Lutterloh Patterns Come Alive!

Supplement 333 - Model #110 - (2024)

Button front blouse with ruffle collar

 

    Hi there fellow Lutterloh enthusiasts. Spring is in the air and my favorite sewing patterns are coming together. Since it's so warm where I live I find the Winter sewing patterns often don't appeal as much to me. This particular blouse pattern is actually sleeveless but the ruffle collar is so wide that it covers the shoulders too. I have paired it with a new skirt reviewed in my last blog post here.

 

Pattern Hints:

    There didn't seem to be any anomalies when drawing out this pattern. The only trouble I ran into was when trying to connect the dots for the huge circular collar. The back of the collar is a very large, sweeping curve so I couldn't find any spot on my rulers that would connect the dots. I ended up just drawing in the curve by hand and then adjusting it further in sections with my ruler.

 

Design Changes:

    When I initially saw this pattern I was attracted to the ruffled collar. I wanted to exaggerate the ruffles but I'm afraid I may have gone too far. I sliced open the pattern piece in four places around the half circle, leaving the slits attached at the inner edge. I spread the slits about a half inch in each spot and added paper behind to complete the pattern piece. My mistake was where I added the fullness. I should have only added the fullness in the back. Because two of my additions were at the shoulder and the front I ended up with quite a bit of ruffling around the button placket. I don't hate it but it wasn't exactly what I was aiming for. Before I put the pattern away I removed this fullness in the collar piece.

    Because my collar was more ruffly, even where it joined the neckline, I decided to add a facing on the inside rather than the binding that seems to be suggested. This worked really well so I will do this again in future iterations. The only other change was to add some long fitting darts both in the front and back. This blouse really is as loose and billowy as it appears in the fashion drawing.

 

Fabric Used/Suggested:

    My blouse is made up in a lightweight cotton/poly fabric. I would say this is a lawn fabric but I'm not 100% certain. This was an inherited fabric from a dear neighbor. This blouse pattern, although recommended for a woven, could probably be made from a knit fabric as long as it's lightweight and drapey. The important point here is that your fabric, either woven or knit, is both lightweight and drapeable. Any stiffness to your fabric will result in a collar that stands out at the shoulders and a bodice that billows out way from the body.

 

Closing Hints:

    Now that I've figured out the fullness in the ruffled collar I would say this pattern is a keeper. It feels feminine and flirty but still not too formal. I like how it dresses up a simple skirt or jeans without looking too fussy. I'll likely make another one in a print fabric just for fun. This should make a really nice transition from Spring to Summer.

 

Here's hoping you find some favorite patterns of your own for some Spring or Summer sewing. Until next time.....

 

Happy sewing from,

Ann in Calif.

Lutterloh Patterns Come Alive

Supplement 272 - Model #212 - 2009

Jeans style skirt with shaped waistband

 

   Hello again Lutterloh sewists. I know it's been a minute since I last posted a project. My son moved just days before Christmas and needed help with some home decor projects. He's all settled in now so I can work on my own stuff again. I had this skirt cut out before Christmas but just wasn't able to finish until recently. I'm so glad I did since this will be a great transition piece for Winter/Spring.

 

Pattern Hints:

   There were no issues enlarging this pattern to my size. My personal fitting adjustments were easy enough to apply. All of the necessary darts are cleverly drafted into the yoke in back and between the pockets and shaped waistband in the front.

 

Design Changes:

  This pattern is a very classic style straight skirt with a shaped waistband. It's not a pencil skirt that narrows at the hem. It just follows a fairly straight silhouette from the full hip. There are no back pockets but there is a back yoke. I had to go back quite a few years in my pattern collection to find this classic that included a shaped waistband but wasn't designed for stretch fabric. Most of the more recent patterns were either designed for stretch fabric or had a straight waistband rather than the shaped style that I prefer. The only minor tweaks I made were to leave off the tiny coin pocket and the belt loops. Oh, and I did make the side pockets deeper because, why not?

 

Fabric Used/Suggested:

   This version is made up in a wide wale, 100% cotton corduroy. I still have at least half the bolt left but that's OK. I find a neutral color corduroy makes a great transition fabric for the mild California climate. Because of the classic shape of this skirt it could be made up in so many different fabrics. Denim or twill would always be appropriate but there's no reason it couldn't be made in a more lightweight fabric.

 

Closing Hints:

   The timeless nature of this skirt really lends itself to so many possibilities. I may make another one in a lightweight twill to take me into Spring/Summer. I'm already working on a lightweight blouse that could really dress this skirt up for a Spring outing. We'll just have to see if some other project calls to me before I find the right fabric for another skirt.

 

Until next time then, 

Happy sewing everyone,

 

Ann in Calif.