Lutterloh Patterns Come Alive!

Supplement 340 - Model #222 - 2026

 Cape Vest in Sweater Knit

    Hi there fellow Lutterloh enthusiasts. The Lutterloh company has generously sent their newest supplement #340 to me and I couldn't be happier. This flowy cape type vest looked so interesting that I lost no time in drawing it up in my size. I'm glad I tried it in a fabric scavenged from my donation pile because I'm sad to report that this pattern was a total fail for me.

 

Pattern Hints:

    The pattern itself didn't seem to have any problems as I enlarged it to my high bust measurement. The fashion drawing indicates that the shoulders are somewhat dropped below the actual shoulder joint. I didn't want this vest to look too sloppy so I chose my high bust measurement to draw out the entire pattern. Once enlarged my pattern looked pretty much like the miniature pattern except the arm holes seemed to be rotated outward a little at the bottom. Below is a comparison of what the back should look like according to the pattern page and what the actual garment turned out to be.

    On the left is the drawing provided on the Lutterloh pattern and the right represents the shape of my finished garment. You can see where my arm holes are not only rotated out at the bottom but there's also much more space in between them. This resulted in a vest that either fell off my shoulders or drooped down off my neck when I pulled it up to keep it from falling off. Below is a photo of what it looks like in the back if I try to mimic the look they suggest in the front.

 Believe me, I tried so many ways to try to get this to work but it is just too big or at least too wide between the arm holes.

 

Design Changes:

    I made no changes to this design. It seemed straight forward enough but I thought I should test it first. Boy am I glad I did. Below is a photo of what I suspect needs to be changed to make this pattern work.

The rotated arm holes don't seem to be the issue with the fit here. If I were to try this again I would cut at least 4 inches from the center back of this pattern. I measured the distance between arm holes on my largest dropped shoulder top and found it to measure 14 inches. This cape vest measured 20 inches between the arm holes once finished.

 

Fabric Used/Suggested:

     The pattern for this cape suggests a knit and that is indeed what I used. My animal print fabric is a thin, poly/spandex sweater knit. The lining is the same fabric so there is plenty of weight to add to the cascade of the folds. My original plan was to use a sweater knit for the outside and a lightweight solid knit for the lining. I thought it would create a nice contrast when the collar was folded back.

 

Closing Hints:

    Well, even though this garment was an epic fail I feel I still learned something from it. The lesson I take from this is, if it looks a little off then at least measure the pattern to compare it to a favorite pattern or garment. I won't be trying to make this one work. There are too many other patterns that I'd like to try. This vest is now nicely folded and back in the donation pile. It may work for someone else who has a much wider back.

 

Here's hoping your next Lutterloh project is a great success!

Happy sewing everyone, from,

 

Ann in Calif.   

Start with a great base

Tunic length T with added fullness at the hem

 

    Hello again folks, I hope you're staying warm. I thought I'd share one of my favorite holiday looks from last year. You may recall Fonnell's post from a while back 

https://sewingnhumming.blogspot.com/2009/09/difference-between-ease-and-fullness.html   

I used my favorite T shirt pattern to create a swingy tunic to wear over slightly sparkly leggings for casual holiday festivities. In this post I will outline my steps for you. The leggings are from a pattern I reviewed here.

 

The Pattern:

    I have reviewed this T-shirt pattern before here. The important part of this process is to start with a T-shirt pattern that you have carefully fitted to your liking. Your favorite pattern may have a bust dart or maybe not. The alterations to add fullness to this pattern are all done below the waist so your dart will not be affected. Once you have worked out all your necessary fit alterations then the fun can begin!

 

The Alterations:

    The lines I drew in red, where you will slash and spread the pattern, all occur from the waist down so the fit on top is mostly unaffected. 

Below is a photo of a scaled down back pattern piece against the actual finished garment.                                                          

Feel free to practice this on paper in a smaller scale just to get the hang of it. Make sure to leave the paper attached at the side and back seams to make it easier to spread the pattern to add paper behind it. The white line drawn in the photo is where I created a slightly longer, curved back hem to make sure to cover my behind.

The front pattern piece is done similarly but with one crucial difference. Because I still wanted to cut the front in one piece, on the fold of the fabric, I only cut the center and side spread lines to add fullness to the sides but not the center of my front piece. Again the white line drawn in represents the additional curve I added to make this more of a tunic.

