Butterick 5891 Revisited

Earlier this year I purchased two doublecloth fabrics from Marcy Tilton. They are cotton gauze - lightweight, airy, with a soft drape. One is plaid with checks on the reverse side, the other is solid with checks on the reverse side. Purchased on separate occasions, I was pleased to find out the two fabrics played very well with each other. While not an exact match, the purples are very close, and I knew they would look great together in a garment.

I allowed these fabrics to rest together on my design table for a couple of months, so I would see them often and think about what to make with them. It was a design challenge of sorts. I wanted to use all four sides of the fabric, but I didn't want the finished garment to look clownish or garish. After much consideration, I decided to go with my favorite pattern of the year, Butterick 5891.

The plaid/check fabric was perfect for the collar, as both sides of the fabric show. I cut it on the bias for a bit more interest and better drape.

I love, love this collar! It's not difficult to make, and it gives a sweet focal point that frames the face.

I neglected to take photos of the back, which is half purple, half purple check. Not wanting to feature the plaid, I kept its use to a minimum, trying to balance the overall look with it. There is no cuff on the pattern, but I narrow hemmed the edge to the right side, so I could turn it back to show off the white and black check. I like how that echoes what's going on in the collar.

Some rounded square buttons from Sawyer Brook tie into the square motif that runs throughout the top.

After taking photos of this garment on me, I saw how far off my shoulders the top hangs. I don't think that's the intended look, so if I make this again (for a fifth time) I will cut the shoulders and chest narrower and raise the top of the sleeve. 

I continue to be amazed at what I see in a photo that I don't see in front of a mirror! Things show up that I never noticed while making the garment. Has anyone else experienced this? Makes me think I should take photos while constructing and trying on a piece. Or just pretend I'm a camera when I look in the mirror!

Katherine Tilton hit one out of the ballpark with this pattern. Even with the loose fit, I love this top. The weather won't be conducive to wearing it until spring, but I know I'm going to enjoy it. It's super comfortable and easy to style. And it's purple!

A Tilton Trio: Butterick 5891

Back in June I made Katherine Tilton's Butterick 5891. I liked the shape of the top so much I decided to challenge myself to making two additional, different garments from the pattern, as a design challenge. Here is the first version I made, following the pattern quite closely:

I made only my normal adjustments to the pattern for this version. I added some length to the body and the sleeves, did a forward shoulder adjustment and a rounded upper back adjustment. Just the usual things I do. It was unusual for me to not need to add width to the side seams. This style is very loose fitting, and there is plenty of room for my extra padding.

I absolutely love the collar on this top. I cut it on the bias and it sewed up beautifully.

One design change I made was to add a center seam to the sleeves, so I could insert a decorative flange and button:

Aren't the buttons fantastic? They are from Sawyer Brook, naturally. I was just thrilled when I saw how well they matched. The fabric is cross dyed linen, in a solid and a coordinating textural plaid. It's also from Sawyer Brook, a few years ago.

There's a funny story about this fabric. After deciding to make it up into this top I noticed on Martha's blog, Now Sewing, I had a kindred spirit. She had made the sleeveless top in this pattern out of the same fabric! I had the pleasure of meeting Martha a couple of years ago when she came to shop at Sawyer Brook. Our style aesthetic is quite similar, and sometimes I wonder if we were separated at birth!

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Onward to version two, a collarless jacket:

Studying the pattern, I saw I could omit the collar - wonderful as it is - and use identical center front pieces for a v-neck look. The fabrics I chose are a black linen/rayon blend and a cotton printed with a dramatic dragon design, from Marcy Tilton. On this make, I rounded the center edge. It doesn't show up much in the print, but a close look at the buttons gives an idea of where the edge is.

It's a detail that might be wasted in this fabric, but if/when I make this again in a solid, it will show up nicely. I added the half-moon window pockets for a touch of whimsy. 

Topstitching throughout is done with dark red thread that matches the print.

Another great button match was found at Sawyer Brook. I love being able to sew with the buttons I work with every day!

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And finally, version three, a longer length vest. 

This was one of those makes that changes as you work on it. I started out wanting a go-with-everything denim vest and ended up with one that has a lot of purple in it. None of the purple tops I have look good with it (seriously!), so I made a solid navy crew neck t-shirt. Unfortunately, it was at home, 1000 miles away, when these photos were taken. I had to run out to Macy's and make do with what I could find, which was the v-neck, 3/4 sleeve top you see here. I also forgot my navy pants. Let's just say this isn't styled the way I will wear it!

