Spring SWAP #1 & #2–Jalie Marie Claude and Sewaholic Renfrew

I whipped up two of my Spring Sewing-With-A-Plan makes. 

First up is the Jalie - Marie Claude 3667



I made one of these a few months back (Dec 2017) and loved the fit, didn’t like the fabric.  So I thought it would be perfect to make it again in this fun see-through sweater knit.  I must say I love this top!



Size: U for shoulders, bust, and waist and Y for hip
Alterations: none



Instructions: Jalie instructions are very good. I’ll be quite honest though, I only looked at them to see how much to hem the hem.  I made the scoop neck view this time and it’s a simple T-shirt sew.



Fabric: Black Hacci Slub Sweater Knit, 2 yards from Stylish Fabrics.  Ordered July 2017 for $4.50 per yard.  Total for top: $9.00.    It is very thin, soft, and sheer.  The picture below shows off the sheer-ness of the top.



Thoughts: I love everything about it.  It fits great; is soft and not too tight, not too loose. I love the sheer quality of the fabric.  The arms are really long on this pattern, I’m ok with that.  It is exactly what I wanted in a black tee.



Sewaholic - Renfrew 1201

This is the 8th Renfrew I have shamelessly made.  This is by far my most favorite pattern ever.  For a few years now I’ve wanted a short sleeve cowl one, so finally I made it!



Here are the other times I’ve made this top:
1. Elephants  2. Birds  3. Gray  4. Skater Mashup  5. Sweetheart Mashup 6. Navy Long sleeve 7. Aqua Feathers

Size: I have been losing weight again as my health has been crap, as normal it seems.  So I sized down to 8 in bust/shoulders/waist and then graded to a 10 at the hip.  This is 2 sizes down from my measurements.  I find the Renfrew to run a little big.



Alterations: 1/2" forward shoulder adjustment.  Did not do the cuffs on the sleeve – cuffs on short sleeves bother me and make me feel like my biceps are huge.  I just added the cuff length to the sleeve then turned them up 3/4” and hemmed.

Instructions: Pet peeve, no "front" mark on sleeves. Plus, #6.  "sew collar pieces wrong sides together" This means that the right side is facing up, but the diagram shows the wrong side facing up; the diagram is right, sew it Right sides together.



Fabric: 2 yards, Hacci Flux Triblend Stretch Jade Jersey Fabric with Two Tone Texture, ordered from Stylish Fabrics in July 2017 for $5.90 per yard.  Total for top: $11.80.   It is a 88% Polyester 8% Linen 4% Spandex blend and very soft, slightly sheer.

Thoughts: It’s a renfrew, what’s not to love!  I like it a lot and will most likely wear it often.


Here is my full Spring SWAP.

TNT Renfrew and Love Notions Rhapsody Blouse

These are the first makes of the year!  Well, kind of.  These are the first two I can show you, because I’ve been doing a bit of pattern testing.  Plus the Love Notions blouse has been finished a long time now I just never got pictures. Let’s start with the Renfrew.

Sewaholic ~ Renfrew 1201



This is the 7th one I have made.  It is now a TNT (tried and true) pattern for me.  I have my alterations and fit worked out so it is a fast and usually successful sew. I felt like starting the year with something I knew would turn out well;  A confidence boost of sorts.



Here are the other times I’ve made this top:
1. Elephants  2. birds  3. Gray  4. Skater Mashup  5. Sweetheart Mashup 6. Navy Long sleeve
Size: 8 for shoulders and bust, 10 for waist, 12 for hips. This is 2 sizes smaller than my measurements for the shoulders/bust and one size smaller for the waist hips.  I find the Renfrew to fit very well but the pattern runs just 1 or 2 sizes big.   1/2" forward shoulder adjustment



Fabric: 1 yard Aqua floral feathered arrows - Poly Rayon Spandex French Terry -$8.99; purchased in Oct 2017.  I picked this up from So Sew English.  It came snagged, cut weird, and dirty.  The fabric is so pretty, so I was sad.  But I used it anyway.  By the way, this is the third French terry in that order and they were all snagged on both side as well as off grain, super thin, and dirty.  No more ordering from them for me. 