    Once you're satisfied with the fullness and length you've added, the seams will need to be trued to be sure the length and shape of the side seams match. The back will have to have a center back seam now to accommodate the extra fullness in the pattern. This center back seam allows for further tweaking of the fit in case you'd like your top more or less fitted through the waist.

You can see where most of the added fullness falls to the back in soft, vertical folds. This top is fairly fitted from the shoulders to the waist and the drama falls below. 

 

The Fabric:

    This particular top is made up in what I would call a slinky fabric. It is a medium weight knit with a jacquard like animal stripe. The weight and drape of this fabric turned out to be a perfect fit for this holiday tunic. I have made this same top in a rayon knit but find it clings a little to my leggings. I like the feel and weight of the slinky knit better. Most medium weight knits should work for this as long as they're not too clingy or too stiff. 

 

Conclusion:

    Don't be surprised if you need a couple of test garments to get the fullness just right. I sure did. The challenge is to get the right fabric to match the fullness added to the pattern. Now that this pattern has been altered for this shape I will absolutely save it for the next time just the right fabric comes along. 😉

 

I hope you find yourself a pattern that fits to a T. It's worth it to have one on hand that can be a base for any style that suits your fancy. 

Until next time then, 

 

Happy sewing everyone from,

Ann in Calif.     

One Last Nursing Top Hack

 Supplement 271 - Model#70 - 2008

Hidden 2 way zipper under a flap at the bustline

 

    Hi folks, this is the last nursing top, I promise. The new mother is off to a good start and I've discovered that sewing for babies is pretty fun, too. 

 

The Pattern: 

    Once again I used this close fitting T-shirt pattern as the base for this nursing top. The photo below demonstrates approximately where I cut the pattern apart to insert the zipper.

  

My cutting line may appear to be just below the bust point, but my stretchy fabric made the seam end almost under the bust. The test garment revealed quite a bit of vertical stretch in this fabric. Fabrics with differing amounts of stretch may need the cutting line on the pattern adjusted. Once cut apart both pieces will need seam allowance. This is the seam where the zipper sews in. To get the overlap that nicely covers the zipper, I added 2 full inches to the pattern just half an inch above the original cut. After adding the 2 inches to the pattern I marked the fold line at 1 inch and folded the paper to true the pattern with the fold of the fabric.

 

The Alteration:

    The dual slider zipper installed in the seam allows for an opening as large as you need to nurse a baby comfortably. The 21 inch zipper that I used ended at each side seam so the ends are well anchored. To avoid any stretching out at the zipper seam I did use tricot interfacing on the whole overlap and the adjoining zipper seam. The size of the overlap is really something that can be customized to suit your fabric and the wearer. 

 

The Fabric:

    As I mentioned, my fabric is fairly stretchy, both horizontally and vertically. If you want to use a close fitting pattern like this one from 2008 then I would suggest a knit with stretch in all directions. Your favorite T-shirt pattern may allow for a greater range of knits.

 

Conclusion:

    Well, I'm pretty sure I have established that this is my current favorite for a close fitting, basic, T-shirt. It is easily fitted to your figure and infinitely adaptable once properly fitted. 

 

Alright then, I'll close with a wish for a happy new year for everyone! Thanks for visiting the blog.

 

Ann in Calif.  

Another Lutterloh Nursing Top Hack

Supplement 271 - Model#70 - 2008 

Basic T-shirt with zippered princess seams

 

    Hello again. It's always nice to have options so I used this close fitting T-shirt pattern to produce a nursing top with zippers in the princess seams. 

 

The Pattern:

    As I probably mentioned in my review from last month, this T-shirt pattern produces a nice close fitting top with lots of possibilities. This time I drew in a relatively straight princess type seam down the front bodice pattern so I could sew in some invisible zippers. Below is a rough example of where I drew in the princess seam to cut the pattern pieces apart. Don't forget to add seam allowances. 

 

The Alterations: 

    The blue dashes are about where I sewed in the invisible zippers. Truly, this was probably the most difficult part of altering this pattern. Make sure to mark carefully so your zippers end at the same spot on both sides. I marked in a few places down the length of my 16" zippers.

 

The Fabric:

    I used a different fabric for this version of nursing top, too. This is made up in a medium weight athletic type knit. I have made leggings out of this particular knit. This fabric took a press and hem beautifully. A little clear elastic and a cover-stitched neckline finished it off. It produced a very close fitting, sleek looking top. 

 

Conclusion:

    The new mommy loves it! Really that is the deciding factor when sewing for others. I still have one more nursing top design to work out but I'll post that later. 

