Completed: The Retro Tiki Collab, Butterick B6354

Vintage on Tap’s first collaboration- Butterick B6354 is FABULOUS!

Can I say how happy and excited I am to have worked on this collaboration? Featuring 4 lovely ladies in the retro and pinup blogging world, sewing the same pattern in their own unique way. We each decided to give Gertie’s Butterick B6354 our own twist and its been so fun to see how the pattern has been interpreted and styled!

Why this pattern? It’s summer time and tiki seems to be all the rage this time of year in the pin up sewing world. And besides, I was all ready itching for another tropical drink after my last tiki dress a while back.

For my version of Butterick B6354, I made my piece… reversible!

Sewing a reversible garment can be fun, and the amount of hand sewing should definitely not turn you off from trying it! There’s only a few special considerations to take into account for this particular piece.

#1: Plan your reversible from even before Step One

No, you can’t just cut into your pretty fabric and go! Take a look at the pattern pieces and directions and decide what can and can’t be reversible. Locate what will be tricky and will need work arounds and test those out on a muslin first. For this piece, I knew that the back closure, interior boning, straps and cup decoration would need extra consideration and need to be made differently in order to be fully reversible.

#2: Both fabrics on a reversible piece have to have to bought purposefully and thoughtfully

Making this piece reversible means there is no real lining fabric and that means that every side of the piece has to look good! There’s no way to hide a funky sewing fumble, either. For this piece, I opted to hand-sew anything that might be questionable, including the top stitching and back closure. Also, try to make both fabrics a similar weight and feel or the piece will not behave properly.

#3 Decide what parts of the pattern can work double time

The bias decoration on this piece is the same on both sides and merely flips the opposite way to decorate the other side. There are some parts of a reversible that just have to do double duty, there’s no way around it. On this piece, I made sure to carry my top stitching underneath the band to allow it to roll over a little bit more easily. A lot of the techniques that might make the bodice more stable (under stitching, etc.) had to be skipped in order to protect the integrity of the reversible.

#4 The closure can be the hardest part to make beautiful

Don’t mind the wonky skirt in this picture, but instead focus on what will work to make the piece look good at the closure. This pattern called for a zipper, but most reversible zippers are made for winter coats and not suitable for this sort of piece. I decided to go with flat buttons that wouldn’t add too much bulk to the bustier from either side. The result looks sleek and purposeful.

Would I make this piece again? Totally! For my particular piece I had to do a FBA on the bolero and bustier, but I may have just slightly overdone it on the bustier. Either that or I need to start rocking a bigger push up bra to fill in the cups a little bit more! Next time, though, I would take the cups in just slightly to have them not so “open” at the top.

The bolero was a breeze to sew, though, and I actually all ready want a bunch for regular wear. I can see making this in a wool fabric with a colorful lining for date nights.

The sarong was nice and super comfy; I actually would love to make it in a real casual fabric for an upcoming vacation, too!

There’s so many ways to update and change this piece to suit your style, though. Check out the other posts in the collab for Butterick 6354 to learn about different ways to make it a little bit more your own. 

Meet the ladies who participated in the Retro Tiki Collab!

Abi from The Crafty Pinup

Abi exploded onto the sewing scene just a few months ago, but has all ready been featured by BBC and The Fold Line for her awesome blogging and sewing skills! She also owns My Retro Closet for all your boudoir needs.

Abi turned her piece into a full dress, taking the original B6354 design and merging the sarong wrap to the bustier top. She was able to match the darts in the top to the skirt perfectly and the zipper insertion looks amazing! Hop on over to her blog to see more pictures and find out the details on how to pattern hack this design.

 

Akram from Akram’s Ideas

Akram has been super active and such a fun blogger and vlogger who I have admired for a long time! She does everything from baking amazing recipes to sewing and thrifting up a storm. If you’re not all ready watching her on YouTube, you’re missing out!

Akram sewed up the pattern as is- giving a full break down of what you can expect to find the moment you open up your copy of Butterick B6354. She also did some adjustments on the skirt and the images on her blog really help guide you through the process! Hop on over there to read about her experience working on her piece.

 

Christina from Gussets and Godets

Not gunna lie, I’ve had a huge blogger-girl-crush on Christina for a while because of her awesome outfits and amazing styling skills. Every time I see her post on Instagram or her blog, I’m like “omg girl, weeeerk!” She’s been featured on the lovely A Stitching Odyssey blog and is beloved by the sewing community.

Christina turned her Butterick B6354 into a playsuit, merging the shorts and bustier top. She also played with the straps, making them into a cute spaghetti strap design which makes them that much more fun. Learn more about how to pattern hack Butterick’s 6354 by going over to her website, too. 

 

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Please leave your thoughts and comments on this piece and the others you’ve seen! And stay tuned for an update on a giveaway and the Making Of video of my reversible piece!