Thoughts: Love it!  I love the fabric print, despite the issues in quality.  It is soft, wears and washes well.  The fit is spot on for me.  I used a lovely wide cover stitch to topstitch the neck and also for the sleeve hems and hem.  I chose not to do cuffs on the sleeves because they bug me and make my arms look chunkier.  I did leave the band on the bottom because I like that part.  It is a bit thicker with the double fabric on the hem band and my shirt stays in place better.  I’m sure I’ll make more of these in the future.





Love Notions ~ Rhapsody Blouse

When I saw this pattern come out I just had to have it. 



Size: Straight size Medium with 1/2” forward shoulder adjustment. My High bust and waist fit into a M. my hips into a L but since this top is flowy I figured there would be room enough for my hips.  
There are lots of different sleeve options for this top.  I chose to do the sleeveless view. The only “hard” part about sewing this was attaching that bias tape to the V-neck part on the front.  It went alright, but was a bit tricky.



Fabric: Awesome Aqua Blue Fish print from FabricMart.  It is 100% rayon and so soft with excellent drape.  I grabbed 4 yards of it when it was on sale for $4.80/yard.  This top uses 1 yard (yay for 1 yard wonders!), but also some for the self made bias tape.  I would guess 1.5 yards? 



Thoughts:  I like this top.  I like the pattern.  I usually don’t wear wovens but I can see this being a great top in summer.  When it’s cold I can just throw on a cardi over it and it works great.  What I am not sure about is the armscye.  It is just a bit tight;.  Not all around, but just in the front here where I’m grabbing. Also, there is a bit too much flare in the hip – it shoots out sort of awkwardly where the bottom arrows are. Perhaps next time I will straighten out that flare and make a more casual shift to the hips.  Overall I am very happy with this top and will most likely make another.



The pattern is written well.  The instructions are excellent.  Everything is very put together and professional.  There are finished measurements included.   I would highly recommend this pattern. The best part is the no trim pages and layers on the PDF. 

back

front

Happy Sewing!

Sewing with a Plan ~ Renfrew and Jalie Yoga Pants

Sewaholic Renfrew 1201



I’ve made the renfrew many times, and I love almost all of them.  This one is no exception. This would be my sixth Renfrew to date (not counting the mini one I made for Miss K).

1. Elephants  2. birds  3. Gray  4. Skater Mashup  5. Sweetheart Mashup



Size and adjustments:   8 for shoulders and bust, 10 for waist, 12 for hips. This is 2 sizes smaller than my measurements for the shoulders/bust and one size smaller for the waist hips.  I find the renfrew to fit very well but the pattern runs just 1 or 2 sizes big.
1/2" square shoulder adjustment.  1/2" forward shoulder adjustment.



Fabric: 2 yards brushed sweater knit in Navy blue, purchased in an auction box from Knitpop in October 2016. $11.40 total after shipping. This fabric is super soft and feels so good to wear.
Thoughts: I love this top!  It’s soft, blue, and has a cowl – 3 of my favorite things!



Jalie 3022 Yoga Pants



Size:   waist “X” and my hip “BB” – these are each 2 sizes above my real measurements as Jalie runs slim. I added an inch to the length because all my other ones seem to shrink up in the dryer and are eventually an inch too short.  This would be my 7th pair of these pants!

1. Black plain  2. Hunter Green 3. Green Shorts 4. Teal Pants 5. Black and White  6. Black for Miss K



Fabric: 2 yards 10oz Navy Cotton Lycra Knit from Stylish fabrics. Purchased September 2016 for $13.80 specifically for these pants.



Thoughts: I love this pattern.  This is my go-to for pants. I can wear them around the house in comfort and also out to run quick errands, pick up the kids, go to doctor appts, etc.  They fit so nicely.

 
Sewing Plan updat
Below is my sewing plan for Jan-April.  The renfrew and yoga pants are finished.  On to something else!