 

So much to sew, so little time. 'Tis the season I guess. Here's hoping you carve out a little sewing time for yourself. We know it can be therapeutic sometimes. 

 

Happy sewing everyone,

 

Ann in Calif.       

Lutterloh Nursing Top Hack

Supplement 271 - Model#70 - 2008 

Layered front T-shirt w/ nursing access

 

    Hi there folks, me again. If you've read any of the more recent posts you would see that I've been sewing for a pregnant family member. Well, as you might expect, the baby is here now and the new mother's needs are changing. To help her out with her newest wardrobe transition, I figured some discreet nursing tops would be useful. Boy, some of those garments are expensive!

 

The Pattern:  

    It seemed a close fitting T-shirt was the way to go for the modifications I wanted to make. This particular Lutterloh pattern has proven to be the closest fitting T-shirt pattern I've tried. There is definitely negative ease built into this pattern. This nursing top has a double layer front so the inside layer can be pulled down for access. 

The green line represents where I folded the pattern down to create the inner front layer. For the top layer I cut a full front and cut the diagonal line later. The rest of the pattern, back and sleeves, stayed the same. 

 

The Alterations:

    To get the asymmetrical overlay I layered the two fronts together to make sure they were aligned properly then marked the slanted cutting line with chalk and my longest Lutterloh ruler. The red line below represents the approximate cutting line for the overlay.                          

    To avoid any stretching out at the top I did sew a strip of 3/8" wide clear elastic to the top of the under layer. The hem of the asymmetrical overlay needs to be finished before it is sewn with the under layer to form one front unit. Once the front layers are basted together the construction goes just like any T-shirt.

 

The Fabric:

    This T-shirt is made up in a very stretchy rayon blend knit. Because this pattern is for a very close fitting shirt I would suggest that the fabric be lightweight, very stretchy, and have excellent recovery properties. Without lots of stretch this style of nursing top may not work.

    This is what the top looks like underneath when pulled up for nursing access. The two fronts are sewn together at the side seams so it does raise up just a bit on the long side but there is still plenty of coverage to make this discreet. The elastic at the top of the underlay keeps the top from getting droopy underneath.

 

Conclusion:

   This pattern has turned out to be my go to for most T-shirt styles that I would like to create. This is a great base pattern to apply a little slicing and dicing to come up with a new style. My next few nursing tops will come from this pattern but with a few different cut lines to insert discreet invisible zippers. We'll just have to see which style the new mother likes best.

 

Alright then, thanks for stopping by. I'll get to work on another version of this T-shirt so the new mommy will have some options.

 

Until next time, happy sewing from,

Ann in Calif. 

Lutterloh Patterns Come Alive!

 Supplement 316 - Model #197 - 2020 

Comfy robe in Full Figure sizing

 

    Hello again. Since there really isn't anything I need to sew for myself , it seemed appropriate that I continue to sew for the mother to be in my life. It won't be long at all until she'll be getting up in the middle of the night. 😜 

    One of the beautiful aspects of sewing is that you can customize the patterns to suit the wearer. No more buying an XXL size just to get a robe that's long enough! This birthday gift was well received and put to use immediately. 

 

Pattern Hints: 

    This pattern enlarges to a mostly shapeless wrap around style bathrobe. There is a nice sized shawl collar attached that can be made in a contrasting fabric or self fabric like mine. 

    This is a full figure pattern but I don't shy away from them anymore. Pretty consistently, I find that if I use a number on the Lutterloh scale that is 5 dots less than my actual measurement that I end up with a pattern that's the right size for me. Your experience may differ but, if you try out a few different sizes you're bound to find a combo that works for you.

 

Design Changes:

    This robe pattern is so straight forward as well as oversized that there was really no point in fine tuning the fit. Lengthening the hem to fit a taller person was the only alteration needed. I didn't pay any attention to the size suggested for the pockets because I was using a block print fabric. There were several motifs that would have made fine pockets. 

 

Fabric Used/Suggested:

    Part of the reason this robe was such a welcome gift is the fabric I used to make it. The extra fluffy Sew Lush fabric that used to be nearly $40 per yard at JoAnn's somehow was still available on their last days of operation. I scored an entire bolt at just a few dollars per yard. This was fortunate since this robe took a full 5 yards at this length. That's alright, I know she'll enjoy snuggling up in it in the early mornings.

    There are quite a few woven fabrics that would work well for this pattern. Even lighter weight fabrics could work nicely and give opportunities to showcase a contrasting fabric on the shawl collar. If you had a knit fabric in mind I would look for another pattern designed for knits. This one may be too oversized.

