I tried out the Deer & Doe Plantain tee and I took another crack at the Sewaholic Thurlows.
Let's talk about the Plantain first:
I traced a size 38 for the shoulders, 40 for the bust, and 44 for the hips
Adjustments:
1/2" square shoulder (normal for me)
Raised neckline by an inch
I placed these pieces over my favorite tee pattern (Ottobre 05/2013 #1) and the back looked like a great fit, the front looked a bit wider than my other one but I wanted to test it in it's true form before messing with it, so I left it as is.
I must say that the fit is awesome for only doing those 2 little alterations! The back fits excellent and there is no neck gaping (for once!) The hips fit great in the back and there isn't an issue with the swayback because there is enough ease to go over my rear. The front is a bit large and drapey for what I"m used to, but that is the design of the tee. This fabric is very light and the stripes waving in the drapey front drive my ocd nuts! I think I'd be in love with it if it was a solid ;-)
I sewed the shirt with my serger and used my cover stitch for the hems.
Fabric: Designer Yarn Dye Rayon Jersey Knit Stripe Blue; 85% Rayon, 10% Polyester, 5% Lycra. It is very soft and a tad thin. I purchased it from fabric.com in May 2014 for $3.98/yard. The top used about 1.5 yards so the top only cost me $5.97
Ok. Now for the Sewaholic Thurlows. . .
There are so many nice things to say about these so I'll get the one bad thing out of the way - they don't fit. They are just a tiny smidge to tight. OMG. I can't win! lol. My first pair was too big and this pair too small. Over-fitting, that's all. The crotch feels a bit snug and I have whiskers in the front.
On to the good:
I still love the all the details in these. This time the steps took a tiny bit less than 6 hours and it was easier going. I followed Lladybird's sew a long again for these.
I love how these fit and look. I know they are too tight but man they look so RTW! I also love how they fit my rear and I only have a tiny, tiny bit of gaping in the back.
Alterations:
I took 1/4" out of each side in the back, but then only sewed with 1/4" SA so it was a wash there.
Because of the bagginess in the front last time, I took out a 1" dart at the top, tapering to 0 at the bottom of the shorts - from each side, so 2" total out of the front. I adjusted the waistband to fit this as well so 2" out.
I sewed these up mostly with my vintage Kenmore that I got from goodwill. OMG I am falling more and more in love with this machine. This is the first project I've sewn on it. The flexibility to start, stop, and reverse at my whim was awesome. The machine sewed over many thick seams without one flinch. I got to use the buttonhole attachment - that really blew my mind and was so fun. Ah! I love it.
Fabric: It came labeled as Jade Green Floral Twill but the selvage tells me it is "Valori Wells Sole' Home Dec Fabric, Agapantha in Aqua." It was cheap so I don't mind and it sewed beautifully. I picked it up from FashionFabricsClub.com in May 2014 for $5.45/yard. We will say I used 2 yards, only because I don't remember and that is what the pattern calls for. So $10.90 total.
Verdict: I really had a blast sewing these shorts up and I was able to practice some pretty hard techniques in the process (I'm looking at you double welts!). I'm sad they are too tight - I mean, I can't even sit down in them! lol. However, this fabric has ZERO stretch so I'll take that into account. Anyway I'll have at the pattern again sometime after I've had a break from it.
Next time I will need to address my large front thighs and look at a large rear adjustment. the shorts are pulling toward the front right now at the side seams (because of the thighs). Eh, it was worth all the effort as I enjoyed myself.
August Totals:
(stash is anything purchased before this year)
Stash used: 7/8 yards
Fabric Out: 5 5/8 yards
Fabric In: 0 yards
Totals for the year to date:
Stash sew this year: 35.75 yards
Fabric out in 2014: 133 yards
Fabric in 2014: 141.25 yards
~ Happy Sewing! ~ Kristin ~
