Pattern Review :: Vogue 8982

Vogue 8982
by Marcy Tilton



Before launching into what I'm pretty sure
is my first ever pattern review 
I need to let you know this wasn't a personal project, 
one of my students, Rosie, 
brought the pattern to class 
and because there were a couple of dramas on our journey
which didn't seem to be addressed in anyone else's review
I felt compelled to share our experience 
in the hope it might help some other unsuspecting creative soul achieve a joyous outcome...

Rosie is an enthusiastic sewer whose desire to create original & interesting garments isn't always equal to her technical & pattern reading skills 
 which after all, is why I'm here...

Pattern Description:
Loose-fitting, unlined jacket or vest has front exending into back collar, front darts, back extending to lower side front, shaped hemline and no side seams,  wrong side may show B.sleeves with slit, narrow hem and topstitching by hand. D.mock front band, stitched hems, back cut on crosswise grain.

Sizing & Style: Size 14 and version 'D'

Fabric: polyester satin damask

Were the instructions easy to follow:

for the most part the construction was straight forward especially if you took notice of the notches & markings, however

•   there was no mention of finishing the edges - we opted to overlock all the raw edges.

•   the instructions for stitching the back collar & facing in place were very wordy & diagrams lacked clarity so we effectively & efficently Ditch Stitched the collar in place.

•   the image below is of the front facing and is an example of  experience being important - you are instructed to Cut here for D, with the line stopping abruptly and no explanation of what to do next, we determined that tapering & reshaping the facing back into the existing cutting line was the best option. 

Pattern Alterations or Design Changes:

• we decided against cutting the centre back on the crosswise grain [bias] - there didn't seem much point as Rosies chosen fabric had alot of body & any effect would have been lost in translation.
• the sleeves were extremely long, requiring 5cm be removed from the length.

Would you Sew Again:

•   Yes - Rosie had her second one cut ready to go.

Conclusion:

The journey was a bit bumpy and we both concluded early on that Rosie would never have completed the Jacket without assistance, it was likewise unanimous that the outcome was fantastic and worth every effort.

Vogue patterns can be challenging to decipher at the best of times
and unfortunately not a recommended choice for a novice or nervous sewer 
especially if the plan is to do more sewing in the future
in my experience 
it takes experience 
to see a Vogue pattern through to completion
and I fear alot of sewing machines have ended up in storage
due unfortunate pattern choices

which is why we REinvent. x