Tag Archives: vogue

A black linen Vogue V9253 dress*

* Yes, the one with the deep V!

The first V9253 I wowed about was the stunning version of Catherine from Thread Snips. I featured her in my eye-catchers. Although I loved the pattern I thought it would never be something for me because ‘Yes, that real deep V!’

Vogue V9253
Then, at the beginning of June, I saw Nikki G’s absolute breathtaking version and I was sold! More, doing some research I read somewhere that the pattern was sold out. So it became a dare to find it which wasn’t difficult at all! One-click at naaipatronen.nl and it was mine. That’s how I found myself sewing the legendary V9253 dress with the deep V!

Vogue V9253

 

The V9253 pattern

The V9253 dress pattern has only four main pattern pieces. The sleeves are cut from the same piece as the body. Further, there are pattern pieces for the pockets and the belt.

Vogue V9253

Based on the finished garment measurements—which you find on the pattern pieces of Vogue patterns—I cut out the L for the upper bust part and graded to XL for the waist and XXL for the hips. Traditionally I lengthened the bodice with 4,5 cm.  Which I reduced with 1,5 cm after I basted the bodice to the skirt and I could try it out.

Vogue V9253

Further, I eliminated the centre back seam of the bodice. I wasn’t going to put a zipper in when the dress has this huge front opening.
Don’t forget to fold over the seam allowance of the back bodice pattern when you put it against the foldline of your fabric.

 

What about the deep V?

This is, of course, the key feature of the design of the dress. And I love this very much. When I pinned the skirt to the bodice and tried it on for the first time I thought the V was doable.  But when the dress was finished and pressed, it was too deep. I also want to be able to wear a bra underneath it because, although the linen is on the soft side, it still would cause nipple burn. So I closed the front with 4 buttons. Once in a while, you see a glimpse of my (fuchsia) bra but I don’t mind.

 

The black linen

I bought this beautiful black linen in Paris in September 2016 at the Sacrés Coupons, together with the viscose I used for the Rosa Shirt Dress and some other coupons that are still waiting in my fabric closet.
It was a precut coupon from 3 m on a 1,50 m width. This made that for once I could place my pattern pieces on the fabric without playing Tetris. I have a little leftover for the belt which I have omitted for now.

I should say it’s midweight linen with enough fluidity for the skirt. It washes, irons and sews like a dream! I immediately want to drive to Paris and buy this linen in all the colours. But no, Wis, you are on a fabric buying fast this year!!

The sewing process

Vogue itself categorizes the V9253 as ‘Very Easy’. But is it an easy sew? Yes and no!
First, the included instructions are concise and don’t tell you how to finish your pleats, seams, etc. This is not easy for beginning sewists. Also, the followed order is not logical for me. So I ignored the instructions and followed my usual work sequence.

  1. Staystitch the front opening, back neckline and pocket openings.
  2. Prepare and sew all the pleats and darts on the bodice and the skirt. I folded the pleats to the sideseams (which I like more) and stitched them flat.
  3. Stitch the shoulder seams until the seam allowance (1,5 cm) of the neckline. This makes it easier to finish the neckline later.
  4. Sew a narrow hem at the front opening of the bodice. (I confess, here I followed the instructions. But if there will be more V9523s I will finish the bodice with bias binding all around.)
  5. Finish the back neckline with bias tape.
  6. Stitch the side seam and the underarm seam of the bodice.
  7. Hem the sleeves.
  8. Stitch the pockets to the skirt pieces. I used the technique I learned from sewing the Laneway Dress. I want to point out here that the pockets of the V9253 have a strange shape due to the raised skirt pattern.
  9. Sew all the skirt seams.
  10. Pin the bodice and the skirt with right sides together at the waist seam. Stitch the waist seam.
  11. Hem the skirt. Et voilà, the dress is finished!
  12. Optional: close the front opening as you wish. I hand-sewed 4 buttons on the front edges.

As a more experienced sewist, this is an easy construction. Alas, I did some stupidities. I think because I was sewing with black thread on black fabric and with no difference in view between the right side and wrong side. So I managed to sew the side seams of the skirt to the centre back and centre front ?!! No real harm was done here, only the unpicking took some time because of, remember,  black on black!

 

Conclusion

I am over the moon with my V9253 dress!! It’s a multilevel success: the design, the black linen, the fit, the sexy and glamorous feel. I’m genuinely happy that I sewed it even though there are already more than 1000 versions in the world. But that doesn’t matter because mine is unique!

