Vogue 1414

Once again it's time to make samples. This time its for a silk blouse class I will be teaching in March at Haberman's.  The class is intended to teach skills and techniques for sewing with silky type fabrics, silk in particular, while constructing this lovely Anne Klein styled shirt using Vogue pattern #1414.

Vogue #1414

The shirt was made using a rather expensive medium weight silk charmeuse in this Asian inspired print. The pattern ran along the crossgrain so I was glad I had just a bit more than the pattern suggested. Otherwise, I would not have been able to match the pattern for the front overlays.

It turned out beautifully though I must admit there are lots of lessons to be learned when working with silk. Cutting out this type of fabric to grain is always a challenge. Having a gridded work surface, rotary cutter and pattern weighs made the job much easier. I also cut the patterns in a single layer to make sure I had control of the grain and to match the patterns for the shoulder overlays on the front -- I know it's hard to notice them in the photos.

Tissue paper, you know the kind used for gift wrapping, was also a godsend here. While I have a single hole needle plate I could have used, it would have limited me from moving my needle around and is a pain to change back and forth. So, tissue paper did the trick of preventing edges from sinking into the needle plate at the start of a seam and it did wonders keeping seams generally under control. It's one of the best and cheapest ways to maintain control when working with slippery fabrics.

Overall, I am pleased with the way the shirt turned out with the exception of the back. The back was the last piece I cut and it appears it was terribly off grain as the hemline does not hang straight. It's the only thing I can attribute to the problem. The round bolt of fabric was displayed in the store standing straight up which made the fabric cascade to the floor on the bias. Perhaps the grain shifted as a result of this, who knows. It is a big disappointment as everything else turned out well.