Lutterloh Fashion Flashback Frankenpattern

 

Vintage skirt meets modern bodice

   Hi there, welcome back. I wanted to highlight the versatility of the Lutterloh system with a little experiment. I made the dress shown in the center a while back but wasn't happy that it didn't have pockets. You can see that review here. I suppose I could have just put in side seam pockets but after making this dress for my son's niece I knew I wanted to try the scoop pockets for myself.

Choosing the components:  

   You may have heard that many parts of Lutterloh patterns are interchangeable. I love the skirt on this vintage pattern from 1972 but not the jumper bodice on top. BTW the vintage pattern is also available in the original 1972 supplement #126, or #307 or the newest Vintage Special Edition. On the other hand I knew the bodice of the dress from 2018 fit well and could be easily adapted to accommodate the vintage skirt pattern. The modern pattern is designed for knits and has an empire waist but my challenge was to make it work with the vintage skirt that sits at the waist.

 

Making it work:

    The vintage pattern is designed for woven fabrics but in a knit I knew it would go over my head without the need for a zipper opening. The real trick was to get the bodice long enough to make up for the extra length that I would lose at the top of the skirt. Below is a picture of one of the skirt panels and the front bodice for the 2018 pattern.

 

   Because the pattern is for an empire waist dress you can see the top of the skirt extends above the waist line. The difference between the actual waist and the top of the skirt measured 3 inches on my pattern. This means I needed to add 3 inches to my pattern between the bottom of the bodice and the waistline for the skirt. Since the 2018 pattern included a 1 inch contrast band I decided to add 1.5 inches to the band and another 1.5 inches to the bodice, both front and back. This brought my bodice down to meet the level of the vintage skirt without giving it a strange proportion in relation to the whole dress. 

 

   Not surprisingly, the pattern elements went together just like a Lutterloh pattern should. The A-line skirt was flared enough at the hips that it went over my head without a hitch and the knit waistband makes the whole dress fit closely without being tight. Since I ended up drawing a copy of my bodice pattern I also changed the neckline to a scoop instead of the original V neck. From the beginning I had confidence that this experiment would work and now I'm so glad I tried it.

 

In Conclusion:   

   I have found that the precision of the Lutterloh patterns allows for lots of experimenting like this. Since this skirt style is quickly becoming a favorite of mine I may look for more bodices, in different styles, that will work on top of this skirt. Perhaps a cross over bodice dress is in my future. I'll certainly keep my eyes peeled for more possibilities.

   If you haven't tried exchanging your Lutterloh pattern elements yet I would highly recommend it. It is definitely worth a try since Lutterloh makes it so easy. Here's hoping your Lutterloh patterns are successful whether you decide to follow them or not.

Happy Sewing Everyone,

Ann in Calif.

Lutterloh Patterns Come Alive!

 Supplement 320 - Model #54 - 2021

     Sheath Dress for knit fabrics

    Hi there folks, here we are, sliding into another new year. It seemed a good time to sort through the fabric stash that I inherited a while back. Well, ..... this piece of fabric practically called to me as I handled it. I was blown away by how much it reminded me of the Tommy Hilfiger apparel I had just seen at the stores! The next step was to find a classic knit dress pattern to replicate the shape. Luckily, with Lutterloh patterns, you can exchange similar sleeve patterns so I knew this model #54 would suit the purpose just fine. 

 

Pattern Hints: 

    After drawing many Lutterloh patterns the process does get quite a bit faster and this pattern was no exception. Without the sleeve to draw out, it is really just two pieces, a front and a back. Your sleeve pattern, whichever you choose, is just one more piece. If you choose to use facings you'll still be using the same pattern pieces.

 

    It seems the trick to getting a really great fit on such a close fitting dress is to make sure the waist and hip curves are in the right places. Fonnell wrote a great post a while back that explains a way to help get this just right. There is a link to that post on our side bar, #7 adjusting for the curves, shoulders, hips etc.

