A 'Shacket' and a Tunic -- Butterick 6491 and Butterick 6492

Two new patterns from Butterick

for late Summer transitioning into Fall.

Butterick 6491 - Shirt or Jacket

My pattern-maker Stacey calls this a 'shacket' because it combines the best 

of a shirt and a jacket 

(plus it sounds better than a 'jackirt'). 

Some of what you call it depends on what fabric you are using. With lighter fabrics it's clearly a shirt. 

Use a heavier weight and you've got a jacket.  

The 'trees' fabric (sold out) is one
of the wonderful Japanese cottons 
available on Marcy's website.
Each design is limited 
and often sells out quickly
but know we get new designs in 
as often as we can.

Butterick 6491 - Shirt or Jacket

This is a straightforward, easy-to-sew shirt

with pleats at the hem and in the collar,

adding a kicky vibe.

Shorten on the indicated lines on the pattern

if you want a shorter version.

The 3-part sleeves are narrow in this design

so be sure to paper fit the pattern.

If you need more arm room

add to the side seam on the

upper sleeve and armscye

or add a gusset under the arm.

I always like to do a FBA as well.

Butterick 6492 Tunic Top

This tunic top is sure to become

a staple in your wardrobe 

just like it has in mine.

Butterick 6492 Tunic Top

I love the in-seam raw edged pockets

and the curved front lines

are very flattering.

Perfect sewn in a Ponte 

French Digital print, linen knit

or solid color knit.

Happy Sewing!

PS I can no longer get in to 'reply' on the comments.
Bummer Google, this needs a fix.
So Jan, to answer your question:
Boiled wool is probably too thick to use 
with this pattern.
You could use washed wool jersey
which would be thinner.
Marcy's coat V8934 would be 
a better choice for using boiled wool
but it appears to be out of print.

Pleats & Pockets -- Butterick 6459 & 6461

Nothing like a new shirt and pant to welcome Spring!

Even with the wet and gray

weather we've been experiencing

here in the northwest,

sewing with lighter colors and florals

brings on a smile.

Butterick 6461 Pockets Pant, cropped version.

Reminds me of what's to come --

flowers and sunshine.

Keep an eye on marcytilton.com 

for the great stretch wovens Marcy offers.

Butterick 6461 Pockets Pant.

The pants have two deep pockets

on the front leg which add a nice design detail
along with some practicality.
An extra deep hem
offers the versatility to wear the pant long
or to roll up the finished hem for a cropped look.

This top can be worn as both 

a shirt and a jacket.

Butterick 6459 Pleatback Shirt or Jacket.

It works alone as a shirt or as a 
jacket layering piece over a tank or T.

Butterick 6459 Pleatback Shirt or Jacket.

A multi-colored version was created

using different patterned taffetas. 

Pre-washed taffetas waiting to be pressed.

Washing softens the taffeta 

and pressing readies it for cutting.

Taffeta version of Butterick 6458.

Four different taffetas

were used in this version.

Buttons are vintage.

Fabric swatches on pattern pieces.

Always look for balance and harmony

in the design. 

One way to do this

is by shifting swatches around

on the pattern pieces.

Work with one side of the pattern

and then the other
when making design decisions.

In the photo above each pattern piece is ready 
to be cut singly in two different fabrics,
one for the left side and one for the right.

Curving pleats enhance the back.

 Pleats are marked on the inside 

& stitched to the outside.

I like to begin by stitching up every other pleat.

Then finish stitching 
the remainder of the pleats and press.

The yoke was cut double so there would be
more contrast fabric by the face.

The center front facing was trimmed off 
and tucked up under the the yoke lining/facing.

The yoke lining/facing pinned
and ready to be slip-stitched in place.

The yoke and collar crush softly around the face.

Pleats in the back yoke 
repeat the design element
and can be pressed up or down.

Back of the taffeta version.

Butterick 6459 (ignore what it says on the photo).

Happy Sewing!

Pretty in Pink or the Pussyhat Project

It snowed today here in southwest Oregon

bringing great beauty into my world

this first day of 2017.

I was nearly finished 

with my next Butterick pattern sample

and alway love a small diversion

before I completely finish.

Making a couple of Pussyhats

seemed the perfect amusement

When I mentioned the Pussyhat Project

on my Facebook page, 

the possibility of my

stitching up a Pussyhat was mentioned...

Nothing like a special project

to get a girl's creative juices flowing.

.

Happily I found a small bolt of fuschia melton,

a passionate pink perfect for what I had in mind,

a variation of Marcy's hat OOP Vogue 8966. 

Not having the pattern but one of the hats, 

view D I believe,

I measured the circumference,

added a seam allowance (24" total length),

stitched up a tube (11.5")

 and marked a stitching line

(2.5" from each side, 2" from top of hat). 

10" x 23" flat tube with stitching line marked (hat is shown upside down).

I stitched on the line and turned the hat

inside/rightside out. 

Super simple.

Voila! A Pussyhat!!

I ended up making four pussyhats

they were so much fun.

Soft and oh so chic for

the Women's March on Washington

or whatever city you're marching in.

If you are marching and would like one of these hats

please let me know.

If you will make a donation 

to your local women's shelter

I will mail you a hat.

