MAGAM Challenge: April's Completed Garment + Pattern Review

My challenge garment for this month is the skirt made using McCall's 3830 (View C). I actually finished it a couple of weeks ago but I wanted to complete the blouse to wear with it before posting pictures. And that took a little longer.

The skirt came together fairly quickly, even with employing this underlining technique I mentioned in my previous post. It didn't add a lot of extra time to the project. I have to tell you I LOVE LOVE LOVED this technique and will definitely be using it again and again. This brocade frays very easily and definitely needed an underlining. By employing this method I didn't have to do any hand-basting and didn't have to add a separate lining and my seams have a very professional looking finish.

 

There are a couple of things I look to improve on next time. The top of my vent extension looks so raggedy compared to the rest of the garment. I guess if my serger thread matched it wouldn't be so glaring but I couldn't be bothered to change the thread. Also, in the sample photo from Cordelia Files, she has a very nice finish on her hem as well. I have posted a question on the original blog post and hope to get a response. For this version, I simply serged the edges together, turned it up and hand stitched.

 

 

The pattern is very good for a quick/easy skirt. A simple design. Perfect for letting this fabric be the star. I have used this pattern a couple of times before so I won't write a full review. I did make a test garment as I made some changes to the pattern but I neglected to take a picture. But it IS a wearable garment so I know I will get around to wearing it eventually and post a pic. I ultimately want to draft a skirt pattern using my body measurements. Debbie over at So Sew Easy has a tutorial I'm anxious to try. But right now my body is changing so much. It doesn't seem worth it at the time. My husband and I are on week 6 of Focus T25. I'm down 6 pounds (yay me!) and have a few more to lose. Once I stop losing then I'll take the time to draft the pattern.

At any rate, I also made Simplicity 2151. I've had this pattern in my stash for at least 2 years. When I first bought it, I was intimidated by the button holes and the pussy bow. The fabric is a poly satin that was being discontinued at Joann. I purchased about 3.5 yards for $3/yard. The color is absolutely gorgeous but it's not a very good fabric. It has some discoloration from ironing. I'm not really sure what the deal was but it must be the fabric because they discontinued the entire line. I knew this would make a perfect blouse to pair with my skirt. I'm glad that I tackled the pattern. It wasn't very difficult at all. It did take me a while to complete as I stopped and worked on other projects along the way. I wore this ensemble to church Sunday and received soooooooooo many compliments.

Here's a review of the blouse pattern for fellow sewers.

Simplicity 2151 Pattern Description:
Misses' & Miss petite Amazing Fit blouse with sleeve and collar variations. Individual pieces for A, B, C & D cups sizes.

Pattern Sizing:
Size 6-14. I cut the size 12 for C cup.

Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you were done sewing with it?
Yes

Were the instructions easy to follow?
Yes I found the instructions to be very clear and well-written.

What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern?
I love this style of blouse. I think it's a very timeless piece.

Fabric Used:
Poly Satin. Not very good quality although the color is beautiful.

Pattern alterations or any design changes you made:
I added 1 inch to the sleeve length. No other alterations were made.

Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others?
I will definitely sew this top again. I may need to find this color in a different fabric as I'm not sure how well this fabric will hold up to washing.

Conclusion:

I love this blouse and definitely plan to make more versions. I want one in black and also plan to make a sleeveless version in a lighter weight fabric