Pattern Review: My Favorite Skirt (Simplicity 2257)

Every so often in life, you find something that just... Works for you. Maybe it's your Starbucks order. Or your preferred underwear style. Or your favorite new cuisine. This is one of those things for me: my favorite skirt pattern.

I actually picked this up for a basic sewing class I needed to complete one of my costuming certificates. The class required we chose from a list of patterns, and I selected this one because it was the only one the Joann's I went to had in my size.

It turned out to be my favorite skirt of all time.

The image of maximum perfection.

I've used it several times to make some personal skirts directly from the pattern, and then altered the length to make the pleather skirt in my circus costume from Costume College and the skirt for Flemeth.

Same Skirt, Different Lengths.

Pattern: Simplicity 2257
View(s): D, E, and C
Size(s): 22, 18 and 16
Fabric(s) Used: Cotton, Linen, Pleather, Upholstry

Clearness of Instructions: 5/5

This pattern is part of Simplicity's " Easy-To-Sew" collection, which is probably why it was suggested for the sewing class I was taking. It is an excellent pattern to learn on: it clearly explains how piping is done, and how to insert a zipper. All of the views are very neatly explained, and the instructions are well organized.

Ease of Assembly: 5/5 

There are only a few pieces to this pattern, so you aren't handling a lot of moving parts. Because most of the edges are flat or only slightly curved, you won't be fighting your fabric through your construction, and the design lends itself well to having the zipper and piping inserted.

Quality of Fit: 5/5 

Alright. Look at the sizes made section at the top of the review. See the wide range of sizes there? When I first made this pattern, I was towards the top end of this pattern's size limit. Now, I'm at the bottom limit of this pattern's size range. It still looks fantastic, in any size I make it. The grading on the pattern is excellent. The width of the waistband ensures a comfortable secure fit, and the skirt is not so flared that you need to worry about it blowing around too much in windy weather.

Is There A Better Way?/Alterations for Others: 5/5

This pattern alters remarkably well. I've decreased the width of the waistband (I remember cutting it down from the top), shortened the skirt hem, lengthened the skirt hem, used unrecommended fabrics (see: my pleather circus skirt) and altered the width (both outwards and inwards) and it just... Works. This skirt is an all purpose day dream.

Overall: 20/20, A+

If you are looking for an all around good skirt, I 100% recommend this pattern. Its comfortable and easy to use, an excellent place to start with learning to sew or to crank out a quick and excellent skirt. 

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Help Help! I'm Allergic to Fabric! AKA The Importance of Fabric Washing

HI, my name is Brenna, and I am allergic to everything. If, like me, you are a person with a wide range of allergies, you may be allergic to Joann’s: and worse, you may think you are allergic to all fabric. Do not fret. Unless you react to a specific kind of fabric post washing (this is rare, but usually it's wool or burlap), that most likely means you are allergic to dust (Joann’s tends to be full of it, don’t get me started on downtown LA), sizing, flame retardant, or a combination of all three.

Dust is exactly what you would expect. Many fabric designs are done a season or two ahead, and wait in a warehouse until shipped. Other fabrics that are part of a store's consistent line are often made in bulk, then stored until needed to be shipped out. 

All fabric has some degree of flame retardant sprayed on it. It’s a safety issue. If you are allergic to flame retardant, you may also find yourself having allergic reactions to cheap clothing stores: multiple shippings from overseas places like China, Vietnam, etc, often mean a ton of flame retardant has been applied to keep the clothing and vehicle safe. 

You may also be sensitive to sizing. Sizing is a chemical applied to commercial sale fabric to help it keep its shape on the bolt, rather than shifting and potentially damaging the fibers or warping the pattern. As a side effect, it often also makes the fabric stiffer: if you’ve ever washed a fabric that was stiff and icky and it comes out happy and soft, that was most likely sizing coming out (I see you Joann's linen. I know your stiff lies). It is also present in commercial clothing, but less so than in fabric.

How Do I Know If I’m Allergic to Sizing/Flame Retardant?: 

You may experience what feels like seasonal allergies when you enter places that have a high concentration of sizing or flame retardant, like clothing or fabric stores. Symptoms can include coughing and sneezing, ranging all the way to throats closing. Some people with allergy triggered intestinal issues can’t make it through Joann’s without a trip to their dreaded bathroom. Others will find that handling or wearing these unwashed pieces for long periods of time give them a rash or hives. These are all signs you may be allergic to these chemicals. 

You can also somewhat build up a resistance to this, like some people do with pet allergies, but I wouldn’t recommend intentionally trying to do this, especially if your symptoms are dangerous or painful, like throat swelling or hives/rashes. Especially when there are solutions, like washing fabric.