Anyway, back to the evolving make. As I cut out the denim fabric, I kept wondering if certain remnants in my collection would look good with it. I gathered some of them together, and came up with a combination I loved. They are a linen jacquard, a blue silk dupioni, a rayon batik, and a solid purple rayon twill. I decided to try piecing the center front panels with the fabrics, and once I got into it, I just loved the look. So much for something to wear with everything. But that's what love does, messes up the plan for an end result that's even better than imagined!

As the photo above shows, I used the already cut out front panels as templates for the piecing. I interfaced each of the fabric remnants to give them stability, then I cut out shapes and sewed them together. I worked on both sides at the same time, to keep them balanced. Once the vest was sewn up, I decided to add some hand stitching to bring more detail to the panels.

Wanting a little treat on the back, I inserted a long pieced flange in the center back seam, and topped it off with a button. Just a parting wink!

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But that's not the end of this pattern. Today I started sewing another version of the top with the collar. It's looking good, and you'll be seeing it here soon!

Thanks to my wonderful baby sister who shot all of the modeled photos in this post. Lisa, you're the best!

An Update

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First, a clerical note. I've just made it a bit easier for you to follow my blog via Bloglovin'. There is now a button on the right you can click to follow me. Thanks to Shams of Communing With Fabric for suggesting this. (FYI, the code above has to stay in this post to keep me connected with Bloglovin'. That way I can see how many readers are following me with Bloglovin'.) I'm curious to know how many of my readers use Bloglovin' as opposed to their Blogger reading list?

Second, a big thank you to all who have visited my blog in the past several months, errr, make that the past year. I've been posting so seldom, I'm just *this* happy to see that people do visit the blog in spite of me. So why don't I show up here more often? It's the photos. I don't have a dress form, and my husband's schedule (he's my photographer) and mine never seem to coincide. Then there are the factors of daylight, sunlight, good hair, etc. It's just been too much for me to overcome. I've made the conclusion I need to get a tripod and remote so that I can do my photo shoots on my own. Then I can write about the garments I've been making in a far more timely manner (and I would be out of excuses about why I don't write!). I could also get a dress form, but that's a big investment and I'd rather show the clothes on my body, anyway. So my goal is to get set up with a camera/tripod/remote in the next month or so. Until then, I'm going to try to get DH to take some shots of new garments I made this summer for fall wear. I believe I have a dozen things to show you, if not more!

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I've been a busy gal in my studio all summer long and into the fall. The mojo has been strong, and I move fairly seamlessly from one garment to the next. Some makes are a bit creative, while others are simple basics. I've decided one can never have enough t-shirts, and Vogue 8793 has been getting a workout. It's my go-to pattern for a basic tee, and I also lengthened it for a tunic or two. I also sewed Katherine Tilton's Butterick 5891 three times, switching from a collared shirt to a vee neck jacket to a vee neck long vest. There have been several one-offs, and a copy of a copy of a RTW tunic. So, I don't lack for things to write about - and photograph!

Here's one garment I can write about, a top I made in July, modeled on a very hot day:

This is Vogue 7883, which is out of print. It's been in my stash for a few years, patiently waiting to be used. The lightweight linen had also lingered in my "resource center" for a couple of years, and the two made a good marriage.

I'm tall, so I lengthened the top above the horizontal seam line. In hindsight, I probably should have lengthened it both above and below that seam, to maintain the balance of the sections. I added at least 3", if not 4". I like how the lower sections are layered:

This make was very easy and the top is very easy to wear. Nice and cool in the hot weather. It's not for the autumn weather we're having now, but maybe you gals in the southern hemisphere will be encouraged to try this one.

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On the knitting front, I didn't make a stitch all summer long. There was just no interest. But the needles started calling to me in September, and I jumped head first into a huge project that will take me at least a year to complete. It's designed by Kaffe Fassett, whom you might know from the quilting world. Long before he quilted, he knit (like, in the 70's). We can credit him for making color knitting popular. His patterns were, and continue to be, very intricate and time-consuming explosions of color. His work is like painting with yarn. I've long wanted to make one of his designs, but never found just the right thing. Until now. Here is a photo of the Jubilee Throw:

I've completed three panels and have three more on needles. (There are 24 in all.) It's great to have a variety to choose from each time I sit down to knit. Sometimes I'm in the mood for stranded work, while other times I prefer intarsia. While this is an enormous project, it's broken up into small sections and there are a lot of different stitch designs included. I'm really enjoying it!

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So that's what I've been doing the past few months. Here's hoping I can get posting more regularly real soon. Thanks for visiting!