Queen Cordelia: My Latest Princess-Seamed Shirt M6076

My sixth Palmer and Pletsch Princess-Seamed shirt. I'm definitely on a roll with this pattern!

Been wearing Cordy (excuse me - I mean Queen Cordelia) a lot since I finished her a few days back. I lengthened her sleeve from the quarter length I did for Princess Periwinkle and Marigold, into a three-quarters length. Perfect for a warmer weight fabric.

Cordy thinks she's royal because she's made from corduroy (cord-du-roi /cloth of the king), but according to wikipedia, that was something folks used to just say. Apparently corduroy is just as everyday as I am.

Don't tell Cordy, OK?

Pattern Work: Disneyland with Princess Periwinkle de Nîmes (M6076)

Another M6076, Palmer and Pletsch princess-seamed shirt. I've been altering the pattern (off and on) for a year now, working to get the perfect fit for me.
I think the original sleeve-into-torso seam was somewhat more dropped than what I've ended up with. I'm quite happy with the fit of this shirt - it really conforms to me, and the long curved princess-seams are flattering. Below is a photo of me wearing the Princess, recently,  at Disneyland.

Note that this denim is the very, very light weight variety, it looks more like chambray. Princess Periwinkle comes, of course, from Nîmes, the origin of our modern denim fabric.

A trip to see the holiday decorations at Disneyland with Cousin Martha, motivated me to get the Princess finished!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Denim Discusses source of denim in Nîmes 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Periwinkle_(color) - Periwinkles seem to be related to vinca - a rather invasive European flower a lot of people plant around here, and are then often sorry to have done so! I love the blue color though, much like the one in this shirt. It's also referred to as 'lavender blue' - I wonder if that's where the Burl Ives  song (it's really an old folk song but he popularized it in the 1960's) comes from? I always wondered about that, because all the lavender I know is purple 

EnchBySew-49: Fall Color Sewing

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Click on this link in iTunes   to download the 49'th episode of the Enchanted by Sewing Audio Podcast,  produced in November of 2016. Or listen directly on the web by clicking on this link.

~ ~ ~ This Month’s Show ~ ~ ~

Pensamientos Primeros/First Thoughts: Impact of Color on My Sewing Choices

Technicos/Techniques: Patterning and Sewing Color

Pensamientos Finales/Final Thoughts:Searching for Color in San Diego County 

~ ~ ~ Web Resources ~ ~ ~

Recently I've created several postings related to the fall colors mentioned in this months 'cast,  in my Postcard from California blog http://postcardfromcalifornia.blogspot.com

My regular sewing blog  - includes postings about the princess-seamed shirt Marigold are in the Me Encanta Coser/Enchanted by Sewing blog http://meencantacoser.blogspot.com

Fall Colors: Marigold - A Princess-Seamed Shirt with Sleeves (M6076)

M6076 - Doll is  covering up the phone/camera for selfie mirror shot!

I'm so happy I got this marigold yellow princess-seamed shirt done! Wore it twice on a trip to visit with my cousin in San Diego, and another two times since I got back from that visit.

I cut the original shirt out to be sleeveless (like Western Winds, Floribunda Bouquet, and Pinto shirts), but just a touch of fall rain got me interested in moving away from the no-sleeve look. So...

- I had to drop,  then piece the front and back at the bottom of the armscye, to extend

- I managed to cut sleeves out of a miniscule remnent

- I had to piece MORE scrap onto the sleeve, because I didn't gauge  the armscye changes right

- By the way.... I did not have a working sleeve piece for this pattern so I was finagling with the pattern piece the whole time!

And I still love it

It's all about color

I would never recommend doing this! I have cut out another version of this shirt (using a remnant that needed a home) - to fully test the pattern with the sleeve piece I think..... works.

Had I not loved the marigold fabric, I would have tossed this shirt, or just not bothered to work on the whole sleeve deal.

The artistry of piecing and testing... those are the kind of things that keep me....

Enchanted by Sewing

Ench By Sew-46: Ready Set Sew! - Sewing Style

Click on this link in iTunes  to download the 46'th episode of the Enchanted by Sewing Audio Podcast,  recorded in August of 2016. Or listen directly on the web by clicking on this link.