 

Design Changes:   

     I did notice, after enlarging the pattern, that the neckline, like so many others lately, was a little too open for me. I knew I could change that at the same time that I made it a deeper scoop.                                                                         

The photo above represents the changes that I made to the front of this pattern to get the dress I am wearing in my completed photo. I lowered the neckline by an inch and a half and extended the shoulder line inward by a half inch to give me more of a scoop neckline. I also cut the pattern apart below the line for the shorter version so I could add 3 more inches to the length. When altering the back pattern to match, I only changed the shoulder and length. This was always intended to be a casual dress for me so rather than using facings I finished the neck, sleeves and even the hem with a ribbing band.

Fabric Used/Suggested:

    The model for this dress appears to be wearing a sweater dress and I'm sure this would be a terrific option for this pattern. Because it's such a classic shape, there are so many knits that would work great for this pattern. As I mentioned earlier, this particular piece of cotton knit fabric dictated the pattern for me. Unfortunately, I only had a limited amount of this fabric and just couldn't find a way to squeeze out the sleeves. I decided a coordinating yet similar fabric would have to do. I love the result of my intentionally different fabric! The ribbing seemed like the best way to pull all this together and now I have a nice, casual dress to wear once the weather warms up.

Closing Hints:

    I have been looking for a classic knit sheath dress pattern and I think I've finally found it. I made a sheath pattern some time ago by combining two patterns and that actually worked just fine. You can see that dress here. The best part about having a pattern already drafted for the right shape is the ease with which you can draw it again in any size. This one is a keeper!

 

I hope you are all finding some time for sewing or at the very least perusing your Lutterloh patterns for the future. Stay warm everyone.

 

Happy Sewing then,

Ann in Calif.

Lutterloh Patterns Come Alive!

 Children's Special Edition 33/Model #2  

Dress/Tunic for 3 - 6  year olds

    Happy Holidays everyone! I managed to get this dress made in time for Christmas for my little friend. It's always nice to sew for someone who is truly delighted to wear it. The first version I made of this dress was, as the pattern intended, a shorter tunic length.

She'll be wearing leggings in the winter anyway. The most recent version is intended to be long enough to be a dress with or without leggings.

You may notice in the photo above that the pattern has a number of 239. That's because this pattern also appears in Supplement#279 as model 239 from 2010. 

 Pattern Hints: 

This child's pattern is easy enough to enlarge and produces a pattern that is a close representative of the fashion drawing. Once enlarged to your child's designated measurements you can expect a nice fitting pattern for a tunic length dress.

Design Changes:

This time making the pattern I actually stuck closer to the intended use by using a woven fabric and inserting a back zipper. The one major change was to add lots of extra length to the pattern. I added half an inch to the bodice at the cross point and then added another 3 and a half inches to the length of the skirt. I'm hoping it will hit closer to the top of her knee, we'll see.

Fabric Used/Suggested:   

The fabric for this dress is a lightweight cotton/poly printed denim. It's a great weight for everyday, wash and wear, play clothes but can still be dressed up if necessary. I've made up this dress in both sturdy knit and rugged woven and the style just seems to work with a huge range of fabric options. If you didn't mind ironing this would even work in some of those fun novelty cotton fabrics.

Closing Hints:  

I may have found my next favorite little girl's dress pattern. Of course the jury's still out on whether or not my little friend agrees. Hopefully I can get a photo soon and update this post with someone wearing the dress. 

Here's to a happy and prosperous new year! May we all get some quality sewing time in the near future.

Happy sewing everyone,

Ann in Calif.

Lutterloh Patterns Come Alive!

 Supplement 279 - Model#239 - 2010

 

Child's Dress - age range 3 - 6 years

 

 

    Hello again, I hope your holiday season is getting off to a great start. This Lutterloh pattern is also available in the Children's Special Edition #33 from 2013. If you need more children's patterns than are available to you in your collection the special editions are always a good choice.

 

Pattern Hints:   

    Although the Lutterloh symbol for this pattern indicates a dress I would call this more of a tunic length pattern. Most children would need to wear leggings or pants under this to make it an appropriate length. This pattern was easy enough to draw out. Like many pockets of this type I did need to match up the curves on the main dress pattern and pocket lining to make sure they were the same.