 

Closing Hints:

    This robe pattern made a nice, uncomplicated bathrobe suitable in many fabrics. The shawl collar was the feature I was after and it wasn't disappointing. Everything sewed together like it should so I saved this pattern as a go to when I need a special gift for someone.

 

    Now that Fall has arrived I'm feeling like I need a little cozy in my life. I just need the weather to cooperate with the transition into Fall. Here's hoping you're looking forward to Fall too. Happy sewing everyone,

 

Ann in Calif.  

Lutterloh Patterns Come Alive!

Supplement 306 - Model #67 - 2017

Layered Front Knit Top

 

   Hi there folks. We've finally been served up a heat wave here in California so I've been staying inside sewing. This top seemed a good candidate for modifying for nursing access so I thought I would make a sample first.

 

Pattern Hints:

    This pattern was easy enough to enlarge to the proper size. I didn't find any errors in marking the dots and connecting them went smoothly.

 

Design Changes:

   There were a few minor design changes to this pattern just to suit my preferences. First, I drew a longer rounded hem both front and back rather than the straight hem suggested in the pattern. The next change was to narrow the scoop neckline for better coverage in the shoulder area. I find many of the Lutterloh patterns have scoop necklines so wide that they barely cover my bra straps. This change was made to both the main front pattern piece and the overlay. After making up a rough muslin for this pattern I realized that the extra fullness of the overlay made this top look too wide at the waist so I did redraw the side seam to remove some of the fullness. Below is the overlay pattern piece with the changes I made in red.

Fabric Used/Suggested:

   The cornflower blue fabric pictured is a 100% cotton knit. It is fairly lightweight but more substantial than a tissue weight T-shirt knit. A heavier knit like a sweater knit would work nicely for this top, too. I believe even a stretch woven could be used for this top if you wanted to put a zipper or button opening in the back.

 

Closing Hints:

   This pattern will be a keeper for me. Now that the changes have been worked out for the base pattern I can work on altering the under layer to make this top nursing friendly. There are a few YouTube videos that I've found that should help with determining the right shape.

 

 Now that summer is almost over I guess I can start thinking about some outfits suitable for autumn. I'm already loving the colors that I'm seeing in the stores!

 

Until next time then, Happy Sewing everyone, from,

 

Ann in Calif. 

Lutterloh Patterns FASHION FLASHBACK

Supplement 194 - Model #58 - 1989    

 

 Maternity Overalls

 

    Hello again, I hope you're enjoying your summer. My mother to be is growing steadily and I thought she could use some shorts to get her through to the end of her last trimester. I was seeing maternity overalls all over the internet but had to go back to a 1989 pattern to get just the features I was looking for. 

 

The Pattern:

    This pattern enlarges to a very roomy pair of full length overalls. Because of the vintage of the pattern, the legs are tapered, more so than the fashion drawing suggests. I didn't encounter any errors so was able to move on quickly to the alterations.

 

Design Changes:

    The side seam pockets were ample so there were no changes needed there. Rather than have a contrast band at the top, I turned the facing to the inside. The only major change was to the waist. The pattern calls for a casing and drawstring to go around the entire waistline. Instead I put a casing on the inside, with buttonhole elastic only in the back waistline. She can now adjust them at the sides as baby grows. I did also shorten the legs to a shorts version. They now reach to about mid thigh with plenty of length to roll up.

 

The Fabric:

    These overalls worked out nicely in a lightweight twill. They'll be sturdy enough to hold up to many washes but still soft enough to move around in. If I were to make these again I would probably try a linen or viscose blend or even a soft quilting cotton for a cute print version. A stable, mid weight knit could probably work if you wanted something really soft.

 

In Conclusion:

     I did find a few other maternity overall patterns but this one seemed the most adaptable to a more modern version. This will probably be my last maternity pattern review. This mother to be only has a couple months left before baby arrives. I suppose it's time to start looking for patterns to adapt for nursing access. Lutterloh patterns are great for a nice fitting base that can then be changed for styling to suit your needs. 

 

Alright then, I'm off to research some nursing tops before I peruse my Lutterloh books for an adaptable pattern. I hope the summer holds some fun plans for you.

 

Happy sewing,

Ann in Calif.  

Lutterloh Patterns Come Alive!

