Simplicity 2418, for the Challis Chalet

I really want to make a 40s shirtwaist dress out of one of my luscious lengths of challis, but Mitch's pants get priority over all the things. Still, I didn't want to miss out on the fun at the chalet, so I thought this top would be a quick project that would work well in challis.

Oh wait, did I say quick? Somehow I neglected to consider the fact that this pattern is cut on the bias. Given the inherent slippy and slidey ness of challis, cutting it on the bias is asking for trouble...

Despite the fight I had with the fabric, the resulting top is rather nice. The pattern is one I've used before, Simplicity 2418. That time I made it out of silk charmeuse. I really am a glutton for punishment.

I didn't make any fit changes from the last time I made it, so I will refer you to that post for the details on fit. I did add an inch to the length, which makes it 3 inches longer than view B and 1 inch shorter than view A.

This is really the only picture that shows the fabric well. Sorry for the crap photography. I'm without the good camera at the moment, and the iPhone isn't a fan of the overcast skies we have. Anyway, I really love the way this print plays with the bias elements of the top. The yoke is actually cut on grain, but the fabric is printed with the dominant "stripes" on the bias, so it sort of tricks the eye.

I'm still hoping to make my challis shirtwaist, but I'm glad I got at least one challis garment made this month. I know this top will be a big player in my wardrobe, if Spring ever comes to the Salt Lake Valley. You can't tell from the pictures, but snow is falling.

Before I close, I want to share an idea I've had. I feel like the sewing community has given me so much, I want to share a little back. So from here on out I'm going to end each post with a little tip that relates to the project. Some of them will probably be "duh, Katie, everyone knows that.", but hopefully I occasionally I'll share something that someone finds worthwhile. For today, I want to share my thoughts on shoulder yokes. If ever you are making a blouse or dress that has a yoke (the shaped strip of fabric that goes over the shoulder), you have an opportunity to really bring your garment to the next level by lining the yoke. I've noticed that fewer patterns include this, and it saddens me, as a lined yoke provides a beautiful interior finish, as well as providing structure in the shoulder of the garment. Lining a yoke isn't difficult and only takes a few more steps than attaching it unlined. I think it is well worth the extra effort.

Here are the steps I took to line the yoke of this blouse. I'd happily write you a tutorial, but I always use the one that kbenco wrote and I don't think I can do it any better, so I will refer you to her blog for the full process.

Simplicity 2418

I picked up this pattern several days ago, and have been completely obsessed with it. I've got approximately 14,679,435 other projects in the queue, but this one had to be sewn.

And I'm quite glad I sewed it! It is so much lovelier than I thought it would be, and my expectations were pretty high.

The pattern is quite simple. It is a bias cut tunic with a shoulder yoke. The front shoulders are pleated into the yoke and the neckline forms a small cowl in front, which is hemmed rather than faced.

The back is gathered into the yoke. The yoke is topstiched. The hems are simple narrow hems. The fabric I chose, a silk charmeuse, did make this project a tiny bit more challenging, particularly as the front and back is bias cut. My walking foot was a godsend!  It was still a fairly simple project. Cutting it out was the worst part, construction only took about and hour and a half. Although I think this will be a versatile pattern, it definitely benefits from a fabric with lots of drape. I think it would be spectacular in lawn or voile, georgette or a soft knit (in which I'd cut it on grain rather than on the bias).

The bit of a cowl is particularly nice. It isn't faced, but it does stay in place pretty well. As you can see it is finished with a narrow hem, so there is a chance that the wrong side of your fabric could peek out on occasion. I didn't have this happen much while wearing it, and we took our pictures on quite a windy day. It stayed put surprisingly well.

With this type of sleeve, I always worry about bra coverage. I stitched the side seams as marked on the pattern and the coverage is good.
As far as fit goes, I sewed a size 10 in front and a 12 for the back and yoke, which fits quite well. (ETA: This is my way of doing a cheater broad back adjustment.)  I did not need an FBA, but the cut is generous and the bias cut gives a bit of wiggle room there. I did shorten it by 2 inches as I plan to wear it untucked. Overall, I'm very happy and will definitely be making it again. We'll just add that to the list... First I have some bellbottoms to make!