 

Design Changes: 

    This pattern is actually intended for woven fabric but I knew I wanted a more user friendly style. Because I used a knit I omitted the back zipper and facings altogether. A stretchy knit ribbing allows this to stretch over the head but still lay flat afterward. Since the neck had a ribbing band I decided to add them to the sleeves too just to make it look more intentional.

    

    I was hoping to make this a stand alone dress so I added 1 ½ inches extra length in addition to the hem allowance. Now that it's done I wish I had added about 2 more inches. I feel like the fashion drawing doesn't quite match the length of the actual pattern. The pockets could be a little deeper too since the skirt is longer now.

 

Fabric Used/Suggested: 

    For this version I used a pretty purple sweatshirt fleece. It makes it easy and comfortable for everyday play-wear and it's super soft inside. Unfortunately I couldn't pick out all the backing from the embroidered top stitching so it will have to wash out over time.😒 

 

    Since this pattern indicates a center back zipper it really lends itself to so many different fabrics. I could see making this up in pretty quilting cottons, chambray, gingham or even a very lightweight denim. Of course since this is a Lutterloh pattern you could even exchange the sleeve for a longer one or perhaps a different style entirely.

 

Closing Hints:  

    This dress went together really easily. The decorative stitching was the most time consuming part. A simple top-stitch or double needle stitch would cut that time considerably. My little friend will be delighted with her birthday present and I anticipate making at least one more longer version for her Christmas present. 

 

Here's hoping you get all your holiday sewing done in time. There's only a few weeks left!

 

Happy sewing everyone,

 

Ann in Calif.

       

Lutterloh Vintage Reprints

Supplement 326 - Model # 238 & 239  

Two Lutterloh patterns originally from the 1970s

 

     Hi there fellow Lutterloh enthusiasts. Isn't it nice that the Lutterloh company is reissuing some of their vintage patterns? Sometimes I already have the original pattern as is the case with these two. It turns out that these two patterns are originally from Supplement 155 from 1979. 

 

    While comparing the original patterns to the current ones I found some interesting differences. The first obvious difference is that the pattern for dress #239 was originally drafted for woven fabrics. Of course we all know that you can use a knit fabric for a pattern intended for wovens with some small adjustments. Fortunately Lutterloh has already redrafted this pattern with knit fabrics in mind. The numbers corresponding to the dots we plot out have been changed for this knit version. The shapes of the pattern pieces are essentially the same but the numbers are definitely not. 

    For the dress pattern #238 the differences are even greater. Below is a picture of the main pattern pieces viewed side by side. You can clearly see that the shapes of the pattern pieces are vastly different.  

                                                   

The original 1979 pattern is shaped at the waist rather than a straight cut from arm hole to hem. On the current version the waist darts are replaced by an inverted pleat below a yoke piece in the back. The shoulder darts are completely omitted. To me it looks like the overlap in front is slightly smaller too but I would have to draw this out to confirm. It's not likely I'll draw this pattern again since I've already got the original. I did find the differences noteworthy and I guess I just wondered if anyone else had noticed.

 

    If anyone else makes this modern version of model#238 I'd sure like to see it. What woven fabrics would lend themselves to this pattern? I have to say I think I'll pass on this one. There are SO many other dress patterns, vintage and current, that call to me from the pages of my Lutterloh books. 

 

    Here's hoping you find just the right pattern in your Lutterloh collection to make your sewing rewarding! Bye for now.

 

Ann in Calif.  

Lutterloh Patterns Come Alive!

 Supplement 325 - Model #2

 

Sleeveless Blouse with peplum added

    Hello again folks. It sure looks like the Lutterloh Supplement #325 is becoming one of my favorites. This is my third in a row from this supp. This pattern is a classic example of how versatile Lutterloh patterns can be with a little out of the box thinking. 

Pattern Hints: 

    Clearly this blouse is a cropped length on the model but this just wouldn't suit my figure. I just used the pattern for this peplum, already drawn to the same size as the blouse. The peplum sewed onto the waistband so easily you would think they were drafted for the same blouse. Model #1 in this supp is already sleeveless so I knew that would work. 