Ready Set Sew! Sewing my own garments, allows me to define and create my own style.

This Month’s Show 

1) Primeros Pensamientos/First Thoughts
* Defining this sewist’s current style 

* Elements of Style- According to Laurel
-Color
-Design Lines and Fit, 
-Fabric and Drape
-Lifestyle

In reference to wearing fur -We go with what the always charming Felix Bassenak (S.Z. Sakall) said to Elizabeth Lane (aka Barbara Stanwick) in Christmas in Conneticut…

"You need it? Nobody needs a mink coat but a mink!"
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0037595/quotes

2) Entonces/Then
Technicos: Techniques I used for altering M6403, the pattern I used for my black linen summer pants

In Pensamientos Finales, I recall
the importance of
sewing this maxi jumpsuit

3)) Pensamientos Finales/Final Thoughts
Looking back- Sewing myself as a grownup



….

Web and Pattern Resources: http://meencantacoser.blogspot.com/2016/08/floribunda-bouquet-another-sleeveless.html

M6403 pants pattern - out of print but many copies available on the web
M6076 Palmer and Pletsch princess-seamed shirt

Floribunda Bouquet - Terminado! Finished! (M6076)

Summer clothes work around here well into the fall months. So it what well worth my time creating a third version of this summery princess-seamed shirt M6076 (altered -no sleeveless version on pattern). I'm so happy to have  another crispy version of this shirt. Floribunda has already gone out with me on a bike rides, a couple of dog walks, and even slightly dressed up- over my black denim skirt accompanied by a long doubled string of pearls and flat red sandals-  to visit my buddy Marilyn. 

Friend Susan recommended the large black buttons versus a couple of different patterned buttons I'd laid out - they were cute but didn't pop like this big black buttons.

I'm now working on a pair of black linen pants to flesh out my essential summer wardrobe. 

Summer Essential:Foribunda Bouquet - Beginnings ( Sleeveless Princess-Seamed Shirt, M6076)

  I've begun work on Floribunda Bouquet, another sleeveless princess-seamed shirt using M6076                                                                                                              

Been getting a lot of wearing time in with Western Winds and Pinto, so por qué no*?                                                                                 

                                       

 * por qué no? - why not?

Sewing Pinto's Purse (Buttercup Purse, Green Sewing)

Web Resources: "A Purse for Pinto" - Download or Listen on-line  (free) http://enchantedbysewing.blogspot.com/2016/07/ench-by-sew-45-purse-for-pinto-green.html

How about that fabric combination?
Felt great to use up new scraps
and an older remnant 

 In my July Enchanted by Sewing Audio- Podcast, I talked about my motivation for sewing Pinto's Buttercup purse, as well as describing some of the techniques involved in this use-up-the-scraps green sewing project. Here's how Pinto and her purse came together.

Not enough shirt scraps for the bag's outside, but piecing together the remaining bits, made a pretty lining to use inside this buttercup purse. The rosebud fabric was another remnant that had been hanging out in my fabric inventory for a goodly while!

Embellishing Pinto the Picnic Shirt

I've blogged about Pinto the Picnic shirt several times, and I wanted to share a parting tale. 
Or is that tail?
Nothing makes an essential summer shirt sing like the perfect embellishment!

I found these little rabbits in my button inventory. I think I might have purchased them at Button Button in Vancouver Canada.
Did you enjoy that sewist-in-vancouver podcast two summers back? If you missed it or want to listen again Vancouver B.C. Podcast including trip to marvelous fabric store and Button Button http://meencantacoser.blogspot.com/2014/11/ench-by-sew-026-embellishment-via.html

Summer Essentials: Pinto the Picnic Shirt Terminado! (M6076)Sleeveless Princess-Seamed Shirt

Nothing like the neighborhood Fourth of July to inspire me to finish sewing Pinto the Picnic shirt. (I've blogged about my work fitting M6076 - both for Pinto and Western Winds numerous times  ) Pinto is such a cool, comfortable - not to mention cute (!) summer essential. I'm  looking forward to wearing her when I bike to summer chorus and also when buddy Marilyn and I next meet for a cup of tea. I know I'll also reach for her just any old time I reach into the armoire, looking for something to pickup my spirits. I sure hope to create a few more of these sleeveless wonders before fall.

