to make the sleeves more set in than the slightly dropped shoulder the pattern suggests. 
o  I did a slash and overlap of 7/8" at the shoulder on the front and back pieces to remove the excess. 
o  I should have removed some of the excess from the sleeve cap but didn't realize this until I started to construct the topper. Will remove it for the next version.

Finally, I did shorten it from dress length to tunic length by removing 10" from the hemline. Here is the first fitting done at the sew-in.

Construction ~
The cutting was creative on this one. I really wanted to have the sunflowers run down the fronts of the topper. Once I got the front and back cut out, I then cut the sleeves. However, before I cut them out, I did a sketch in my Cashmerette Sketchbook to see if I'd like the way the stripes worked.

All of the other pieces were cut out of the remaining fabric remnants, however, there wasn't enough for the side seam pockets. I honestly didn't care about including them. I can always put pockets in the next version. That was the only thing I omitted.   

As I mentioned above, since I neglected to alter the sleeve pattern there was way more gathering than I would have liked in the sleeve cap. I made it work. It's not perfect but it's wearable.

The last construction challenge was the buttons. I found some buttons at Pacific Trimmings that I thought would be perfect for the topper ~ right color, right size but I was wrong. When I laid them on the topper even using all 10 of them, they were just too small.  So back to Pacific Trimmings where I purchased three different larger sized yellow buttons, finally settling on these. They're lighter in hue but coordinate nicely with the sunflowers.

One more thing ~
I left my back facing piece at home. Left it on the ironing board and I just didn't want to wait until the next day to work on the topper. So I bought some black quilting cotton from the Urban Sewciety's store and used that instead. If I was going to wash the topper I would be concerned but since I will probably have to dry clean it, I will wait to see how that decision turns out.

A Few Pictures ~
When I took these pictures it was a warm Sunday in February. In the Northeast this has been a pretty mild winter.  No heavy snows, no days of chilly/freezing temps and bitterly cold winds so I am seriously starting to think about spring. So I styled this topper how I would wear it now and how I will wear it in a few months...

Winterized...

For Spring...

Conclusion ~
I will make this again both as a topper and a longer blouse/tunic.  In this version the sleeves turned out to be 3/4 length due to my alterations, so I will need to fix my pattern for future makes. I also had a few ideas of alternative hem closures. Maybe a buckle, large snap or button instead of the ties to give the sleeve hem a cleaner finish. I'm already working on my next version so it should show up sooner or later.

...as always more later!