Supplement 337 Model #197 - 2025  

Sleeveless Maternity Dress

 

   Hi there fellow Lutterloh enthusiasts. Summer is in full swing here in California and my mother to be needed a dress that would keep her cool at work. I was thrilled when I saw that the latest Lutterloh supplement had just the right maternity pattern! 

 

Pattern Hints:

   You may notice that my dress turned out longer than the fashion drawing suggests. The angle of the photo is deceiving but this dress is indeed about mid calf length. I enlarged this pattern to specifications and did not add any hem allowance because I thought it looked long. Sure enough, even on my 5'9" model, this dress is considerably longer than the Lutterloh drawing. This is something you might want to consider if you plan to make this for a shorter than average person.

   The other discrepancy I found was for the placement of the pockets. The photo below shows the pattern piece for the front skirt with the dotted line marking the waist.

I assumed that the "ca. 17 cm" meant that the waist was 17 cm down from the top of the pattern piece. I now believe that this was the direction for the pocket placement. I placed the pockets my standard 2.5 inches below what I thought was the waist and ended up with pockets that were way too low. Oh well, she can still use them but she certainly won't be walking around with her hands in her pockets. Ooooops.

 

Design Changes:

   I only made a few minor design changes to this dress. First was to leave off the tie at the empire waist and I used 4 smaller buttons in front rather than 3. I also added a 1.5" wide shield behind the buttons in case the elastic button loops got strained from stretching.   

 

Fabric Used/Suggested:

   This pattern is designed for a knit fabric and I would agree that at least the bodice needs to be a knit. My navy with white polka dot knit is a vintage, 100% cotton knit from 1989. I know this only because it was printed on the selvage. The bodice lining is a thinner cotton /poly blend. You could likely get away with a drapey woven fabric for the skirt because of all the gathering under the bodice. This would be lovely with a stretch knit bodice and a rayon challis skirt. It would probably be even cooler than my all cotton knit version.

 

Closing Hints:

   If I were to make this dress again I would definitely adjust the pocket height. I would probably shorten it too but the mid calf length would be nice for a fall/winter version. By then I'll be working on nursing tops and baby clothes so I'll just draw it out again in an updated size if needed. I still have one more vintage maternity pattern picked out so you'll have to stay tuned to see that one.

Until next time then.......

Happy sewing from,

Ann in Calif. 

Lutterloh Maternity Hack

Supplement 326 Model #209 - 2022

Knit top altered for maternity

 

    Hello again folks. I recently found out that there will be a new baby in our family so I wanted to help out the mother-to-be since maternity clothes can be very expensive these days. Unfortunately all I had to model this shirt was my paper dress form with a pillow stuffed under the waist. You'll have to use your imagination for this one. 😏

 

Pattern Hints:

    For this pattern hack I looked for a fairly close fitting knit dress with just a few pattern pieces. Just like all Lutterloh patterns this one was easy enough to enlarge. I did draw out the entire dress pattern and shortened it below the shirt length but not as long as the dress.

 

Design Changes:

    I looked around the internet and found lots of pages to describe the necessary changes to make this shirt suitable for maternity. Besides shortening this pattern to a tunic length, the maternity modifications are fairly straightforward. Below is a picture of how I changed the pattern.

    You can see the cutting line for the top version #210. I cut my pattern at the next dot for enlarging the pattern, straight across to the center front. The real change, as you might imagine, is around the waist area. I split the pattern just above the waist mark and added four inches of paper to lengthen the pattern in this area. I also straightened out the pattern in this area to make room for growth. Next, I marked a gathering line from four inches below the armhole to about three inches shy of the bottom hem. I made no changes to the back pattern piece or the sleeve. When I sewed the side seams I gathered only the front to match the length of the back side seams.

 

Fabric Used/Suggested:

    The fabric for this particular top is a very stretchy cotton/rayon with spandex knit. This shirt has enough stretch to take the mother-to-be all the way to the finish line! For a top for a smaller baby bump I would recommend a knit with either less stretch or at least with excellent recovery properties.

 

Closing Hints:

    I'll save this pattern for future iterations, just in case. As long as you can find a close fitting T-shirt or dress pattern for knits this alteration was a breeze to accomplish. I've seen this type of maternity top all over the internet but it's usually only available in basic solid colors. I'm glad I worked out the pattern to give this mother-to-be a little more variety in her wardrobe for this short stage in her life. 

 

    Working on maternity patterns is a nice change of pace for a little while. I may attempt more in the near future since the Lutterloh company has been including a few in their supplements lately. Until next time then........

 

Happy sewing everyone, from,

Ann in Calif.