How Do I Know I’m Not Just Allergic To X Kind of Fabric?: 

Assuming your symptoms aren’t deadly, you can have a friend help you do a test. Get a small amount of the suspected offender, and cut it into two sections. Wash one section in a detergent you know you have no reaction to (I like Tide Free and Clear or Cheer Free and Gentle, but if you are having issues with detergent, consider Ivory Snow or a baby detergent). Wash one swatch, leave the other unwashed. If only the unwashed one gives you a reaction, you are probably allergic to the chemicals. If both give you a reaction, you may be allergic to that fiber. Common fiber allergies include Burlap and Wool, but technically you could be allergic to anything. Ah, the magic of the human body.

What Can I Do If I Am Allergic To These Chemicals?: 

Here’s where the magic washing guide comes in. You must become a master of washing to overcome these issues. You see, Joann’s is a LIAR. Many of their fabric labels state “do not wash, dry clean only, or Satan will come and ferry you away to the circle for disobedient cosplayers and costumers.”

This is not exactly true. Whereas you probably should not throw vinyl into your hot wash, you can wash a lot of fabrics on cold, then hang them dry. Hell, some can even be dried, if you get an extra half yard or so to account for shrinkage. I have successfully washed: linen, cotton, satin, organza, many upholstery fabrics, most knits, and more. I have failed at washing leather (it was an accident I swear) and faux fur (it mats up. Which is great for distressing if you need it).

To test this, cut two even swatches. If you can spare it, I like 4inch by 4inch, because that tends to catch whatever the pattern of the fabric, so you can see if it's warping. 2inch by 2inch will also work. Wash both in cold water with your detergent, then dry one of those in a dryer and hang the other one somewhere warm and dry to finishing drying. Compare to the original fabric.

If both are unshrunk and undamaged, you can wash and dry your fabric. If the dried swatch is damaged, you can wash but not dry your fabric. If both are damaged, you cannot wash or dry that fabric, skip this next paragraph for advice (or if your fabric is one of the unwashables, like leather or vinyl).

If the dried swatch has shrunk but is not damaged (fraying doesn’t count) but you wish to be able to wash and dry your garment, calculate the percentage of shrinkage (new size divided by original size of swatch) then apply that to the amount of fabric for your final fabric size after washing and drying. So if my fabric shrunk 25% and I need 1 yard for my fabric, I need 1.25 yards of fabric total. 

If you are dealing with an unwashable evil beast, I would recommend you line your garment. YES, it is more work, YES, it is more money, but given the choice between hives and an extra 10$ I'll skip the pizza for a day and get the fabric. Do not let Joann's deceive you, that poly stuff that is labeled as "lining fabric" is not your limit. You can line garments in almost anything, as long as its lighter than your outer fabric. I personally like lining my winter coats in polyester satin: its soft, its washable, and on top of all that its warm. I line my other costumes in cheap cotton: the $1.50 a yard stuff at walmart is good for this stuff. As long as you can wash and dry it and it isn't itchy, it will make a good lining.

Any further questions? Ask them in the comments below!

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Pattern Review: The Yaya Han Underbust Corset (M7339)

Hello beautiful people! Long time, no see! For the second year in a row, I attended Costume College out in Woodland Hills. It's a wonderful set of seminars run by and for costumers (a lot of them historical) over the course of a weekend. It's also a chance for costumers to show off their various creations from the rest of the year: it's nice for me, because it means I can break out all my non-cosplay costumes. There are two main events, the Friday Night Social and the Gala, both of which are usually themed.

This year, the Friday Night Social's theme was "Run Away To The Circus", which let my spooky little heart run wild with dark circus things. Since I had lost so much weight (32 pounds at the point of starting this costume) I couldn't just pull something from my closet: instead, I would have to make something new. Strapped for cash and in love with the beautiful product that Hustle and Bustle Cosplay turns out on a regular basis from her stash, I challenged her and myself to a #cheapcostumechallenge, which you may have seen me posting about on my Instagram. On top of being cheap, I needed it to be quick: I started about two and a half weeks before Costume Collage, and so I opted to use patterns over draping everything.

After digging through my stash of patterns and fabrics. I designed with two rules in mind: I had to use fabrics I had (a bit hard since I have odd widths of fabric), and I had to be able to reincorporate the pieces back into my daily wardrobe (surprisingly easy, as I am a very spooky person). I decided I would use it as an opertunity to try out the Yaya Han underbust corset pattern, Mccall's M7339, and write up a review on it. Here's how it turned out:

Photos Courtesy Catamancy Cosplay; Pictured Left to Right are The Penguin Knight, Me, and Jory

I made some adjustments to the pattern as I went. First of all, as someone who has made corsets for people as gifts and who is rapidly changing size, I didn't want to cut out my size in the pattern: the way the pattern is laid out on the tissue, you can only cut one size. So I traced it off using wax paper.

