Pattern Review - Butterick 5792

I found this really adorable Hello Kitty with roses fabric from Japan on Fabric.com and just had to get some.  Because I ended up getting a lot of roll ends in my order, I'm pretty sure I scored a lot more than my ordered 4 yards. 

Hello Kitty is hard for a "grown up" to pull off, so if I'm going to wear it, it's going to be sleepwear.  I decided to try out Butterick 5792, which is a pretty traditional, feminine pattern.  I made views A & F, the top and capris combination.  The fabric I used was a little thick and stiff for this pattern, but I liked how it turned out.  Cotton voile would be perfect for this pattern (Liberty, anyone??).

The pants were really fast; I got them done in an afternoon.  The top took a little longer because I had to wait to get the right trim.  I do think you need a little trim around the neckline, although I don't know at this point if it's necessary to use the exact beading lace and ribbon trim.  I do like the look quite a bit.

I made bias tape from self fabric; I liked the clean finish this created on the inside but it was super bulky (see fabric) with all the gathers.  On a cotton voile this might not be so bulky.  I'm not sure that this would be any better or worse than understitching the ruffle.  I could see this finish being really useful for children's clothing though.

For the ruffle, I just cut a 2" strip and then cut it to the right length/shape.  This made it really easy!  I also avoided the weird hemming instructions for the ruffle and just made a narrow hem on the edge, and narrow hemmed the top.

I think my favorite feature of this is the elastic insertion in the capris; it creates a tiny ruffle at the top of the pants and is really feminine.  I added my label as the tag in the back.

The set came out really comfy and will be nice to lounge around the house in.  I did have to scoop the back crotch curve a bit for comfort, so I don't know that I believe these are "semi fitted" as advertised.  (Or maybe I need to remeasure my hips and make sure I'm where I think I am in that area!)  At this point I'm pretty sure my "body space" is larger than the ideal model the Big 4/5 draft patterns for.

I would definitely make the capri pants again; after the minor fitting adjustment they are super comfy and I'll use the elastic casing treatment again in other PJ pants.