Happy Sewing!
Kristin

Renfrew love

I'm here! I promise. I have quite a bit of sewing to share.  I am just finishing up my last class so I've been busy.  I'm also just getting over a respiratory infection so, ugh. We also had a funeral, 2 spring concerts, and both kids are sick.  It has been crazy around here!

To do some stress-free sewing I whipped up another renfrew, because who doesn't love this pattern! Since spring is on its way I went with short sleeve.

I had just 1 yard of 44" Charley Harper Organic knit (Bank Swallow Blue).  It worked out perfectly - just enough.  I was saving this fabric for a special tee for me. At $16.50 per yard, there was no room for error.  Man I love those little birds :)  I picked up the fabric last year February.  The solid fabric is from Purpleseamstress (teal).  It matched pretty much perfectly.

I used the same size as my others.  I've added a few pounds back on since my uber sickness in August last year.  And I'm ok with this. I feel a bit healthier.  The top fits great. Shoulders/bust 6, waist 8, hip 12. 1/2" square shoulder adjustment.  I keep forgetting to add 1/2" to the back piece at the sides to accommodate my large rear.  The shirt sort of pulls a bit there.

That's it for today, I'll share some more when I bribe have a chance to get Miss K to put things on to take pictures. 

~ Happy Sewing! ~ Kristin ~

Jalie 3022 and another Renfrew+

What a whirlwind the last week and a half has been for me!  Mr. T had a band xmas concert, it was lovely. K tested positive for influenza A yesterday, not lovely. I had a follow up mammo that came back clear, lovely. It is my finals week for school and I have a very sick kid, not lovely.  Our furnace started making noise, our water pump thing has been loud, and we had an outlet blow in the bathroom. Is there a full moon or something???  The last 24 hours have been the worst though. Poor K had a fever of 103.5 and no amount of meds was bringing it down :(  My mothering heart was so sad and nervous! Thankfully this morning she woke and the fever had broken. Whew.

However, I did get a bunch of sewing done in the week preceding this one, lol.  Let me show you!

Jalie 3022 has been on my mind ever since I saw the pattern, and then saw Jess of The Sometimes Sewist make a fabulous pair.  I ordered the pattern and then it sat, and sat, and sat, like most patterns in my stash. Last week I had a spur of the moment decision to just sew them up already.

My measurements put me in a Size X (11) hip and T (7) waist but Jalie is always snug so I bumped up to a Size Z (13) waist V (9).  These pants have a ton of topstitching and my coverstitch was being temperamental.  The back pants panel is split into two and creates a super nice curve that hugs the rear end.  Despite the topstitching these go together relatively fast.  There is also elastic in the waistband which I prefer more than just a cotton/lycra band.


 I love these pants!  They are comfy to wear. Nothing is shown when I bend over. The seaming on the back makes a butt look amazing!!

Now the bad: After I had them almost all sewn I found a freaking flaw in the fabric, thanks JoAnn's.  It lands just at the knee and looks like I scuffed them.  Also, it takes a bit to get used to fabric being so close to my crotch. My jeans don't come that close and I feel a tad self-conscious as if camel toe may happen - It doesn't - but I'm conscious of it. And there is a bit of poofy excess fabric at the front top near my hip bones. I have large thighs and then a dip before my hip bone. I will have to take some fabric out here next time.

Fabric: The pattern calls for 2.25 yards but I was able to get by with 2.  Sew Classic Knits Solid Interlock in Black, from JoAnn's in Oct. 2013, at $4.99/yard = $9.98.  This fabric is a nice interlock, beefier and not see through but only 1 way stretch.  It happens to be a 60% cotton and 40% polyester blend so I hope it wrinkles less than the other pair I made.

