Cynthia Rowley Simplicity 2472 Tunic

Cynthia Rowley Simplicity 2472 Tunic
Originally uploaded by actionhero

I sewed up this tunic in a couple of hours yesterday using the Anna Maria Horner voile I bought the other day. I used the same Cynthia Rowley Simplicity 2472 pattern that I used for this dress. I love the diamond motif on this fabric, so retro and fun!

A Spring Dress for Winter

I finished sewing on the sleeves this evening. It was easier than I thought it would be. I think all the pleat markings on the pattern intimidated me. I finally figured out how to insert the zipper too. Essentially, you clip the seam allowance above and below the pocket and fold those sections over to form a continuous seam allowance with the pocket on which to sew one side of the zipper. I don't know if that makes sense, but once I figured it out, the illustrations in the directions completely made sense. Unfortunately, it's much too cold to wear this right now. It'll be on the dress form until spring!

So Far, So Good

I started sewing the Cynthia Rowley Simplicity 2497 dress late this afternoon. I got the bodice and the skirt sewn up. The zipper is on the left side and I think it will probably be sort of complicated to sew in because of the side seam pockets. I must have read the directions a dozen times, but they are a little unclear and the pictures don't seem to match what they're saying. Oh well, I can troubleshoot it later. I really like the blouson effect of the bodice.

Next Up

I have this fabric all prepped and ready for a project. I'm thinking I'll probably use the Cynthia Rowley Simplicity 2497 pattern.

Cynthia Rowley for Simplicity 2472 Dress

Cynthia Rowley for Simplicity 2472 Dress
Originally uploaded by actionhero

I stayed up a little later than I should have last night to finish this dress. It was a relatively quick project, taking about three hours total, including cutting out the pattern and fabric. This is a super simple pattern and only has three pieces since I used seam binding for the contrasting trim: front, back, and bottom band. The dress has Dolman-style sleeves that are cut as part of the front and back. See the technical drawing here. The fabric gets wrinkled very easily, but I love the color. My favorite thing about this dress? No fasteners, it just pulls on over your head! See more detailed photos here and here.

PS Thanks to Mariko for the cute seam binding!

Fabric Depot Score

Fabric Depot Score
Originally uploaded by actionhero

I headed out to Fabric Depot this afternoon, not realizing it was a 35% off sale day. It was pretty packed in the store. However, I did find some great fabric. The moss and brown oversized houndstooth is a corduroy from Robert Kaufman. I had a hard time deciding between that and this other Kaufman print that is reminiscent of Orla Kiely's stem pattern. I'm not sure what I'll do with it. The army green and eggplant colored fabrics are linen/rayon. The red and black plaid is a very lightweight flannel. I've been jonesing to sew, but hadn't seen any great patterns or projects. I found these two new Cynthia Rowley dress patterns, 2472 and 2497, and I think I'll make the shift dress with the eggplant linen. I was also inspired by this Marc Jacobs top and want to draft up a pattern that is similar. I love his oversized sketched plaid fabric. Maybe I could print my own?

Cynthia Rowley Simplicity 2587

Cynthia Rowley Simplicity 2587
Originally uploaded by actionhero

I finished this dress last night. It was a really quick project and it turned out a lot better than I expected. I had made a muslin of this pattern and I was worried because there was too much ease. I thought I would have to make a dress that was two sizes smaller than I normally would make, but I ended up only going down one size and it was a perfect fit! Aside from the size issue, I didn't make any modifications to the pattern.

Simplicity 2587

I had been looking for a new sewing project to start when I remembered that I still had a Cynthia Rowley pattern that I hadn't tackled yet. I am going to make view B of the strappy dress, which is the shorter version. I found this awesome Liberty print, called Sydenham Place, at Bolt. I especially love all the colors. I'll use the dusty pink for the contrasting trim.

Cynthia Rowley for Simplicity 2584

Cynthia Rowley for Simplicity 2584
Originally uploaded by actionhero

I finished this dress tonight. I really like how it turned out. The only modifications I made were to sew in an invisible zipper rather than what the directions called for: a contrasting zipper that is sewn on the outside. I also did not sew the tuck the is supposed to be at the bottom of the dress. I thought it was unnecessary. It's pretty low cut, but with a cami underneath, it should be fine.

Yoke's On Me

Just finished sewing the facing to the yoke and the front of the dress. Once they pieces were sewn together I had to slash it down the center, which I'm always paranoid about because I think I'm going to end up cutting the dress too. As you can see, I used some brown binding that I had in my stash to finish the facing edges. The fabric is thick enough that it doesn't really show through to the right side. I just didn't want to have to go and buy a bunch of facing when I could just use what I had on hand.

Simplicity 2584 Dress

I started working on this project Sunday morning. So far, so good. I had scanned the directions briefly a couple of weeks ago, but for some reason, I thought the project would be more complicated than it is. I wanted to experiment with some different seam finishes and decided to sew some binding on all the exposed seams for a neat professional look. It's definitely taking more time, but I think it will be worth it. I'm using the binding that I have in my stash, so it doesn't all match. I'm still trying to decide if I want to add the sleeves or go for a sleeveless look.

Simplicity 2593 Tank

This is the first completed project using the Cynthia Rowley patterns that I bought. I had wanted to make the shift dress first, but the tank was a quicker project. I sewed this over the course of a couple of days because I started on Saturday night. It only takes a couple of hours to make. I used some Moda fabric I had in my stash that I completely forgot about. I think the polka dots are perfect!

More Sewing to Do

I first saw the Cynthia Rowley Simplicity tunic pattern via Craft. When I searched the Simplicity website, she had three other patterns too. I ended up buying these three. I like the simple lines of her styles. I want to make 2584 first, the dress that's featured on the model. I'm not sure if I want a solid fabric with some texture or a print. A trip to Fabric Depot this weekend is in order!