    Unfortunately sewing the bodice onto the waistband was just a little more challenging. I did make a muslin for this blouse and I'm glad I did. Below is the suggested pattern piece for the waistband.  

The length is going to be determined by your waist measurement but what made this more challenging is that there's no suggestion for the length of the overlap in front. That's why I suggest a muslin for this pattern. Whether or not you add a peplum to it you'll want to see where your side seams end up in relation to the waistband. Once the bodice is attached it's clear where the seams of the peplum will land.

 

Design Changes:  

    As mentioned earlier the peplum is an add on for this blouse. Even the model#1 in this supplement is a cropped blouse. The peplum at the bottom added just enough length to make this blouse swingy and fun and yet modest. The original shape of the neckline made me a little nervous once the muslin was made so my neckline looks closer to this below.

 

Fabric Used/Suggested:   

    My version of this blouse is in a super light cotton gauze. I did interface and line the waistband with broadcloth to give the whole blouse some structure. I would imagine this blouse would look equally nice in many fabrics from flannel to swiss dot. Even a stable knit could work as long as the waistband gets some interfacing. 

 

Closing Hints:  

    Although this pattern really needs a muslin first I'm so glad I worked it out. Now I can see such potential for this one. With a little more generous overlap in front this blouse could so easily turn into a dress or even a bathrobe. There are just so many other patterns I want to try............

 

Here's hoping the next season holds some time for sewing for everyone.

 

Happy Sewing,

Ann in Calif. 

Lutterloh Patterns Come Alive!

 Supplement 325 - Model #23

Knit Dress with Curved Godets

    Hello there friends, how is your Summer going? Once again we're experiencing a drought with triple digit heat here in California. It's difficult for me to consider wearing anything but a sleeveless dress. Fortunately Lutterloh always delivers in their Summer supplement.

 

Pattern Hints:   

    As you can see on the model this dress pattern is SHORT. Make sure to paper fit so you'll know if this length is appropriate for you. The curved shape at the front neckline is a little tricky to draw but you can always connect the dots by eye if your ruler's curve isn't tight enough. I also found that drawing this pattern to my measurements left me with a dress that IMO screams for a waist dart.                

Someone with a less curvy figure probably would not have this problem but I didn't want this casual dress to fit too tight so I just added a belt. Problem solved.

Design Changes:  

    As I mentioned previously, this dress was too short for my comfort. In addition to my regular lengthening of the pattern I also added two more inches just above the godets and another half inch to the bottom hem including the godet pattern piece. My neckline is not quite as pronounced as the fashion drawing but I still like it. Next time I will draw the sewing line onto the wrong side of the fabric so it's easier to follow the tight curves. 

 

Fabric Used/Suggested:    

    The suggested fabric for this pattern is a knit and I would agree. Even a stretch woven would not stretch enough for this dress without a zipper and fitting darts. My lavender colored fabric is a super soft cotton/poly interlock with stretch only on the cross grain. A heavier or thicker fabric would provide the body needed to achieve the ruffling effect that's shown in the fashion drawing. If you wanted some contrast you could even make the godets in an entirely different fabric. You really don't need a knit for the godets since they're only at the widest part of the hem.

 Closing Hints:  

     The shaped neckline and curved godets are what drew me to this pattern. They do add an interesting flare to an otherwise simple tank dress. Sewing the neckline was just a little fiddly but worth it in the end. I was surprised how easy the godets were to sew. I just sewed up one side from the hem to the start of the curve and then folded the whole the skirt over the godet to sew the other side into the curve. I can save this godet pattern for another project and even copy the curve of the neckline for future use too. 

 

Although I usually prefer the Spring and Summer Lutterloh Supplements I'm eyeing some from the next Fall Supplement now. Hopefully the weather cools soon so I can wear something with sleeves. Until next time then.....

 

Happy sewing everyone,

Ann in Calif.         

Lutterloh Patterns Come Alive!