What? Another pair? Yes, a pair for Miss K.  Sizewise she would be an O (11). But I made her a  P (12) with the height of 146 (N) even though she is only 134.  They turned out super cute and her little butt looks cute in them too.  I used an old pair of yoga pants that are huge on me for hers and a scrap of Lillestoff Sweet Days for the lower band.  K hates the band and wants it all one color. Otherwise she loves them.  They are a tad long on her.  Sorry no pics of her in them, she is couch-bound until she is better. Excuse the wrinkles, they were worn before pics.  The fabric is a super stretchy spandex blend and thinner but not see thorough.

Tons of topstitching

Moving on to the Renfrew. Ever since I made my first one just a bit ago I've been scheming to get more fabric for another (and maybe another, lol).  They sure are addicting!

Changes made: added 1/4" to each side of the sleeves because they were a tad tight. Added 1/4" broad back adjustment - I noticed a bit of pulling on my last one because I have super prominent shoulder blades.  Now I can't tell if these changes helped or not because this fabric is very loose and drapey.  It fits different than the cotton/lycra.

I made View C with long sleeves again because I love that cowl.  I wanted to make the bottom band black like the cuffs but didn't have enough matching black of this kind.  Shrug.

Fabric is an amazing lightweight 4way, rayon modal knit that I picked up from Purpleseamstress.  I had to have it when I saw it and she had it on sale $5/yard. This was 2 yards so $10. I just got it December 3rd and couldn't wait to sew it up. I'm sure you will see more Renfrews in the future.
When asked if it was too busy my husband commented "Looks nice, people will think you like elephants" LMAO. oooook.

Onward - I tried a new free pattern called the Darcy Boxer Shorts. And I love some comfy boxers in the summer for PJ use.  Miss K also has been asking for a pair of her own.

 Results are less than stellar for me.  Way too poofy. Seems really big on me.  Slight tightness in the rear but super big everywhere else.

 I thought I'd share my fail with you ;-)

This fabric has seen it's fair share of use!
I used it for a pattern testing muslin (never shown). K got a cute tunic out of it here. And now these boxers.  The fabric is a light, breezy cotton that I picked up dirt cheap.  It is called A day in the garden "Ava Vezite." Purchased in March 2014. I think it was like $1.20 a yard so no hard feelings on this fail.

I also made Miss K a pair using the smallest size XXS.  They fit her ok and are less poofy - though slightly still.  Her fabric (below) was leftovers from my cute tank top  back in April 2013. It was from Hancocks, a Turquoise cotton lawn at $3.95/yard.

And Finally, I just could let go of that failed frozen top. So I chopped off the offending bottom fabric and sewed on a knit bottom. This bottom is actually from my discarded first Ottobre color block tee. I got rid of the pilling top and K's shirt needed a bottom so I had this brilliant idea!  It took only minutes to cut the bottom off and reattach the new bottom - it was already hemmed so it was super awesome. The verdict? K loves it now. And it looks like my fav color-blocked tee. The frozen fabric will be used for something else. This is Ottobre 01/2011 #33

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If you are still with me, Thanks!!  I hope you have a lovely Christmas with your friends and families.  I hope to get K's Xmas dress finished here this week but who knows.

~ Happy Sewing! ~ Kristin ~

Renfrew, Ottobre, Plantain

**Picture intensive post ahead**

I wear comfortable clothes.  Since most of my day is spent at home, this consists of jeans and a tee.  In the winter I freeze so the tee becomes long-sleeved.  I don't have many to choose from in my closet and one of my favorite makes is pilled beyond belief now, which means I needed to make some more.  I decided to sew up three different patterns and compare them.

My current measurements: 35-28-42. Height is 5'7"

Sewaholic Renfrew 1201:

I have wanted to try the renfrew for awhile now - always being the last to jump on the bandwagon.  I ordered it from Patternreview because their shipping is so fast to me.

Size and adjustments: Shoulders/bust 6, waist 8, hip 12. 1/2" square shoulder adjustment.