Fitting Pinto: (M6076)Sleeveless Princess-Seamed Shirt - Perfect for Summer Temperatures

The word "pinto" in Spanish does indeed refer to a specific kind of bean
It also means "spotted" or "speckled" !

Last fall I first fitted a sleeveless version of M6076. I called my first version of this shirt Western Winds. I've been reaching for my Western Winds shirt repeatedly in these warmer days. It's on the wash line every time I hang up clothes. To prevent fading I machine wash my own-sewn garments but I hang them to dry on plastic hangers on our clothes line . There is really no more time involved, as the hangers can go straight into the closet once dry.

There is no sleeveless version in the pattern, so I worked out where I wanted the armscye to be cut. A french curve ruler really helps with that. I did create a muslin for that original version.

I'm finding that, despite marking up my first-version master pattern tracing and markup of the master pattern, as well as that muslin, I'm still needing to do a lot of basting on Pinto, both with a basting stitch and safety pins. I'm hoping the altered cutting and stitching lines I just made to the last version of the pattern will help me make the next version of this shirt more quickly! I marked all alteration cut and stitch lines in a specific marker color and dated them too. One thing I've learned about altering patterns is to do that. I've also learned that different fabric, in a fitted garment, need slight differences in the amount of seam allowance.

My side and shoulder seams are still basted. Next step is to sew over them with a regular stitch length.

As you can see I also haven't yet added the facing or collar. To make sure the various seams in this fitted shirt hung right I safety pin basted the two front pieces up the center front line for the time being. I can still pull the shirt over my head for fitting.

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Completed Western Winds - Last Version of this shirt http://meencantacoser.blogspot.com/2015/10/western-winds-terminadofinished.html

Princess Seam Shirt - Blue Sky Pattern Alterations - M6076

Blue-Sky M6076 - With a few alterations

As I'm getting comfortable with fitting this princess-seamed shirt pattern M6076

I'm blue-sky sewing (that's the kind where you don't actually sit at the machine, you just dream it up and plan to get on with it as soon as you can fit it in). My first blue-sky dream, is a sleeveless, denim (non-stretch), scoop neck top, with an exposed zipper. It will be similar to my Western Winds version - but with no collar and a scoop-neck cut away. Also I'll probably tighten the fit a little, since denim tends to stretch when you work with it. I'm thinking either a lining or an inter-lining.

I'm wondering about using flexible stay-tape on the princess seams as well....

Ench By Sew-41: Fit for a Princess – Fitting Princess-Seams

Click on this link in iTunes  to download the 41'st episode of the Enchanted by Sewing Audio Podcast,  recorded in February of 2016. Or listen directly on the web by clicking on this link.



What is a princess-seam? A princess-seam is intended to mirror the shape of a woman’s torso. It’s a long, lengthwise curved seam midway between the side seams and the center of the garment. You might see a princess-seam in a women's nightgown, camisole, swim suit, blouse, shirt, dress, or coat. The lines you’ll typically see in a bustier, or merry widow garment, are a good example of princess-seams.

Princess-seams are sewn into the front and/or back of a shirt. They may start at the low or high hip,  the waist , or wherever the bottom of the garment is. In a fitted cropped top they’ll start at that bottom crop point, in a dress or coat, without separate skirt pieces, they are probably at the hemline. A princess-seam usually moves up to the armscye (armhole) or to the shoulder seam.

Often a princess-seamed dress does not have a separate waistline at all, since it does its shaping without darts. A -Line dresses often have princess-seams.

Well executed princess-seams can add a long sliming look. 

In this episode 

Primero /First  -  Royal Reflection – My own ideas about sewing history and choices I made for my recent princess-seam sewing.