 Supplement 325 - Model #30

Elastic Waist Dress in woven fabric

    There's something about the Summer edition of the Lutterloh patterns that always excites me. Some of my favorite patterns come from the Summer editions. It's probably because my climate is so warm most of the time that jackets and coats are just of so little use to me. Now give me a supplement full of dress patterns and I'm a happy camper. So here's another dress from the current Lutterloh supplement. You may want to give this one a try!

Pattern Hints:

    Like so many other Lutterloh patterns of late I found the neckline on this one to be higher than the fashion drawing. I lowered the neckline on my pattern by two full inches in front to achieve the depth you see on my dress.  

The red line indicates roughly where I lowered the neck on my pattern. After establishing the depth I just continued on with copying this curve for the facing.

 

    Also, it may not be as noticeable in miniature but the elastic waistline on this pattern is not a straight line across from the center front and back. The waistline needs to mimic the curve of the hem. It's not that difficult to mark as long as you're using the same curved ruler and make note of the numbers on your curve.   

 

    The only other tip I would mention for this pattern is to either make a cheap muslin or find some way to test where the elastic waistline will fall. I found by measuring up the 55cm that is suggested for the skirt length and inserting the elastic there I was left with a very blousy top portion.

I will insert my elastic at least one inch higher into the top bodice portion for future iterations like I have indicated by the red line in the photo above.

 

Design Changes:

    Because of the double border print I was using I did need to make a major design change. Where the pattern indicates to sew in elastic at the waist I cut my front and back pattern apart into two pieces each, top and skirt. I added seam allowances and continued on with my personal alterations for length and such. I was able to sew the top and bottom back together, adding elastic in the seam, all in one operation. This is when I discovered how billowy the top portion turned out. Determined to make this work, I cut off the elastic I had just sewn in and then cut another inch off the bodice length all the way around. Fortunately this didn't affect the skirt much and I had the opportunity to adjust that billowy top. Once again I layered the bodice, skirt and elastic and serged them all together. Eureka! Now that's what this dress is supposed to look like.

 

    You may have noticed how simply straight the side seams are for this pattern. This always screams POCKETS please! I'm usually sorry when I don't include them and always grateful when I do take the extra steps. 

 

Fabric Used/Suggested:

    Hey Fonnell, do you remember this pretty rayon challis from when we went fabric shopping at the EXPO? My husband even commented how nice it was. This fabric is the lightest fabric I could imagine without actually being sheer. I'm sure in a light background print it probably would be see through. It's a dream to wear and it wasn't too fussy to sew either. I would imagine this pattern would work in a knit too but you may need to reduce the ease quite a bit. Whatever fabric you choose make sure it's a light one to reduce the puffy factor at the elastic waist.

 

Closing Hints:

    Sometimes a really pretty fabric can elevate a very simple silhouette. This pattern, once you get the elastic at the correct level, is a breeze to sew. If you get the right fabric you may even decide all you need is a belt at the waist. It is certainly worth a try. 

 

I'll be taking another look at Supplement #325. I'm sure there are more favorites to find. It's always nice to dream anyway. Be sure to take some time to give your Lutterloh patterns another look. If nothing else but to give you inspiration.

Happy sewing everyone,

Ann in Calif.

 

Lutterloh Hidden Gems

 Supplement #324 - Model #269 - Camisole

The camisole is really hidden under this dress

    I hope everyone had a nice Memorial Day weekend. I've been busy with graduation and prom alterations so my own sewing has taken a back seat for now. I did manage to try out the camisole pattern that was hidden under the dress from last month's review here. The pants in the pic above are reviewed here. I prefer to wear a closer fitting cami under dresses but this one is a definite keeper for a pullover, woven fabric tank under jackets and such. Below is a pic of the tank untucked and without a jacket. 

FIT:    You can see that the neckline fits nice and close but the body of this top just skims my hips. There's no way to get this tank to fit closer without a zipper or opening of some sort. That's fine with me because I would rather have a simpler garment that needs no zipper. 

FABRIC:    The fabric choice for this top will play a big part in how it fits. A drapier, knit fabric could fit closer I'm sure. My camisole is made from a rayon lining fabric. It has a bit of sheen without being a high maintenance fabric.  