Will I sew another one or two? I would love to do it if only to reduce the cost of the bought pattern. Which wasn’t cheap. But also because I love this dress so much. So yes, I wouldn’t be surprised if there would come more!

***  We were able to shoot some great pictures at the abandoned train station of Sant’Angelo Scalo***

 

The Vogue V9075 Jumpsuit!

F I N A L L Y!
Finally, I finished my V9075 jumpsuit. Ever since I saw Beth’s,  from SewDIY, linen version of this jumpsuit I wanted to make one for myself. That was in November 2015! After that I was I was always fascinated when I saw some V9075 jumpsuits on sewing blogs and social media. I even featured some in my eye-catchers posts, including Rachel’s and Alex’s versions. Last March 2017 I bought the pattern with a discount online and even though I had some suitable fabric in my stash I didn’t start sewing it.
Until, right before the Easter break, I had this sudden vision of using this charcoal fabric from my collection and I went for it. Needless to say that I am over the moon that I finally finished the V9075 jumpsuit!!

V9075 jumpsuit

The V9075 jumpsuit pattern

Why am I so drawn to this pattern? Well, it ticks several of my favourite boxes: a jumpsuit, princess seams, pleats, culottes with very wide legs, and pockets. Did I mention the wide legs?

V9075 jumpsuit

This is the third Vogue pattern I sewed and now I’m familiar with this company pattern specifics. I know that the finished garment measures are indicated on the pattern pieces and this is very handy. Based on this finished measurements I cut out a 20 at the arm and bust and graded to a 22 at the waist and hips. To fit my belly I graded a bit at the princess seams and narrowed the pleats. This after I lengthened the body with 2,5 cm and the crotch with 4,5 cm.

V9075
Grading at the side and the princess seams.

V9075

Narrowing the pleats.

To be sure that the jumpsuit would fit I made a muslin. I didn’t want to end with any form of cameltoe! The lengthening was okay, I could raise my arms and didn’t feel uncomfortable sitting down.
The bodice was a little too wide under the arms but that was easy to modify.

The fabric

I used this cotton and silk blend I bought at Goldhawk Road in April 2017. It was the end of a bolt, with a separate piece attached. That made that I had more than 3 meters for a ‘good price’ like the seller said! I never sewed with this type of fabric before but it went smoothly.
The silk gives it a faint shine and the cotton some rigidity, which I like for this silhouette. Also, this fabric has a great wrinkle recovery. On the pictures here in this post, you see how the fabric behaves after I wore the jumpsuit for a day. I cycled, I had lunch, I sat at my desk to write reports, and I had a walk.

 

The sewing process

On the pattern cover, you read that this is a very easy sew. And it is! It only takes much time because there are a lot of seams and these legs are very long and very wide! In my case, the side seams of the legs are 90 cm and the hem of one leg is 137 cm.
The instructions asked for lining the bodice but I didn’t do it because the fabric is rather heavy. Also because I didn’t have suitable lining when I sewed this jumpsuit in our holiday house in Italy. Instead, I finished the neckline with a facing. Next time I will probably use a

bias binding finish.

V9075 jumpsuit
The not so blind zipper!    The neckline finish with facing and rainbow overlock thread!

The only thing I struggled with was the blind zipper. Again, being in Italy in the countryside, I had only access to a small haberdashery shop. I needed a blind zipper of 65 cm long, although I had a smaller one with me to show, the one I bought was not a proper blind zipper. The first tape went in easy, using my blind zipper foot, but the second tape was horror. The stitches were to close to the teeth so the fabric got caught in the puller. Aargh!! I had to redo it several times and ended with some hand stitching.  So it is not perfect but good enough for me.

 

Conclusion

I am sew excited about my V9075 jumpsuit that I can’t hide it. I love, love wearing it. You have to do some arm exercises to get the zipper open but after a few times,  you handle that like a pro.

 

Will I sew more V9075 jumpsuits? I hope I will.

V9075 jumpsuit
The first outing of the V9075 jumpsuit was at the celebrations of the diamond wedding anniversary of my parents-in-law. Introducing the women of the family.

 

 

The Vogue DKNY V1235 Dress

A year ago my daughter announced that her best friend was going to marry and she was going to be the master of ceremony.  This occasion asked for a new and special dress, of course. As I love to sew for my loved-ones I was happy to sew one for her. Even though I knew a year in advance, the dress was ready half an hour before she had to leave for the ceremony. More, I had to sew in my sewing attic, on the hottest day of May so far. But I finished the DKNY V1235 and I love it!

