Saturday, February 25, 2017

Sew Chaotically! - Colette's Aster



I bought this pattern at FULL price and thought it was just the cutest thing ever!!!


I was so eager to play with it....I used this last bit of the flannel I purchased in NY at B and J's to make it up right away.  Not having quite enough for the entire top, I thought my remnants of this chambray paired nicely.  Per the pattern measurement indicated, I cut a size 6.

I was excited to continue plaid matching in fun ways and psyched about using the selvage from this woven cotton flannel as the hem.  However, after I messed around with all that and tried it on, I discovered that perhaps I had mucked it up!!!  The top was (though it doesn't look it on Mannie) WAY too small across my shoulders!  So much so, that I left the sleeves open to the elbow at the seams, in hopes that my arms would still be able to function while wearing it!!!  I worked to convince myself I could wear it.  I let Rosie try it on, but alas, she had problems fitting her own massive shoulders into it as well!!  So....I gifted it to a nurse I work with.  Hopefully, she (and her tiny, little self) can use and enjoy it!!

Not to be deterred - one must live and learn!!! My first thought, "Did I mess up the shoulder yoke when playing about with my plaid matching?" I looked up reviews.  Nobody else mentioned ANY problems with the proportions of the back yoke to the rest of the top.  Bolstered, I decided to try again.  I carefully checked the back yoke pattern piece against Mannie.  Low and behold...to get the width I needed for the back...I should cut the size 12.  Sooooo...after much measuring and re-measuring - I cut the 12 - for all of it.  But, then...pretty much as I expected, I had to take in the sides...back to the size 6. 

But, having done that, I don't know.  The proportions remain off.  Furthermore, the difficulty many had with the burrito method the pattern espouses when attaching the inner back yoke was something I experienced myself.  I ended up doing it my way on this second one, it is clean and neat and worked far better, for me anyway.  Ditto for the way you are to finish the cute little neckline at the facing for the buttons.  I did it differently on both, neither quite as advised by the pattern.  Specifically, the "circle" one is advised to clip to... really does not seem to be appropriately placed.

If you look closely at this review, sew2pro, you'll see that despite this sewist's very cute result, her shoulders are struggling in the space allowed as well!!

Apparently, Colette is designed for chicas with narrower shoulders and bigger tah tah's than I possess.  Luckily, Rosie's curves can work with this last version.  Perhaps with all the working knowledge I now posses I'll give this pattern one more go....but....I'm not sure!!!
For me the Aster was a bit of a disaster!!!  Hee hee!  All was not lost!  I learned a lot about using bias binding, had fun despite the struggles, and Julia and Rosie have new tops that will hopefully give them a bit of pretty fun.  And.....Colette redeemed themselves with their FREE Sorbetto  top...blog coming soon!!!   Sew Chaotically- Lord knows I do!!!! - c

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