May 18, 2014

Pattern Review: Salme Patterns' Double-layer Camisole

Don't you hate how your favorite TV characters never repeat their outfits? (I'm not talking about the Sex and the City ladies; the most unrealistic thing on that show was the fact that New Yorkers would walk four abreast down a busy sidewalk. Everyone knows only tourists and middleschoolers do that).

Displaying my daily me-made wardrobe this May has me actually caring about week-over-week repeats. I could just wear what I had on yesterday (oh look! It's still here on the floor where I left it!) but I won't because it seems gauche to re-gram the same selfie. Looking at my grid of pics on Instagram is a good push to dig through the far reaches of my closet for those items I've sewn and then never worn.

Simplicity 1872 is one such project. Sewn at the behest of Kollabora.com when it first launched, I was never really thrilled with this dress. The flare on the skirt was unevenly distributed, creating too much fullness right at the sides (I have drafted many skirts so I could tell by how it hung that the flare wasn't evenly distributed). I have enough fullness on my hips, thankyouverymuch. I do like the bodice but that sleeve gathered with elastic is just two precious for me:


So in an effort to avoid wearing yet another Scout Tee or Tiny Pocket Tank, I turned this dress into two tops this week. Numero Uno, an easy peplum top, which retained the bodice and an underneath piece that had been attached to one layer of the skirt:



This is the first Salme Pattern that I have worked with though I've been lurking her shop for some time. I completely adore how it turned out and was high-fiving myself for the fact that I was able to squeeze this tank out of the remaining yardage from my pillaged skirt. Her guidelines suggest you only need 5/8 yard for this top, and she's right. I used even less, I think, because I raised the waistline by two inches (I had no choice due to fabric limitations — and also, I am quite short-waisted). 



This top comes together so easily: you sew the outer layer to the inner layer with the straps sandwiched between, which finishes the neckline all around. The little spaghetti straps are easy to make (though in this lightweight voile they feel pretty skimpy, which worries me that they will not last). The darts are nicely placed. The only change I think I would make is to pinch out some excess along the front neckline. It gapes a little, but that excess can be rotated into the dart the same way that I did it with Burda's Cap Sleeve Dress (another dress I never wear but that's another story!) 
 



One thing about Salme Patterns: you have to add your own seam allowances, which I am fine with. In fact, I think it's a good idea; depending on how you plan on finishing your seams, you may want a different size seam allowance. (Also, it makes it easier to edit a pattern when you are not also mucking around in seam allowances.)

But for a beginning sewer, I think that would be a deal-breaker. I can just imagine the blank stares I'd get if I told my sewing students that they had to add seam allowances.....(crickets).


So there it is: one unworn dress transformed into two wearable tops — and two more days of no-repeat Me Made May! How have you turned a dud DIY into something you can actually wear? And can you think of a TV character (other than Wonder Woman) who wore the same thing more than once?

21 comments:

  1. Somehow I've never really looked at Salme patterns before, but that tank is CUTE. I could definitely see that with nice pants and a cardigan for work (I just got a new job, so I'm obsessing over new work clothes, lol.) The patterns are quite cheap, comparatively, too.

    Anyway, perhaps if the straps are too skimpy, you could make two and twine them together? I've been seeing a ton of RTW tops with braided spaghetti straps recently and it can be quite cute!

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    1. THat's a lovely idea, intertwining the straps. It would still be delicate looking, yet more stable.

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  2. Ooh, what a great save! The tops are definitely more your style than the dress. I really like the double-layer tank. It's really cool!

    Have you ever noticed that Peggy from Mad Men repeats outfits? I loved it the first time I saw her re-wear a dress!

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    1. I was wondering if they do repeats...they're so accurate in other ways design-wise.

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  3. Yeah, even Lady Katharine occasionally repeats outfits. Annoying that TV women don't. Except for the women on "24". They usually wear only 1 or 2 outfits for the whole season for obvious reasons.

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    1. She's a lady of the people for the fact that she repeats outfits! Love her for that (and for her lustrious long brown hair)

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  4. LOVE the transformation! I like the dress too though :)

    I have a small pile of stuff to be repurposed but I'm scared. I don't know why...

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    1. Someone else would have enjoyed that dress very much. It was just too much for me. I love separates too much!

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  5. Lovely! I too lurk the salme patterns and wonder why they're not more popular as they are so beautiful and stylish. All I've seen made up look great. Maybe it is the fear of seam allowances.....

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    1. I think the fact that all the samples are on dress forms and not models is off-putting. I think we like to see what a garment looks like you on a real body before we commit to downloading and taping all those infernal pages!

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  6. i thought the dress was cute, but i REALLY love it as two separate tops! great save! i am so eager to try salme patterns, the lack of SA is actually a huge plus for me. i bought the buttonless shirt dress pattern, now i just need to find the perfect weight of cotton that won't need a lining...

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    1. I like that pattern — you are right about finding exactly the right weight for it. Some cottons that seem good for a shirt dress just get wrinkled and tired-looking when they're on your bottom half.

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  7. I LOVE your remakes! You are super clever. I love the peplum top, it is such a great shape. I don't know that I have a lot of duds in my wardrobe, but I do have one UFO that was heartbreaking. A swooshy skirted vintage sundress with princess seams and gored skirt. I cut right through the centre of the bodice with the serger accidentally! Aggghhhh, I've never had the heart to look at it again. Maybe I should?

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    1. That is the WORST when that happens. Maybe you should turn it into a skirt?

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  8. I love both these tops! I actually just chopped the bodice off a wrap dress and kept the skirt, and am much happier with the new version. Thanks for the pattern review, I think I might go lurk her shop now, too!

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  9. Love these!!! I like the dress, too. But I feel like the two tops are more your style. I think I want that cami for myself.

    April from Parks and Rec has definitely had some repeats. I'm pretty sure other character do, too. And all of the characters from one of my favorite shows, Coupling, repeat outfits. I can't think of anyone else!

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    1. I can see you in the cami. It's a great little top and it uses so little fabric — bigtime stash-buster!

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  10. Oooh, great save! Last year I made a pair of thurlows but I never wore them, so a few weeks ago I cut them off into shorts and have been wearing them regularly ever since!

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    1. I've done that before too with pants that fit right through the top — but just didn't fit into my wardrobe for whatever reason. Who wants to do all that work and then never wear something!?

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  12. I love that! I think swingy camis are a Spring trend (or at least they seem to be in the sewing community!) and I always love a good fabric save. I admire your thriftiness!

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