Secondly, I cut down the back of the pattern at the first fitting stage. I didn't like the height of the pattern in the back for the lines of the underbust corset: that said, I would absolutely keep it on if you intend to make the overbust version, or if you have a lot of volume to your back. 

The pattern calls for steel boning. We all know I was on the cheap costume challenge, so I opted to use what I had for boning: industrial strength plastic electrical zipties. You can buy these suckers cheap at your local Home Depot or Lowes, or order them online. You just want to be sure to get the heavier weight, in 1/4" or 1/2" width. You can cut them with great effort with regular scissors (do not under any circumstances use your shears), or I have recently heard that pet nail clippers work ecellently, but have not tried this method. Round off the corners by clipping, filing or melting them. 

To her credit, Yaya does say you can use plastic boning, but doesn't really specify what it is or where to get it. I also didn't cut using her length specifications, I just adjusted them to each casing as I went. I also added casings 3/4" from the center back (so the grommets have extra support) and to the side front pieces and middle front pieces: the instructions only called for casing on one side of these seams, so I added one to each. I also added a waist tape and don't like how she does the finishing, particularly the bias. I'll get into that in the "Is there a better way" section.

I couldn't resist a ridiculous shot.

Now, lets dive in:

Pattern Used: McCall's MP7339

View: View A, Underbust Corset without Contrast.

Size: Cut Size 20, ended up taking in significantly.

Fabric Used: Cotton Lining, Duck Canvas, Lightweight Wool.

Clearness of Instructions: 5/5

The instructions are very clear: she doesn't throw around weird terms or try to over complicate things. The images are very clear, but be sure to keep track of which color indicates which layer. None of the steps seem nonsensical or unnecessary to the pattern, which is nice.

Ease of Assembly: 5/5 

The corset itself is easy to assemble, if you are careful with marking and matching your notches. The curves are very easy to match, and line up well. However, I do not know how easy it is to put in the cup. I would recommend basting a lot of your seams before you sew them if you are using a slippery fabric. I also forwent the interfacing, because again, I'm poor. If your under layer is a heavy duty fabric like coutil or canvas instead of the recommended muslin, you could also probably get away with that, as interfacing can be pricey if you aren't careful.

Quality of Fit: 4.5/5 

Firstly, let me mention that I could not find the finished waist measurement on the pattern envelope. If I have somehow missed it, please let me know. I did, however, find it on the center front piece of the pattern... After I cut the size 20 in every other piece. You will want to check this before you get started. There is also no waistline marked on the center front piece, making fitting a little harder. 

You also absolutely need to make a mock-up of this: I know I always recommend this, but with corsets it's doubly true. The pattern itself, even unaltered, gives good shape: there is quite a bit of curve to the waist, and the hips have plenty of room. I do recommend having a skilled friend fit you, and to decide if you want a gap at the back or not (see Better Way for more on gaps). I needed to take in the hips as my hips are non-existent. She gets dinged half a point for hard to find/a minor lack of detail.

Is There A Better Way?/Alterations for Others: 3/5 

Annnnd here's where I hop on the Complain Train. 

She finishes the edge of the corset by placing double fold bias tape down over the edge and machining it down. I understand that this is easier to explain, but it will be MUCH harder to make look smooth. I prefer to sew down one edge of the bias tape, right side to right side with the front, then flip it over to the back and then hand stitch it down. This allows you to adjust the tension as you go, making the front smoother than the result of simply sandwiching and machine stitching it down.

I cannot find anywhere she mentions this, but many corsets had a gap at the back, which allows the corset to be adjusted day to day. Most people are not the same size every day: people get bloated, lose weight, eat a plate of nachos, have a skinny day, etc, so I feel like a gap is absolutely something she should be mentioning. Traditionally, corsets have a 2" gap minimum: if you find you flux more than this, I would recommend 3", and widen the modesty panel to match. 

Speaking of modesty panels, you don't HAVE to put it in. If this corset is going to be an undergarment, you can forgo the modesty panel: do know that many larger people's flesh will crease along the spine when squished, so take that into account when you are debating your modesty panel.

Now for the big complaint. There is no busk in this pattern. Despite the fact the pattern tells you to go to an online corset supply retailer to order tipped steel boning, this pattern does not call for a separating busk. For people who are used to corsets, this is a minor inconvenience. For those who are making their first corset, hear my plea: be CAREFUL putting steel boning into something that doesn't have a separating busk, because you do NOT have a fast release hatch. Many people over-cinch their first time, and you can seriously hurt yourself. If you want to add a busk, plan to add 1" to the center front, and to assemble the corset in two halves. 

Overall: 17.5/20, B+

I do recommend this pattern. As far as the big pattern companies go, this had the best initial fit I have experienced. The shaping is great, and for beginners, it is a pretty good introduction to underbust corsets. I do have nitpicks with it, but they are things you can fix with knowledge and research.

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