SewLibra:
Kwik Sew no longer makes garment patterns, so sad! I found 3555 last winter on Amazon to replace my beloved Kwik Sew 2953. I'll be using View B with short sleeves. Sizes are XS - XL.
SewLibra:
The differences between KS3555 and KS2953 are more than I thought. Other than no back pleat on 3555, the sizing is smaller as well as some minor details. I cut into 2953 many years ago and taped my alterations on it. Now I trace all my patterns!
SewLibra:
I'm using 55% linen/45% rayon off-white fabric from Cali Fabrics. I bought cool looking olive square buttons to go with my palm print pants and shorts with olive tops, but I might use wood buttons to keep the shirt neutral and more versatile. We'll see!
SewLibra:
Spoiler alert: I used the wood button in my buttonhole foot and gave it a slight more room, but the buttonholes were still quite small. The square olive buttons fit better so that's what I used. They do look nice with the palm print!
SewLibra:
I compared my old pattern with the 3555, but sometimes I like to pin pattern pieces on my dress form to see how the sizing looks. Finished bust measurement was provided so I knew I'd need an FBA.
SewLibra:
I slapped some painter's tape on for a side seam, but it's in the wrong place. Should be further toward the front. I purchased some draping tape so soon I'll mark the true side seams and waist with that.
SewLibra:
I also pinned the back pieces in place to see how much the side seams overlapped, if at all, with size medium. The seam allowance is only 1/4" which is the worst possible! No room for error.
SewLibra:
I didn't want extra width and length in the front so decided on a pivot and slide FBA. You can see it adds more fabric above and at the side of the bust without changing the armhole or length/width of the bodice. I added 1/2" front and back to get 2".
SewLibra:
Pattern Fitting with Confidence by Nancy Zieman is the book I use for all pivot and slide mods. The FBA works great if you don't need more than 4". I prefer this to grading sizes at the bust, as the side seams stay straight so no lump to ease in.
SewLibra:
After cutting I saw a black flaw in a sleeve. I tried alcohol then OxiClean. Nope. Come to find out it was a stray thread woven in and I was able to carefully pick it out. I had enough to cut another sleeve but happy not to waste the fabric.
SewLibra:
As I cut out my pattern pieces I was careful to not cut into this cool looking selvage any more than necessary so I could save it. I have no idea what for, but someday something will look nice with this as trim. It looks like denim!
SewLibra:
I had used the pockets from the pattern that have the 3 point bottom. They looked crooked so unpicked, repositioned, sewed on again. I had stitched close to the edge but the points didn't curve around the bust right so I drafted my own round pockets.
SewLibra:
For topstitching I like to leave long tail threads so I can pull the upper thread to the back, tie with the lower thread, bury the thread on the wrong side then cllp. No backstitching shows on the right side, no thread tail on the wrong side.
SewLibra:
This 1/4" foot was my best friend for most of the seams. 1/4" seam allowance with fraying rayon/linen was not a good combo!
SewLibra:
I was playing around with my wood buttons and olive buttons. This shows my original 3 point pockets. They looked great flat but I hated the look when I put on the shirt! Thus, on to rounded pockets.
SewLibra:
I used my usual needle and thread trick to pull the points from the collar to be sharp. They turned out pretty good, though the loose weave of the linen made it harder than usual.
SewLibra:
Argh...the collar band. I marked the curves to make sure each side would be the same, and they were. So far so good...but not for long.
SewLibra:
I tried really hard to get a smooth look of the collar band and collar join. I prefer to press in the seam allowance on the side that will be sewn last before attaching to the bodice. Ivory on ivory is hard to see, sorry!
SewLibra:
Again, fraying fabric with 1/4" seam allowances about did me in. I basted the collar band to the neckline first in this case.
SewLibra:
For the second side of the stand I used a hand blind stitch then topstitched all around. Most times I only topstitch at the neck edge because I have difficulty around those small curved ends.
SewLibra:
Pressing the serged sleeve seams toward the bodice, then those seams will be topsitched. There is topstitching on the pockets, yoke (burrito method), front facing, collar, hems and I added it to the side seams as well.
SewLibra:
From the outside it looks like French seams, which I obviously couldn't do with 1/4" seams.
SewLibra:
For the short sleeves I pressed up a 3/4" hem, serged the edge, pressed back into place and topstitched.
SewLibra:
The main hem is serged, folded over twice, pressed and topstitched with an edge stitch foot.
SewLibra:
Using the edge stitch foot on my hem. Normally I wouldn't want the bobbin side to be on the right side but my thread was an exact match. Besides, this ensures I catch the edge!
SewLibra:
Instead of backstitching at the center fronts of the hem, I left long tails, pulled through to the back, tied and buried just as I had done on the pockets.
SewLibra:
I got this ruler primarily to help with buttonhole placement, but it should come in handy for other tasks too.
SewLibra:
After making trial buttonholes on my interfaced scraps, I chose this buttonhole. Some I tried stalled and this one didn't. My thread is an exact match to the fabric so I didn't care what shape, I just didn't want DRAMA!
