Vogue 2621 DKNY

Reviewed by:	Ann Smith	About Ann Smith CA USA Member since: 8/24/02 Reviews written: 154 Sewing skills:Advanced Favored by: 185 people patterns reviewed: 151 Bio: I love to sew for fashion, especially unusual designs. I own way too many patterns and fabric! I hav...full profile
Posted on:	1/26/03 5:06 PM
Last Updated:	1/26/03 6:18 PM
Pattern Size:	Regular
Project Photo:
Pattern Photo:	Pattern Information provided by Ann Smith
Pattern Rating:	I Highly recommend this pattern
Tip: pressing tools
This one took some time to create what with steaming the wool, fiddling with fit issues, sewn-in interfacing, hand stitching, lining, and of course all those pintucks. However, I am thrilled with the results and feel it was really worth the effort. This is a suit with many tucks at the hipline and sleeve hems and also on the skirt yoke. These may be hard to see in my photos so be sure to check out the pattern picture. The skirt is cut on the bias and dips lower in the back. The jacket is fully lined and has shoulder pads. The most difficult part of this project for me was figuring out how to alter to fit. Because of all the tucks, it was hard to do a normal tissue fitting. I did manage a pretty good tissue fit by using the lining pattern pieces which don't have the tucks. Even so, it was tricky to figure it out because of the unknown amount that the fabric would take up in the tucks. Different fabrics would take up more or less depending on the thickness. My fabric, a beautiful wool double crepe with lycra, is quite bouncy and took up quite a bit in the turn of the cloth at each tuck. I also tried different ways to alter during the tissue fitting stage. I tried slashing and adding a dart, but ended up using a pivot and swivel approach to add 5 inches at the bust and hip. I decided I didn't want to add a bust dart which would disrupt the style. This fitting technique worked very well. I am thrilled with the resulting fit. I shortened the sleeves 2 inches which is normal for me and the jacket hem 1 inch. I did not shorten the skirt which I usually need to do as I am only 5'3". I also made the pintucks about an inch shorter on the jacket front since my bust fullness is lower. Another change was to use only 3 buttons spaced slightly further apart. I didn't like the effect on me with the jacket pulled together lower down. another view The instructions were very good and thorough. The only thing is that Vogue always seems to omit any seam finishing suggestions. The jacket is fully lined so you don't need it there but the skirt needs something (serging, pinking, etc.). I'm very happy with the results from this pattern. The pattern calls for stretch wovens as the suggested fabric. I really don't see why the stretch is necessary. The jacket is lined with a nonstretch fabric and uses a sew-in interfacing. The skirt is bias which will stretch anyway. I searched high and low to find an appropriate stretch woven and I don't think I needed to. One other small detail I didn't like, and changed, involved the skirt facing. The pattern calls for self facing which, with this particular fabric, would be a bit bulky. I used the jacket lining fabric which makes a nice smooth facing. view skirt. This suit is not really difficult to sew. As I mentioned above, the only hard part for me was figuring out the fit. Working with the bias on the skirt can be tricky also. As for the tucks, they take a little time but are easy to do. I was a bit intimitated by the pintucks before I started but I read in one of my many sewing references that even couture pintucks are not always perfect, so I decided not to worry about it. Mine are erratic but you don't really notice it at all. I highly recommend it as a beautiful and feminine suit.