I only have four though...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Addendum: The Pussyhats are all gone...

Our storm turned into a doozy -- 

must be 20" of snow

Lost power for two days.

This means no electricity, internet or water.

Good thing there's a woodstove in the house.

Happy to have it go back on today

with more severe cold coming in tonight.

Stay warm and be well everyone.

ParisTilton Discovers Denim in Paris

Atelier Notify in the Bon Marché

Denim has certainly been claimed here in the USA 

but the fabric originated in France. 

'Serge de Nîmes' ('fabric of Nîmes’) 

remains the sturdy textile adopted by 

businessman Levi Strauss and tailor Jacob Davis 

to create the classic 'blue jean’. 

(’Genes’ was a term the French used to describe the people of Genoa, Italy 

where the first trousers were made.) 

The ‘Born in the USA’, never-go-out-of-style, 

always chic, universally adapted 'uniform' of today 

is definitely the blue jean. 

In the current fashion climate 

multitudes of styles abound 

and jeans are worn all over the world. 

Jeans are an important part of the French casual ‘uniform’ 

of scarf (winter and summer), 

t-shirt, 

jacket (leather, denim or sport), 

jeans (in many colors and iterations)

 and shoes (optional boot, flat or heel).

It was exciting to hear about a new space in the Bon Marché, 

Atelier Notify, 

devoted exclusively to denim and all the ways it can be enhanced. 

(Thanks to ParisTilton tour participants 

Robyn and Paula for the heads up about this.)

With Ken. Photo by Marcy Tilton.

Ken, a graduate of Esmod, Paris,

 was a great help, a font of information 

and his English was excellent 

(always a plus for me whose French is limited).

Atelier Notify will happily customize anything for you. 

The perfect way to make your wardrobe 

uniquely your own.

Choose your fabric.

Choose the style.

Your jeans will be fit to order.

 Watch them work.

At the embroidery machine.

 Adjusting pants.

Enjoying the work.

Discussing the work.

Some of the many embroidery choices.

Embroidered words and images.

The French sense of humor injected into their style.

Each seam has been ripped open.

Whimsical drawings of Paris.

Painted words. Photo by Marcy Tilton.

An added bonus

is the coffee shop just behind the space

complete with a DJ.

Hand made. 

Made by hand. 

Anything touched by the hand -- recognized as being special, 

unique, one-of-a-kind. 

Occupying a space in some pretty high end real-estate. 

About time. 

Typically work done by women. 

Although I noted only one woman 

working in the space...

After talking with Ken 

and seeing all the possibilities they offer, 

I realized that 

I had done all of these things on fabric myself 

-- paint, embroider, add ge-gaws, appliqué, rip, tear, fringe, stitch. 

On denim, on leather, 

on pants, purses, shoes, jackets, coats, tops, 

skirts, scarves, bracelets, pins and more. 

​I could work there. 

I'd probably have to speak French though...

I hope you can join one of our 

ParisTilton Tours in 2017 

where we can see what we will discover together!

This was originally posted as a blog

on ParisTilton.

Sunday in Paris

When the sun actually shines on a Sunday in Paris 

the day feels somehow more special. 

Always laughing with Martine and Marcy.

A great Sunday starts at the flea market, 

where a search through vintage linen undergarments 

produced a beautiful camisole. 

Each piece in the trunk provided a sewing lesson 

with French seams, perfectly hand-stitched buttonholes, handmade lace and hand-stitched edgings.

Dyed vintage table linens 

will make a chic accompaniment to morning tea.

This young French ghoul is ready for Halloween!

Then it was off to the

Foundation Louis Vuitton, the stunning

Frank Gehry designed museum in the Bois de Boulogne

to view the Shchukin collection

which has had rave reviews.

The reviews are correct but obviously

they were not written by people

who stood in line for hours

(with tickets mind you).

Crowded lines between galleries.

The lines were hideous.

Yes, it's a first world problem.

Yes, I've become a country girl.

Yes, it's exemplary that so many people

are willing to wait in long lines to view art.

Yes, it was a Sunday afternoon

on a Holiday weekend with school vacation...

And, the lines were hideous --

outside (thank god it was a lovely day),

inside (once you've seen the first gallery

you know you have to go on) and

always for the toilettes.

Totally worth it! 

An amazing collection.

Most works never seen by the public before.

Portrait of Doctor Rey by Vincent Van Gogh.

This portrait by Van Gogh was my favorite piece.

So contemporary he could be

a hipster from Portland, Oregon.

Maurice Lobre, Dauphin’s Salon at Versaille.

I've been studying painting

with the talented Sarah F. Burns 

and was drawn to the sunlight on the floor

as well as the poignant subject matter in this piece.

The terrace views give even 

the modern skyline of Paris a certain romance.

A ‘living’ sculpture’, by Adrian Villar Rojas, 'Where the Slaves Live'.

Detail of the ‘living’ sculpture’, by Adrian Villar Rojas, 'Where the Slaves Live'.

This emotionally compelling piece 'lives' on the terrace.

An in-the-moment time capsule, 

the plants grow 

as the organic matter deteriorates.

The FLV building is a masterpiece

with ever shifting views.

Although the color panel installation

is compelling in a certain way

I look forward to returning when the glass panels

are in their original state.

À bientôt!