Pretty in Pink and Puffs

Heather and I recently on Saturday, August 29, took our first official trip to a garage sale (this is the first time I personally visited one). After quickly sifting through several boxes of patterns on the lady's kitchen table and in her living room (she was very kind to welcome us to her home), we found altogether 10 patterns. This was the first pattern that caught Heather's attention. She was intrigued by top's style as illustrated on the pattern envelope. She liked the shirt's stylish collar and puffy sleeves which we do not recall seeing in her size in current RTW. Once we reached 10, we stopped searching and paid for the patterns and 2 folds of fabric.

Heather was very excited for me to make her this top and left the pattern conspicuously in the family room (stayed there for a week before I sewed the top) along with the buttons and the tissue paper on which for me to trace her the same pattern in her size from the given "10".





For some strange reason, I can easily imagine Jan Brady wearing those types of tops, especially the one with the big collar. It's so "her"!

Special thanks to Annette ("Idunna" on Pattern Review) for sharing pictures of her wearing tops made from same pattern. She looks groooooovy!





Pattern Description
From 1974: "Girls' top and bell-bottom pants". The tops with front seam interest features "V" shaped neckline, short set-in sleeves tathered to sleeve band, fornt button closing and tie ends.


Size
Girls' size 10.


Fabric
When her picture taken day was scheduled for Tuesday, September 8, she reminded me again that she wanted to wear the top pictured on this pattern and would like me to make the top in the pink cheetah fabric in a cotton/rayon blend that we purchased days earlier from W-Mart. When Heather tried this top on (just prior to adding the puffed sleeves), her dad joked her about being ready to fly with her wings on. I was certain the collar reminded him of plane flaps. Heather looked at him quizically.







Favorite Features
*Large Peter Pan style collar. I like the ease of construction and placement along the front neckline. I cut 4 pieces, interfaced a pair, sewed each pair right sides together, turned each pair inside out, topstitched the edges, and basted the edge that would be stitched onto the neckline. Each collar flap extended from the shoulder seam to about 3/4" from the front corner.

*Puffed sleeves with band

*Curved upper and lower bodice

*Upper bodice is gathered at lower edge

*Top-stitched edges

*Contains a back facing piece

*Nicely drafted


Not-so-favorite features
* We were not able to find a pattern in a smaller size (i.e. girls' size "7")

* Pattern envelope was missing the entire back section of top and one of the piece for pants. I could not find them in the envelope, between other pieces, and in the directions sheet.


Directions
The directions were clear, simple, and easy to follow a la Kwik Sew. I was able to rely nearly entirely on the illustrations. I liked how the pattern pieces, cutting layout, some tips, directions, and illustrations occupied one two-sided sheet.


Modifications

* Traced all pieces of the collared shirt pattern onto tracing paper and adjusted to two sizes smaller

* Drafted the missing back given the silhouette of the front top (upper and lower bodice combined)

* Omitted the side ties that tie in the back

* Used 4 buttons instead of 6

* Sewed the collar band to the edge of the sleeve 'after' instead of 'before' sewing the sleeve seams (flat). I sewed the right side of the band to the wrong side of the sleeve and turned band to the outside (correct side showing). Then I topstitched very close to the pressed-under edge (pressed under approximately 1/4") that covers the seam formed by the upper edge of the band and the lower edge of the sleeve.

* The top is a little loose for her (noticeably in the waist) but still very appropriate and wearable.


Conclusion
My daughter has often requested me to make sleeveless knit tops like the ones I have been making her for months now. She insisted that she button this top all by herself. I was getting frustrated with her forcing the button through the buttonholes instead of turning them sideways to fit into the horizontal slots. I was afraid that the buttonholes would not last with her persistence. "Heather turn them sideways to go with the buttonholes." But maybe it's good for her to practice buttoning her tops without my help. It has been awhile since she has worn a top with a buttoned front because she has been accustomed to the convenience of tops that slip easily over her head.

I highly recommend this pattern for that lovely young lady you know. It seems to be rare to find current patterns of stylish blouses or shirts for girls in my daughter's age range. Occasionally I would find nice outfits in the children's section of Burda WOF.

Saturday Sewing Sale

Last Saturday, August 29, Heather and I went to a "seamstress garage sale" advertised on an email directed to all employess of my school district. The items belonged to the mother of one of the employees who used to teach sewing and other courses. I was curious as to what items would available. The home is not too far form ours.

When I drove past the home, I was intimidated by the many boxes of "junk" in front of the garage and the crowded looking garage. Heather suggested that we just take a look. I agreed and who knows, we might find something interesting. We parked our car near a corner and walked past a few homes before walking to the driveway. The boxes in front contained many odds and ends of colorful fabric that did not intrigue me. Many seemed to be about a yard of remnants that seemed to need laundering. As we entered the garage through what seemed to be the only walkable path, Heather "spotted" some stretchy cheetah fabric and immediately snatched it. It was the only fabric on the shelves that she liked. There was fabric with some interesting print, but I passed for fear that I would stay longer than I should.

Then we met a friendly lady, one of the daughters of the late seamstress/teacher. She asked what I was looking for and told her retro/vintage patterns. She responded that she has a whole bunch of those and pointed to a Simplicity drawer (just like the ones in fabric stores) replete with vintage patterns, of which most if not all were from the 1970's and possibly early 80's. Many were in plastic bags that included their directions and seemed to be missing their original envelopes. Just when I was ready to go through a drawer in further detail, the lady welcomed us to her home and took out two boxes of patterns and placed them on a kitchen table. Heather was eager to locate some children's patterns and became disappointed when most of the patterns were for teens and adults.



She was fascinated with a 1974 Simplicity pattern's envelope having illustrated models wearing flared pants with cute shirts with buttoned front and puffed sleeves. I would also agree with her on this style and would not mind having an adult version of the same style.



There were so many patterns thumb through and we did not have the time to stay so I just picked up what I could easily make such as a 1970 "super simple" from Simplicity. I also took an early 90's tailored short jacket, a la The Nanny (Fran Drescher). Then the lady pointed to the living room where there were more boxes of patterns! Oops! I could not turn down her offer! I found a cute dress from McCall's with a criss cross back and an "It's So Easy" princess seamed top with cap sleeves. There were many "enticing" styles, but what prevented me from not grabbing more than the 10 we purchased were that many of the sizes were in the 8-10 range. Again, there were few children's patterns in the boxes.

On our way out of the garage, I found glenplaid for Heather's skirt. Each folded piece of fabric was $1, a super deal. Altogether, with the 10 patterns, and Heather's cheetah fabric, I spent $12. Just as I had planned, we did not walk out with an armload of stuff.