Entonces/Then – Technicos for Princess-Seam fitting – What techniques I’ve been using to fit my princess-seamed shirt pattern

Resources:
* For my princess seam pattern,  I used M6076 0 a Palmer and Pletsch pattern
http://mccallpattern.mccall.com/m6076-products-10887.php?page_id=482


* Coco  Chanel's Sleeves https://cloningcouture.com/2014/08/04/chanel-and-the-sleeve/

* Beyond Fitting - Sewing  Princess-Seams http://www.idlefancy.com/2014/01/sewing-curve-fitting-princess-seams-for.html

Princess-Seamed Aurora - On her Way (M6076)

Slowly but steadily M6076 Princess-Seamed Aurora shirt comes to life. Still primarily basted. Her sleeves feel comfortable, and boy has it been comfortable getting a sleeve pattern to fit!

Onward to real seams.

Cutting Out Aurora - The Princess-Seamed Test Garment

Dear Susan,

More progress on that princess-seamed shirt muslin (M6076)  ...

You and I talked last week, about the troublesome set in sleeves on my muslin. Too tight across the bicep, funny wrinkles in both front and back. You so kindly looked up an article for me as we talked about how I might redraft the sleeve pattern.

Did I read that article? Oh, after you spend time searching it out, I didn't!!!! Instead I realized that I was just so tired of putting my minimal sewing time into muslin work. I wanted to be able to get on with garment sewing - even if it wasn't believing I had a perfect pattern to use for my beautiful piece of Poppy and Honesty Liberty of London Tanna Lawn.

So I simply tried another sleeve - the one we drafted for our slopers, in sloper/moulage class. And you know, it just looked close enough for government work, when I safety pin basted the sleeves in. I had the full rotation for arm movement I needed, and didn't see funny pinches and wrinkles in the bodice. So I went ahead and cut out a test garment - Aurora - a 2 yard, 5 inch remnant from my fabric inventory. Aurora will serve the dual purpose of muslin - getting the sleeves working, and a garment I can wear. 

The garment is the story isn't it? And there comes a point when, I just want to quit drafting the tale, finish the editing, and get it out for reading.

http://www.ikatbag.com/2014/03/subtelties-in-drafting-sleeves.html

Sleeves are Troublesome: Discussion with Susan

Dear Susan,

Here's that princess-seamed shirt muslin (M6076) we talked about. I'm noticing....

* Two sets of diagonal wrinkles across bodice

* Bicep stretches across tight -  but I know for sure sleeve cap should be 3/4 inch longer than curve of armscye. It's not now.

*  I cut back the armhole on this side , so I lost the extra in the sleeve cap 

*  I think the  front pull up means I dropped under arm too much?
* Is the tight bicep maybe because I'm missing 3/4" ease, or because armscye is too low ?

* Hmmm why does back stretch across now? Torso fit fine in the sleeveless version and in this muslin before I added sleeve

I gotta remember to Stay-Stitch those sleeves! Muslin: M6076 - Princess Seamed Shirt - Pattern Work

I cut out the muslin for this princess-seamed shirt a while back. It's the same pattern, M6076, I first started using to create my sleeveless Western Winds shirt back in the early fall. Now I'm continuing to create a sleeved version. This pattern has multiple princess-seamed options (a princess-seam can end up in different spots on the garment) and lots and lots of instruction sheet ideas for getting a good fit. A really good basic pattern.

I'm not instruction sheet oriented - so I have a tendency to forget about stay-stiching! And then I wonder why the sleeve stretches out of shape when I go to set it in! Same deal with other curved seam areas. And it's particularly important when I'm creating a muslin/toile - because this is the time for getting the seams to come together right .

Set in Sleeve test - the outer line is stay-stitching (regular stitch line).
The inner line is a basting stitch for easing or setting the sleeve cap into the
armscye (the curved opening in the bodice)

I added two tucks in the front of the sleeve cap, because after I measured the alterations to the bodice (the armscye line), 

I found that there was too much sleeve cap. I want only about 3/4" more in the sleeve cap, than in the armscye. Also I took note

as to the center of the sleeve - so I only altered the front, the back looks like it has about the right amount of extra.

I must admit, this is not exciting sewing. In the past I always just went ahead and sewed up a pattern and hoped for the best. But I've learned the value of a well fitting pattern. It means I'll get this one pattern working for me - and then I can just zip through future versions, knowing they'll look and fit great and I'll reach into the armoire for them again and again.

I added a one inch seam allowance for fitting a muslin/toile.
Learned this from Lynda Maynard.
I used a double Clover tracing wheel for this - it has two heads.

