The new Spring Butterick collection has been released. There are no new vintage
reproductions. Boo. And just when The McCall Pattern Company started
producing something other than basic designs . . . last season Butterick gave us historical designs in the retro category,
and this time around . . . nothing.
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| Butterick 6167 |
Oh well. I still have
so many winter weather projects to complete that the Spring collections are
making me feel like I am very behind the times. Although,
if the weather is any indication, cotton dress temperatures are not far away!
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| The blue hair is a cute touch. I wonder if Gertie has a red polka dotted version in her closet? |
There is one new Gertie design that is very cute, and which I am sure I will be purchasing (I
find it extremely hard to resist the call of the pattern drawer during a sale). And the fabric choice is really lovely . . . the flower placement at the bust just makes
it look like the model has no bust at all . . . I am assuming this is the fault of
the floral motif and not the drafting.
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But never mind that.
The thing that bothers me the most is how similar the style lines are to
one of her previous designs, Butterick 5882.
Clearly, the skirt is different. But the new design is just a dirndl. It would be extremely easy to swap out another pattern, or just cut
a couple of rectangles for a full, gathered skirt.
The bust inset is wider and extends further toward the side seam on Butterick 6167, and the shoulder straps are a minor change. But the overall design is pretty darn
close. Or am I just getting too picky?
This Lisette design is also tempting. The front skirt gathers look awkward on the model, but perhaps a different fabric choice would fix that. What I really love is the keyhole detail at the neckline.
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| Butterick 6168 |
And I am intrigued by Butterick 6164. Exposed darts are very 1940s, and I
rather like the shape of the skirt.
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| Butterick 6164 |
Do you have any new favorites? And do you think it is time to pull out the Spring/Summer patterns, or are you still working with wool? Am I the only one who has not finished their winter wardrobe!?! And now I shall resume sewing the hem on my wool skirt!
I agree with you about the newest Gertie pattern. I thought it was just a revised version of the previous dress. I was quite disappointed about this release.
ReplyDeleteI do like that keyhole on the lisette dress, but I think that the last place I want gathering is centre front! B6164 caught my eye too.
ReplyDeleteI see the subtle difference between the two dresses by Gertie, disappointing release. One major difference is that it's drafted for the different cup sizes. There wasn't much that I would buy on this round, which is good because I am abstaining from buying patterns.
ReplyDeleteI wish they'd show those patterns by Gertie on models with curves. If my InstaGram feed is any indication, the women who are dressing #pinup and #rockabilly every day are showing off their curves, and particularly their cleavage. A lot of people who sew and dress vintage are curvy, and they like modern patterns because vintage patterns are usually too small. The dress is pretty in the border fabric, though.
ReplyDeleteDefinitely still working on wool! We've still got six more weeks of winter... Thinking Spring, too, but most plans with vintage patterns.
ReplyDeleteThe level of the seamline on the bust on the Gertie just doesn't look right to me. It is as if it needs more length. Anyone with a c cup or more could look a little silly with that seam going across near mid bust. Great idea, bad execution, IMO. The Lisette, I really like. I think it is one of those designs that could be lovely on many different figure types.
ReplyDeleteSpring sewing is definitely calling me. I don't think I can pick up another dark heavy fabric to sew on at this point. Winter is too deeply set in here and a linen garment would be just the ticket to fight the February mood challenge up here.
My thoughts exactly about the seamline. It needs to be above or below the bust, not through it. Her explanation for her previous pattern with similar lines is she did it on purpose because it helps to minimize a larger bust. I think you should dress to flatter your curves, not disguise them.
DeleteI'm not allowed to buy more patterns unless they are REALLY special, and butterick made that pretty easy this time around... I too was pretty disappointed in Gertie's new dress, it's just not different enough to buy another copy!
ReplyDelete6168 looks like someone drafted a kickin' bodice and couldn't figure out how to get the skirt to echo any element from it (put that skirt on the bias so it flows from the top but takes too much yardage for conventional use). Why is there a 22" zipper AND a wrap belt? Are there a lot of dirndl designs now? Is this the delayed Sound of Music effect? The Gertie shown is clearly the A cup version - being virtually flat I recognize that 'something up there' faux shelf. I would assume there's a set of different cup sizes with that? Which would be cut lower?
ReplyDeleteNothing shakin' my pocketbook open here.
Not blown away either. I agree with Bunny on the new Gertie pattern, although I honestly thought the same thing about the bust inset on the previous one, too (though this one I think is more dramatic, perhaps because of the border print). None of the actual 1950s dresses I've had in a similar style cut the bust off mid-way, they extend to under the bust. So I just don't get what's going on with her patterns in that regard, it looks awkward to me. Especially in the new one, I feel like I'd look like I was wearing an Elizabethan corset-- shove the bust flat and up. lol I love the polka dots and roses fabric choices for the 6167. If only the bust detail wasn't so awkwardly cut off, it would look darling across an entire bust. I'll be curious to see someone with a C or D cup sew it up to see if it gets better!
ReplyDeleteYep, I aso thought that the new Gertie dress was the same dress as the old Gertie dress.
ReplyDeleteI really like this collection! At first glance I wasn't wowed but after taking time to look at line drawings, there are lots of winners for me!
ReplyDeleteI'm in the upper Midwest and will be moving on to "spring" sewing; but MN spring. :) so jackets, long sleeved tops, etc but in lighter (in color and weight) fabrics.
I'm fairly disappointed with this release too... Especially given then she only did one pattern this season, I would have expected a new design from Gertie, not an update on her old one. But, I think there are a couple hidden gems in the release... I saw a couple that I'll be taking a closer look at...
ReplyDeleteOh, you're not the only one who isn't finished with winter sewing yet... This seems to happen to me every year: Other people are looking forward to their spring sewing and still want to make a dress in wool crepe, a tailored suit, wool trousers, maybe another coat... It doesn't help that wool is my favorite material to work with either.
ReplyDeleteI rarely buy new patterns (mostly drafting my own stuff, or using vintage patterns) but I agree that these are less than exciting. And I agree with everyone that the placement of the bust seam on the Gertie dress is odd and that it looks like a slightly adapted version of her earlier one. That was a sort of mock-shelf-bust so it kind of made sense, here it doesn't. And between that and the shaping of the bodice, the model's body looks like a cilinder which I don't think is a look anyone who likes 1950's styles is going for.
And I like the line drawing of 6164 but the pictures are no good. It could look kind of late 1930's if you lengthened that skirt quite a bit...
I was also surprised that the Gertie dress looked so similar to her own previous design. Also, congrats about being one of the finalists for her contest! I'm intrigued to see what you whip up with all that Gertie fabric (assuming you win).
ReplyDeleteI'm honestly really disappointed in Gertie with this design. Not only is it unoriginal (ever seen a Bernie Dexter dress?) but she actually details in a blog post how to alter the bust of butterick 5882 to get that exact look. This is a link to the post: http://www.blogforbettersewing.com/2013/05/new-shelf-bust-variation-in-progress.html
ReplyDeleteOh, I really like the Lisette dress you posted. I have a (knit) dress with that same style of front gathers, and it's surprisingly flattering (and I do not have a flat stomach, ha!) Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteOh that Lisette dress is gorgeous! Love the bodice of it and the neckline detail. I think the front gathering may do a good job of hiding my tummy! It's still very much winter here in the northeast. We've had real feel temps of single digits and they are predicting snow for Monday. Regardless, sewing spring / summer clothes is just what I need right now to get out of the winter doldrums!
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