Vogue DKNY V1235

The Vogue DKNY V1235 Dress pattern

I found this pattern in the bargain box of my local fabric shop around New Year. I knew immediately that this would be the perfect pattern for my daughter’s master of ceremony’s dress. It ticked all the boxes: a fitted bodice, a v-neck, a loose-fitting skirt, a sexy vibe and suitable for knits.
This is my second Vogue DKNY pattern. Last year I sewed the V1349 and I had some fitting issues. So this time I carefully compared all the measurements. It is very handy that on the Vogue patterns the finished garment measures are indicated on the pattern pieces on the bust, waist and hip points. Based on these and the body measures of my daughter I decided to cut out a straight 24.

Vogue DKNY V1235

The fabric

This lovely fabric is ‘Black Floral Vines on Dusty Jade Border Cotton Jersey Blend Knit’” from Girl Charlee UK. My daughter picked it herself last November. Unfortunately, this fabric is sold out now. I wished I had bought more then because I wanted to use it for my Moneta dress but my daughter wouldn’t let me. At the end, she was right to keep it for this dress.
For the first time I worked with a border pattern and I had this asymmetrical placement in my head before cutting the fabric. I am happy with how it worked out. More importantly, my daughter adores it as well.

The instructions say that this pattern is only suitable for two-way stretch knits and this border fabric has only a one-way stretch—from border to border. So this was ok for the bodice but not for the skirt. Thus I made a muslin of the skirt in a woven fabric and it fitted perfect. I did not have to make any alterations.

Vogue DKNY V1235

The sewing process

The accompanying instructions for the DKNY V1235 pattern are clear and illustrated with drawings. Although everything seemed logical I did not follow all the steps.

  • I did not use elastic to gather the shoulder straps but just gathered them with two lines of stitching.
  • I sewed the shoulder straps between the back bodice and the facing instead of sewing them on the back.
  • A zipper was not needed! The bodice has enough stretch to put the dress on and off without one.
Vogue DKNY V1235
My first FBA

Because of the fitting issues I had with the previous Vogue pattern I first made a muslin in a comparable stretch fabric. As assumed, the front pieces did not cover the whole boobs. Which meant my first Full Bust Adjustment was in order.
A quick search on Google gave me a very good explanation and tutorial from the Curvy Sewing Collective. Only my pattern piece had no darts. Then I found the tutorial from Jennifer Lauren on how to do a full bust adjustment for fitted knit patterns. The combination of these two guides and my pattern drafting lessons gave me the confidence to draw my first FBA.
I sewed a second—now wearable—muslin and it came out perfect.

Vogue DKNY V1235

Is this a quick sew?

No, the DKNY V1235 is not a quick sew. The tucks and the gathers in the bodice front and the creases in the front skirt take their time.  I basted all the marks to sew them neatly. It also took time because I needed two muslins and an FBA to get the fit right.

Vogue DKNY V1235
Basted marks of the tucks.
Conclusion

Sewing this DKNY V1235 dress was challenging and fun. It gave me a satisfying feeling that I could bring it to a good end. More, that my daughter was happy and proud to wear the dress to the wedding of her best friend. Will I sew another? Yes! I still have to finish that second wearable muslin. It is a mustard yellow knit and my daughter is looking forward to it. The question is: will she have to wait another year for it?

Vogue DKNY V1235
In front of the d’Ursel Castle where the wedding took place.

Eye-catchers #7

An eye-catcher is a person or a thing that attracts the attention

 

sewing planning

The online sewing community is very visual. So, every day I see heaps of sewing related images on social media and blogs. Some of them catch my eye because they make me think or they give me inspiration. Here, I want to share these eye-catchers with you.

Follow below what caught my eye the last week and at first glance, they are all dresses:

The dress from the ‘Stylish dress book’

Stylish dress book

I never sewed a Japanese pattern and I never had the urge to do so. Until I saw this amazing dress Ece sewed. I learned that the pattern came from the Japanese ‘Stylish dress book‘. This book—with the patterns in it— is present in my local library so maybe I have to give it a try.

The golden velvet dress

sewing planning

I was immediately triggered by this fascinating dress of @mokosha_II. It was not only the fabulous gold velvet but also the pattern was intriguing. It turned out she made it herself by mixing a bodice and a skirt of two different Burda patterns. That gave me some ideas for the future.

