Stay Fancy: 5 out of 4 Patterns Nora Bolero Pattern

Life is a party.  Dress Like it. 

5 out of 4's newest pattern - the Nora Bolero - is a quick and easy fancy sew.

In my office, it's freezing. At home, it's freezing - I'm just always cold.  So layering is a must. 

But sometimes a cardigan or hoodie just don't make me feel fancy enough.  But a bolero - it does! 

This bolero includes:
- Lined or unlined versions
- Banded or non-banded finish for hems
- Short dolman sleeve, elbow, 3/4, or long sleeves

The Nora is a relatively quick sew - you can easily whip one up in under an hour - quicker than a load of laundry! 

The instructions are simple to follow (two pages for either version!), and the 5 out of 4 Facebook Group peeps can always assist if you get confused

As you can see, the bolero works for a fancy dress and sexy knee highs, or just a casual day around town. 

I opted for the 3/4 length sleeve unlined version, and I love it! 
The front sits at my bust, and actually stays put - pattern drafting at its best!

The back sits well on my shoulders, and there's no weird bulges. 

I opted to not grade from my bust - normally I grade from Small bust to Large Waist/Hips for 5 out of 4 patterns, however, I found grading was unnecessary with the Nora, as it's more of a bust hugger and just touches my natural waist.

I paired my fancy-looking Bolero with the Virginia Dress (which of course, has pockets!), and it works quite well.

The armcycle is so nice - not too loose or tight - sometimes my biceps are just too darned big for sleeves and there's a 50/50 chance I need to do a bicep adjustment on the pattern piece. 

The sleeves on the Nora are meant to be a bit looser - so if you do prefer a tighter sleeve, you can certainly take 1/4" or so off to accommodate this preference.



My main floral fabric is Liverpool from Water Tower Textiles - it was on sale due to some sort of flaw in the pattern....I still have yet to find the flaws, and scored a good 40% off both times I ordered it! 


The band is from an Etsy fail - some sort of weird wrap around lingerie spandex thing that I could never figure out.  But the fabric is nice and soft - and made the perfect band!

Overall, I can't wait until I have time to make more Boleros - like a long sleeved for the office from sweater knit, and a nice cotton lycra for the summer to hide my shoulders from the sun, but keep me aerated throughout my core.