Pattern Work - Working For My Plaid - M6076 Princess Seamed - With Sleeves

Can't you just envision these pattern pieces and muslins as a red-plaid princess-seamed shirt?

In the November episode of the Enchanted by Sewing audio/pocast, I talked about sewing tartans and plaids. I also mentioned I have plans for a new red plaid, princess-seamed shirt, using M6076. As you may have noticed in my recent postings, Jasper-the-new-pooch has been sewing my slow sewing down even more. Still, I have gotten in some pattern work!

All four pattern pieces have a muslin attached. My next step is to transfer the seam lines onto the muslin, before I begin basting.

 I drew those seam lines  onto the pattern, based on the measurements I took from the sleeveless Western Winds shirt, which I created from this same pattern (altering to create a sleeved version as well as getting a good fit for me). I've really enjoyed wearing Western Winds and got quite a lot of late summer/early fall use out of that shirt - of course here in California it stays warm longer than much of the U.S.

For Western Winds, I cut back the top of the shoulder towards the neck, but I've dropped that back in place for this sleeved version. My new pattern includes lines for both sleeved and sleeveless versions. I  cut with room for either version, then use my clover wheel to lay down the armscye lines, then cut away what I don't need for the particular version I'm making. 

For more description, see my previous post- Sleeved to Sleeveless.

There's a good chance I'll be making a few more changes to the muslin, and therefore pattern, before I snip into that red plaid. I also plan to re-test the new pattern on another sleeveless version, sometime over the next few months. Tried and true patterns take a while to get just so, but they sure are worth their weight in gold.

I store in-progress muslins and pattern pieces clipped onto binder clips  hanging off cup hooks. That way they don't get wrinkles in between sewing sessions, and they all stay together.

Sleeveless to Sleeved - Pattern Work - M6076

The purple line shows the cutting lines I used for altering the original pattern to be  sleeveless
The red lines are my new adjustment lines

Earlier this fall, I first began working with the princess-seamed pattern M6076. The first result was my sleeveless Western Winds Shirt. I really liked the fit, fabric and buttons on this shirt and I wore it quite a lot.  The pattern doesn't actually come in a sleeveless version - I raised the underarm point and then graded the top of the underarm seam to create a well fitting sleeveless version.

My next goal is to create a sleeved version. So far (Jasper is encouraging slow sewing!)  To date, I've just worked on one of the four pattern pieces - the Side Front. 

Once I get all four pattern pieces reworked, and since I made alterations right on Western Winds, I'll probably make another sleeveless version just to test this version of the pattern. Also I have enough clover green linen left from my Irish Laurel dress to make it!

Then I'll be testing the sleeved version in muslin. The main changes I'm making are

1) Taking the end-of-shoulder point back out about 1"

2) Taking the underarm point out 1"

3) Dropping the underarm seam point 1.5"

I went back to Western Winds and noted where I actually sewed my princess-seams
Then I added a new seam allowance, using a Clover tracing wheel
, 1" out from those seams. 

Western Winds Princess-Seamed Sleeveless Shirt- Terminado/Finished!

I talked about the process of altering the princess-seamed shirt, commercial pattern M6076, back in Fitting Western Winds . I used my sloper to work in conjunction with the pattern.

Fitting + sewing made it such that I put off finishing the project. It means the project took a little longer. And yah know how 'tis.... when I don't sew every single day a project looses it's oomph. I wanted to get going with something else new when I had time to sew.

Good thing I had a trip to visit with my dear cousin in San Diego  motivating me to finish my Western Winds shirt. I loved wearing it on the trip, and have worn it several times since. It's still summer-warm in my part of California. Aren't I glad this good warm weather basic didn't become a UFO, because it's been adding a lot to my just-doesn't-feel-like-fall-yet wardrobe.

BTW I simply used bias tape to finish off the inside of the armscye. Por que no? It works great and I had it already.

Fabric was from the "Japanese Cottons" section at Stone Mountain and Daughters in Berkley (in my materials inventory for about a year and a half) 

Horsey buttons were in my buttons inventory - scored them free somewhere. They give it that true western feel, don't you think?