Saturday, April 23, 2016

Lutterloh Patterns Come Alive!

Supplement 300 - Model #81 - Spring 2016
Loose Crossover Blouse

I have a beach vacation coming up soon so I decided I needed a lightweight blouse to dress up my "resort casual" wardrobe. The very first pattern of Supplement 300 called to me as soon as I laid eyes on it. Once I spotted the chiffon print buried in my stash I knew they were meant to be together. 

Pattern Drafting Hints: 
The first thing I noticed about this pattern is that there is no real closure for this blouse. There is only a narrow elastic band at around hip level that holds the front pieces together so this turns out to be a pullover style. I did find the sleeves, once enlarged, were not going to give me enough room. I have heard this may be a recurring theme with recent Lutterloh patterns so you may want to check the sleeve width against your own arm measurement to be sure. 

Fabric Used/Suggested: 
The chiffon print I used for this blouse is an everyday polyester fabric from the local chain fabric store. This blouse definitely needs to be sewn out of fabric with some drape to it so chiffon certainly fit the bill. Perhaps next time I might try a tissue weight knit or perhaps a lightweight gauze fabric.

Because I knew I was working with a challenging fabric I took some precautions before I started. I first stabilized the entire piece of fabric by soaking it in a solution of a half yard of water soluble stabilizer dissolved in one quart of water. I squeezed out the excess water, without rinsing, before tumbling the fabric in the dryer. Once dry the fabric had a lot more body than its original state. This made it much less shifty and easier to cut. Next I applied fusible knit interfacing to the collar and front crossover pieces. The knit interfacing turned out to be just enough support for creasing without adding stiffness.

Design Changes: 
I'll admit I was tempted to make that collar and lapel piece in a solid navy but I didn't want to end up with just a small piece of the print left. So, other than widening the sleeves and a few other personal alterations for fit there were no changes to this pattern. I knew that the elastic at the hip would not be enough to keep this blouse closed over my ample bust so I planned all along to wear a camisole under it.
  
Closing Hints:    
Every once in a while I'm tempted to buy a fabric that I know will be difficult to work with. However with a little preparation and careful attention to details it can all be worth it in the end. This blouse was not a quick sew by any means. Some of this was due to procrastination but the end result was my reward. My next project will likely be a nice Summer dress just to lighten my mood. I'll think about it while I'm away.

Here's hoping you make some time to sew for yourself.
Happy Sewing,

Ann in Calif.     

11 comments:

  1. Nice versatile blouse- it looks good with the camisole. Thanks for the interesting comment about the sleeves (I wonder what has changed with their drafting?); it is nice to be aware of these things before cutting into the fabric! Rosemary (NZ)

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  2. I would imagine, as with any other pattern company, if they use a different model they will get slight variations. It's always safest to do a few flat pattern measurements with a new pattern just to be sure.

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  3. I have a question, I am new to Lutterloh and I am very please with the out come, now I on the thick side, and I know that I need the measure tape for full figure. And I have that. Now I draft a pattern that has a symbol has a full figure pic. In the regular book, now I did everything it said to do but it was on the smaller size. How do I make it on the Larger size? Do you have an answer looking for a solution ? Thank you...

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  4. The full figure tape is only for the full figure pattern book. Most of us that are rounder do fine with the regular system and perhaps a large bust adjustment. The patterns with the full figure symbol do Not need anything except the regular tape measure. I hope that helps. Those designs are boxy and more full already. Use your regular tape and use your bust measurement and your hip measurement and make the fitting vest and we can go from there. Do not use the full figure tape measure.

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  5. Hello Adelaide,
    Just to be clear, you're using the blue XL tape with the XL patterns, right? There are full figure patterns in the standard book but you must use the standard Lutterloh tape for those. The standard and the XL tape are not interchangeable. If your measurements are close to the upper limit of the standard tape you may be able to use the full figure patterns. If not you may need to find a way to extend the standard tape a small amount to reach your measurement. As Fonnell mentioned the first step should be your fitting vest.

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  6. Ann this is lovely. I cannot see the notches in the collar and lapel,in your photo, did you skip them? If not, how did they work?

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  7. Thank you Susan for the compliment. I did indeed use the three separate collar pieces. The notches are there albeit much less pronounced. When I sewed the lapel pieces on I butted the pieces right next to the collar. Perhaps I should have left a tiny space but I thought the drape of the fabric would pull the notch open. My bustline may be supporting the fabric and preventing the gap for the notches. Now that they're attached and symmetrical I don't want to mess with it. I do believe the interfacing was key for this lapel look. Without it I think the whole neckline might droop and get wavy.

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  8. Wow, looks great on you! I am personally not a huge fan of elastic on or near waistlines on blouses or dresses, but this looks fantastic on you. The only reason I tend to avoid elastic waists like this is I'm short waisted and they always ride up.

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  9. Micksmom2,
    The thing about elastic is you don't have to pull it tight enough to draw it all the way into your waist. You can just use it to put tiny gathers in the fabric. Just use a long piece of elastic for this application. Works for short waist people really well.

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  10. It's absolutely beautiful. Thanks for sharing.

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