Sewers High

Pattern // Vogue 1247

Fabric // Silk crepe de chine from here.

I know! I know! I said less of the fancy this year. But this is the first of a small backlog of un-photographed garments from last year. I'm enjoying the illusion of being a month ahead so we'll just pretend that I'm super organized and on top of my game okay?! Come the end of January, it'll be back to a top here, a skirt there in between, you know, raising human beings and stuff. This is Vogue 1247 and we are in love. If you're into this sewing thing, then you'd know that's its not every day nor every garment where you're blown away by your own sewing efforts. So when it does happen, its all the more special. The stars align, the sewing gods smile down and it makes perfect sense why you do this thing that you do. Sure, there are bits I wish I'd taken more care with. Its not a perfect garment. But staring doe eyed at the finished top and seeing not too much distinguishing it from ready-to-wear is a pretty unbeatable feeling. Like runners high but without the mess.

Ohhhh wait, back up. That was from three feet away. If we zoom in closer, you'd notice the front pieces don't quite intersect at the same point and the shoulder pleats are different widths. I am coming-to-terms-with-being-okay-with-tolerating a few dodgy bits in the face of mostly overall magnificence. Progress Not Perfection. The pleaty problem may have something to do with using broken off chunks of tailors chalk as a marking tool. Since marking vital things like darts and pleats with a thick blurry line, does not make for precise sewing. I've since acquired some chalk pencils. As for the front section where all the triangular pieces intersect, well, I got excited about finishing and ignored the creeping feeling that there may have been some important markings I really should go back and check. So no, the front pieces didn't line up and consequently ate 1/2 inch from each side. Anyway, everything was and is okay. But good foresight in choosing a print that hides all manner of sins.

I feel like I've had this pattern in the stash forever. Actually it may have been the virgin 'adult' pattern purchase. I fell a bit in love with Sallieoh's version and then discovered some of its beautiful cousins, see Closet Case Files, Crab and Bee, Cloth Habit. Now if, like me, you're a girl that likes your tops a bit slouchy, with interesting details (a geometric pieced front section), a mid length sleeve and some cuff action then this one's for you. Best of all, are the finishes. The pattern has french seams, a bias finished neckline and faced sleeves. Things I never used to give a shit about, but am coming to appreciate, deeply.

So, the reason I've been balking for so long is sizing issues among reviewers. The main complaint being it runs extremely large. But now I feel I've surely caught up on every version ever sewn and blogged plus made my own, hopefully I can shed some light. In Vogue patterns, I usually make a 12. However, for Vogue 1247, if you go to the secret, but not so secret section called 'finished garment measurements' on the pattern itself (thanking Sallieoh for this genius), you will find that you can easily size down at least one or two sizes and still end up with a loose fitting top instead of a sloppy ill fitting top. But if its a poncho your heart desires then who I am to judge. Now, if you'd sat me down and said Sophie, you probably should muslin that front section, I would have told you where to go. I figured the best chance for a decent sizing guestimate was measuring and re-measuring and trying on roughly pinned pattern pieces until I felt fairly confident. I sized down two whole sizes to an 8. To keep some length I added approx 3/8" in length and cut the sleeves to the size 10 length. The sleeves could be longer but overall the fit is ace.

The other potential pitfall here is depth of the v-neck . I like cleavage as much as the next person but on a top like this its more like gape-age. On the size 8 the V is fine, but only just. If I'd made even the 10, or the 12, I may legally have had to place warning signs: Beware the chasm! And slightly beware, the bias sleeve facings, which threatened to pull every which and curl up while attaching to the sleeves. This part was actually the most challenging and I'm hoping it will be less so in a cotton voile, for no.2. So really there are only a couple of things but nothing significant enough to be put off making a second one and hopefully no-one off a first one!