Child's peplum top - New Look 6549

More peplum tops!  This time from a New Look pattern, for my nieces.  The pattern pieces were basically the same here as for the Vogue pattern, but they had you put them together in a different order, which I wasn't keen on.  If I made these again, I'd probably do it the Vogue way.  Also, I cannot tell you how much trouble I had with the bias facing on the neckline and armholes!  You can see in the pictures below: the necklines are still very slightly gathered.  And I've no idea why it was so difficult - on the adult pattern, they went on without any problem.  Each time I sewed the facing to the right side of these tops, then folded it to the inside, there was too much sleeve for facing - or too much neckline for facing - if you know what I mean.  The solution I found eventually was, when pinning the facing to the outside initially, pin the lower edge which is slightly longer, then when you actually stitch the upper edge, you have to ease it in.  But that way, when you flip it over and sew the lower edge inside the top, it fits better.

Anyway, they fit, and the nieces were happy, so it turned out alright.  I need to get better at finishing the seams inside though - they were a bit ragged!

Brumby skirt by Megan Nielsen

Yesterday, I tried the Brumby skirt by Megan Nielson Patterns.  I liked the look of version 2 - the mid-length skirt (see the photos on their website).  However, not only were my sewing skills not quite up to the job, but when I'd finished it, I decided that flared skirts don't really suit me(!)  On their model - and in fact, on many of the other people i've seen it on - it looks really light, summery and... lacking in fuss.  On me, it sort of swamps - and fusses - I don't know what the problem is exactly; this shape just doesn't work very well for me.

My first problem was just in printing the pattern out!  That little box which you're supposed to check is exactly two inches square(?) - it wasn't; mine was like 0.1 inches smaller.  I thought this wouldn't matter too much, but when I started sewing the waistband, it became clear that it would.  I added a strip of another couple of inches and the result is a sort of relaxed fit.  I think it probably hangs lower on me than it should - and annoyingly, that makes the pockets a bit too low.

I think you're supposed to be able to 'recalibrate' your printer to correct this problem, but I've no idea how to do that.  This would really put me off purchasing PDF patterns if it happened again.

Re the construction, the thing I had most trouble with was the zipper insertion.  It's an exposed zipper.  The instructions do say you can sew a different type, but by the time I'd realised I couldn't get the exposed zipper to work, it was too late; I'd already cut the fabric in a way that made it unalterable.

The instructions have you cutting and ironing back the fabric to create a zipper-sized gap in the skirt, then sewing the base of the inverted zipper to the right side of the skirt.  You then flip the zipper up so it's inside the skirt, and sew it to the ironed-back seam allowance.  I tried this manouvre multiple times and failed miserably.

I had three problems.  First, when sewing the base of the zipper from the outside, the relevant point on the zipper has to be matched with a short line of basting underneath it (i.e. you can't see both at once) - which I struggled with.  Second, the line of stitches made needs to be exactly the width of the gap left for the zipper (it's about 1cm) - any longer and it's difficult to flip and tuck inside.  Third, when sewing down the length of the zipper tape, it again requires that the stitching on the zipper tape is matched to a line of basting directly beneath it - so you can't see both at once.  I finally tried pinning and sewing from the basting side, but the zipper shifted around and I was unable to control it properly because I couldn't see it.

At this point, I was ready to throw it on the floor and go and have a cry outside (I like to recreate the Great British Sewing Bee as closely as possible), so I passed it over to my mother - who knows a lot more about this kind of thing that I do.  She said to just place the zipper straight on the inside and sew it into place.  So I got the blasted zipper in eventually, although by this point, after all my failed attempts, it was looking rather tatty!

Looking at other reviews, no one else seems to have had trouble with the zipper - clearly I did something wrong.

I didn't have a good time with the shaped waistband either.  It's made with a facing, and when I tried to fold the facing to the inside and slip-stich it down, there seemed to be too much fabric at the points - the shaped bits - so I had to pleat them to get them to sit flat.  I could also feel the gathering through the waistband, which makes it seem quite lumpy - although I'm not sure exactly how you get round that.  Thicker interfacing maybe?

One good thing: I had a little navy linen left over from making these trousers, so I used it to make another Vogue peplum top, this time with sleeves.  It worked really well - I love this pattern! - and this time I managed to get the zipper sewn on straight, with a hook and eye fastening at the top.  I've just realised, the top edge still looks a bit uneven in the second photo below, but that's just the angle - it is actually straight (honest)!

Peplum top - Vogue 8815

I can't remember how I first came across this pattern.  I must have been looking at someone's sewing blog.  I never would have thought of wearing a peplum top, but lots of people seem to have made it, and there are lots of pictures of people looking fabulous in it so what the hey.

I couldn't think what fabric to make it in - I'm not even sure what broadcloth (one of the recommended fabrics) is, aside from it being a type of cotton - so I thought I'd do a trial run in some fabric I had hanging around from my bear-making days.  This blue floral fabric was once a lovely, 1980s dress with an enormous flared skirt  (albeit in a tiny size, and with marks), and then I bought it second-hand and made a mammoth out of it.  There was just enough left to make the sleeveless version of this top.

It wasn't difficult to make, apart from the zipper.  It's a 22 inch zipper running down the back.  The instructions have you baste the two back sections together then, from the inside, centre the zipper along the basting, and attach - basting from the inside, then sewing from the outside.  The trouble I had was that, with the zipper open, it was difficult to know how close the two sides needed to be.  I mean, close obviously - but a millimetre or so apart, touching, overlapping slightly?  And somehow i managed to get the two rows of stitches uneven - so one is 3-4 mm from the zipper, the other is almost 1 centimetre.  And (see last pic), when I pinned the zipper on, I started from the bottom, so the tops aren't quite even.

The other negative is that my stitches are all quite visible.  I used navy blue thread, so of course, wherever I sew over one of the roses, the stitches suddenly become glaringly obvious.  I'm not sure what you're supposed to do about that.  I suppose change between pink and blue thread, if you're really that bothered about it(?)

I do really like it, although I worry that it looks like a lampshade - especially in the picture below. Also the hem has a tendency to fly up in the breeze, or if you run down stairs too fast - which always comes as a surprise.

But it's a comfortable fit, the shape is lovely, and the cotton is nice to wear.  I'm thinking I'll try it again with sleeves at some point.