Butterick 5277

It has been a while to get this pattern posted and the shots are in the early evening sun so I hope you see what you need to. 

The collar attracted me to this pattern and it still is what I like most about it. My fabric was a heavy rayon crepe and I am not nuts about this fabric (this was sort of a muslin) but this pattern needs something heavy. The collar pieces are cut on the bias and not interfaced.

There were only french darts in the front and back and I added, semi-successfully, a bust dart by copying one from another pattern and adding the extra to the length. I just couldn't figure out how to do a FBA with these raglan seam for the sleeves.

The extra ease that would be accommodated in a bust dart was allowed for in this pattern with easing at the side seam (I absorbed this into my dart) and some easing at the top of the bust incorporated into the front raglan seam. I did use this ease into the raglan seam and did it carefully but I think it still produces a bubble above the bust that you can see as sort of a wrinkle under the collar.

My other issue with this pattern is that these little sleeves are lined to the edge (tricky to do without any wrinkles at all with all that bias going on) and with the way the collar is supposed to close at the back neck.

The edges of the collar (each piece, right and left is essentially just a large rectangle) go straight up even with the centre back and the theory is that you sew hooks and eyes to hold it all closed. Now remember that this collar is not interfaced and on the bias. I spent 3 1/2 hours putting hooks and eyes on and taking them off trying to get it to lie right and not pucker.

In my opinion it is a dumb idea to trust your whole dress to something like a couple of hooks and eyes. 

Which reminds me what's with there only being eyes in those packages these days. Eyes wooble and are weird, those little metal bars were good - nice and sturdy and they held things in place (thread bars are totally useless IMO - I never saw one that the metal hook didn't saw through in 20 seconds). Who decided to take those bars out of the packages? I want to know.

So in the end I just took them off and let the collar do its thing, but really this collar should have been angled out to overlap nicely and naturally at the back.

Finally I thought the underarm was cut away too much. As far as I am concerned it's the armpits that are the first to go and there is not a damn thing you can do about it so don't cut away those armholes.

My verdict?

I still think this is the cutest collar ever and I am going to save it and trace off the neckline (I love that this is a big collar but not tight around your neck) and put it into a TNT sheath.

I am not a thin person but I think I look that way in this dress because the collar is just so balancing. I kept thinking this would have made a dynamite plus size dress if the pattern companies had any sense.

BTW the brooch in the last shot is from my son-in-law. He is one of the best things that ever happened to this family, many a family event he looks at me and I know he is reading my mind. 

He is one of my blessings. I will be glad to wear this brooch.

The housework issue

Wow, thanks for all the interesting comments posted on the housework versus sewing issue. I have been considering this all day and wondering if we all told the truth like this where the real standards are for women with other things on their minds.

Carolyn you can get groceries delivered? Man I checked that out immediately but sadly the only establishment that does it here in the backwaters of Nova Scotia is one of those gourmet places where the blood red oranges are $3 each and the meat is cut for you by a guy with an English accident and wrapped in brown paper for about the same price as buying the cow and doing it yourself. And a person to clean sounds good and I have thought about it but both Rascal and my son's dog Birdie bark like they have lost their minds at the vacuum - how much would I have to pay to have someone put up with that?

And Betsy public areas on Tuesdays, I love it. Does that mean you don't worry about it the rest of the week? Sounds sensible.

I find this very enlightening and if anyone else wants to share what they really do in the way of domestic upkeep I would love to hear it.

Not that I am very good at this at all, more on the level of not wanting my slippers to snap when I walk across the kitchen floor in morning. 

My issue with housework and all that maintenance stuff is that I resent it because it is not creative and more specifically stands between me and that sewing machine.

And not too that I don't make a lot of time for sewing, if you were looking at it like a normal person. 

Tonight for instance my husband came home and  made dinner and as a result I have this dress, the black dress with the cool collar,  last season's Butterick 5277, made to the darts and invisible zipper are in stage.

I am dying to see how this collar turns out and am going to get it done, bathroom window installation or no bathroom window installation (thank you so much for the suggestions to seal the grout, I didn't think to do that and it is so obvious, also on the list for tomorrow). I need a new dress badly.

I have added a bust dart to this pattern too and if it turns out want to show what I hope is an easy way to do that. And if it doesn't turn out I will show you what not to do. 

Later, off to bed. Sewing with Nancy is on at 7:00 a.m. and that's my warm-up for a high level sewing day.