FUN:   What makes this pattern a true gem is the potential in its simplicity. Now that I have the fit worked out I have all kinds of ideas on how to rotate the dart and lengthen the body to create variations of tops and even dresses.  

    Before I make any changes to this pattern I'll copy it to a sturdier paper and make copies of the facings in their original form too. Once I have a master pattern of sorts I can lengthen it at the red line to maintain the nice shirt tail hem for a tunic or dress length. For ideas of where to rotate the dart see the post here for a practice pattern shape. 

    Since I noticed this pattern hidden behind another in the fashion drawing I started looking more closely while flipping through my Lutterloh patterns. They don't happen in every supplement but I did find a few more just in the few years worth of patterns that I perused. 

    In the picture above you can see the typical tank hidden behind the sweater on the right. There's also some great leggings in the middle behind the apron and even a bandeaux and shorts set under the duster on the left. The key to finding these hidden gems is to pay close attention to the letter symbols under the model numbers. Sometimes you don't even notice them until you turn to the pattern page.

    I'm glad I noticed this camisole pattern. It's always a nice find when you can use a pattern in more than one way. You may find your next favorite pattern hidden in your Lutterloh book. Have fun giving them a second or even a third look!

Happy Sewing until next time,

Ann in Calif.

Lutterloh Patterns Come Alive!

 Supplement 324 - Model #269  

Classic Wrap Dress for woven fabrics

    Hello again fellow sewists. This current project turned into a dress to wear to a funeral 😢. My friend's mother lived a long, full life. I always admired her sewing too. Here's to you Anne 💖

  

Pattern Hints:     

     This pattern enlarged to my size without any hiccups. Since it's a full figure pattern I used a number on the scale 4 dots smaller than my actual measurement. There are some facings to draw too but they really are necessary to help keep the front of this dress neat and secure. I did find it odd that both the right (ri) and the left (li) piece on the pattern page are suggested at a 130cm length although one is clearly pictured much longer than the other. I'm guessing the number is a typo but just be aware that the tie for the underlap of the front skirt may need to be shorter than the other depending on where you'd like to tie your dress.

    In the fashion drawing this dress is shown with a camisole underneath. In fact there's even a camisole pattern included on the same page. I concur that this dress is too low to wear without some sort of top under it. I didn't make the included cami but may try it at some later date. If you didn't want the extra layer under your dress you could always redraw the angle of the crossover neckline.

    Oh and don't forget to mark a spot on your side seam through which to thread your tie. There is no symbol or mark to indicate this on the pattern but clearly you need one for this to be a wrap dress.  

 

Design Changes:     

    The only significant design change I made was to shorten the sleeves on this dress. I used the same sleeve pattern and just folded up about 9 inches from the bottom, hardly a major change really. I did also draw a slightly wider end to my tie pattern piece. I knew I wanted wider ties than the half inch wide ones suggested on the pattern page. I cut mine to approximately 2 inches wide by 55 inches long with a little flare at the ends. This is what the pattern for the last 18 inches of my ties looks like.

I cut the whole tie on the fold with seam allowances and ended up with ties about an inch wide flaring out to about 3 inches. It was just a tiny extra step to personalize it.   

 

Fabric Used/Suggested:    

     My dress is made up in a dark navy blue linen blend. It's a classic "linen look" blend that's available at JoAnn's Fabrics all year round. This is part of the fabric collection that I inherited from a neighbor. The look I was going for was conservative and respectful. I think this pattern and fabric pairing hit the target spot on. 

    I would imagine many fabrics would lend themselves to this pattern. A nice print would probably add a little fun factor to this uncomplicated pattern. Just be careful about choosing any fabric that's very lightweight since you do need the dress to stay closed.

 

Closing Hints:    

   As wrap dresses go this one is a winner. I'm just not sure how many wrap dresses I need. It's pretty windy around where I live but this dress wasn't too difficult to control. It stayed nice and modest even while sitting so that's another bonus. I'll keep this pattern for a reliable, classic dress but Summer is coming and I'll need something even cooler!

 

 So long for now, happy sewing everyone,

Ann in Calif.