Martini dress from Capital Chic made by Ooobop

Martini Capital Chic

I am always glad when sewists I follow alert me to pattern designers I didn’t know before. So did Ooobop. She sewed this stunning version of the Martini dress from Capital Chic. They are an indie pattern design company with nice patterns.  I like that this pattern has a one-piece and a two-piece version. Ooobop also designed the prints on the dress herself. Read all about it on her blog.

The V9015 Jumpsuit

V9015

I featured the V9075 before in the eye-catchers. Look at this breathtaking version Alex from sewrendipity sewed. It only reinforces my love for this pattern.  I am going to tackle this pattern soon now.

The Jolene dress from Ready to sew

Jolene Dress Ready To Sew

Kylie made a stunning version of the Jolene dress, a new pattern of ‘Ready to sew’. I’m thinking this would be a perfect pattern for the #sewtogetherforsummer challenge.

Did anything catch your eye this week?

Eye-catchers #5

An eye-catcher is a person or thing that attracts the attention

sewing patterns

The online sewing community is very visual. So, every day I see heaps of sewing related images on social media and blogs. Some of them catch my eye because they make me think or they give me inspiration. Here,  I want to share these eye-catchers with you.

Follow below what caught my eye this week:

  • The Adeline dress from Style Arc

    Adeline Dress Style ArcMeg sewed this beautiful Adeline dress for her friend. The fabric apparently is custom made at My Fabric Designs. I didn’t know this company but I like the idea that you can create your own design. The combination Meg made of this fabric and the pattern is spot on.

  • The skirt from Mollie Moxie

    V1486Look what a stunning skirt Molly made. She only used the upper part of the V1486 skirt. Which was a good idea because she sewed it in this amazing home decorator fabric.

  • The Sahara Skirt from Ralph Pink Patterns

    Sahara Skirt Ralph Pink PatternsThis amazing fabric used by Clare immediately caught my eye. She posted it as her presently favourite fabric for the #miymarch17 photo challenge on Instagram. Then I read she was making a Ralph Pink Pattern out of it and—again—this is a pattern designer I didn’t know. So thank you, Clare, for introducing me.

  • A muslin for V9239

    V9239When I saw this sewing project of Henna on Instagram I was totally in awe! The fabric design reminded me of Sonia Delaunay, who I immensely admire. So I was amazed when I read that Henna used Ikea fabric for making a muslin for V9239. I am not in favour of this pattern—the way Vogue presents it—but I do like it in the way Henna placed the fabric.

  • A tunic in Dutch wax print

    Green Ivy Style proves it again. You don’t have to use a complicated pattern when you have beautiful Dutch wax print.

Did anything caught your eye this week?

Eye-catchers #2

An eye-catcher is a person or thing that attracts the attention

eye-catchers

The online sewing community is very visual. A lot of images are published on social media and on blogs. So, every day I see a lot of sewing related images and some of them are eye-catchers for me. Why? Because they make me think, they give me inspiration. That is why I want to share these eye-catchers with you.

Follow below what caught my eye this week:

  • V9075 Jumpsuit made by Rachel from Sew South London

    Vogue 9075

    Ever since Beth from SewDIY made a linen version of this jumpsuit, I am dreaming of making one myself. This gorgeous version of Rachel really puts me on board.
    More, at this moment— until 11 March there is a 50% discount on all the Vogue Patterns at naaipatronen.nl so I already bought my pattern.
    *** Update: naaipatronen.nl is a Dutch site but the sold Vogue patterns have English/French instructions! ***

  • The Wanted-T-shirt from Vanessa Pouzet

    Wanted T Vanessa Pousset

    This version that Annika made really caught my eye this week. The red-white stripes and the neat neckline are a match made in heaven. I have some striped knits in my stash just waiting to use for this pattern.

  • The raglan top for men

    raglan top

    Buster from Mensew sewed several raglan tops for men and I absolutely love this striped one he made. Again, I have some striped knits in my stash to make some for my husband and sons.

  • A piped tab for a coat

    lekala coat
    Vesna decided to add a piped tab with buttons on the beautiful coat she is making. I think it is a very good addition. The pattern is coat #4333 from Lekala Sewing Patterns. I didn’t know this pattern company. Apparently, you can give in your measurements and you receive a personalized pattern. Do you have experience with it? Does it work?
    At least the coat Vesna is making looks great.

  • The Watson bikini

    watson bikini

    Sienna from ‘Not a primary color’ proved again how you can make some very funky underpants from your left-overs. I also did it before but didn’t use the Watson pattern for it. I have this pattern— and a lot of leftovers— so I will sure give it a try.

Did anything catch your eye this week?