Instructions:  Pet peeve, no "front" mark on sleeves. Plus, what is up with #6.  "sew collar pieces wrong sides together" This means that the right side is facing up, but the diagram shows the wrong side facing up. Plus, when I followed the directions sewing W sides together it was clearly wrong. Am I the only one who had issue with this?  Also, I wonder why the collar has to have a top seam anyway, can't it be cut in just one piece? or is the seam to add structure? are they separate to save fabric? I'll test this theory on my next one.

I feel like a ninja!

Fabric: 10 oz. Charcoal Cotton lycra from Purpleseamstress in Oct 2014. 2 yards, $13. Love this fabric.

Fit: Love love love the fit. I can see why everyone loves this pattern.  The cuffs and band are a great idea, though I still like to finish with my coverstitch for hems. The sleeves are a tad tight for me so my next one I will add width there.
I don't like how the neckline with the cowl is out so far on my shoulders.  I can see this line when I wear the cowl and it bugs me. I may try to work out a way to have it less wide here.

Ottobre 05/2013 #1A:

I have sewn this one up a few times now and you all know I love it.  My loose striped version is slowly pilling but I wear it a lot.  My color blocked zig-zag is going strong and gets worn once per week.  My favorite of them all, the blue/gray color blocked is pilled beyond belief.  The blue fabric is poor quality and I am sad I can't wear it. So I wanted to re-make that one with better quality fabric. The tunic version I made I don't wear very much, sadly.

Size and adjustments: Shoulder, bust, waist 40 to 44 at hip.  1/2" Square shoulder adjustment, added 1/2" to outside of shoulder in armhole because shoulders were too narrow.  Separated a yoke from bodice to color block. 1/2" swayback adjustment. Did not add a pocket.

Instructions: Great instructions.  I had no issues with them.

Fabric: 7 oz. Teal Blue Jersey Knit from fashionfabricsclub in Aug 2014. 3/4 yard, $4.13; gray bottom is charcoal gray sweater knit from fashionfabricsclub in Sept 2013. 3/4 yard, $2.96. I wish I had bought more of the gray because it is soft and beefy.

Fit:  Great fit. I think it is a sleek look.  I need to add a wedge to the back and take it out from the front.  The drag lines I'm getting from bust to waist are from my large rear pulling the fabric at the hip.

Deer & Doe Plantain:

I made this up one other time in short sleeve and liked the style.  Plus I had to try those cute patches out on the elbows!

Size and adjustments: 38 shoulder, 40 bust and waist, 44 hip. 1/2" square shoulder adjustment, darted 1/2" out of neckline to armpit because of my hollow chest. I also took in 3/4" to 1" from waist to hip on front piece because front was too big.

Instructions:  The instructions are great. I had no issues with them.  I just purchased a binder attachment for my coverstitch and had a bit of an issue with the knit binding for the neckline wanting to fold wrong. I got it to look ok and left it at that. I added the tiny pocket from the Ottobre pattern because I love tiny pockets and it was a way to incorporate more gray into the top.

Fabric: 10 oz. Royal Blue Cotton Lycra. From the Purpleseamstress in Nov 2014. 2 yards, $13.  This fabric sews up so beautifully and is the perfect weight of not light and not heavy. Gray band and patches are Laguna Stretch Knit Heathered Pepper from fabric.com.  I want to caution. The fabric calls for 2.25 yards and it really needs it.  I wanted the neckband to be in the royal blue but didn't have enough for even that small bit of fabric after squeezing the other pieces out of 2 yards.

Fit: Love it. For a free pattern this sucker fits great!  And these elbow patches make me smile.

** So I recently stumbled upon the Purpleseamstress on facebook, she also has a website. And thought I'd try her knits. They have all gotten glorious reviews.  Well they are worth it!  Not only are the solids cheap ($6.50/yard, cotton lycra) they are also a dream to sew with. Not lightweight, not heavyweight. Just perfect.  And Melinda ships super duper fast.  I recommend her to anyone.  She lists special things on her facebook page each day and you can order both on her website and on her facebook. She also replies to you almost instantly if you contact her via FB.  **  I know good quality knits are hard to come by so I wanted to share. I do not get any sort of payment from telling you this.

Oh, and let's get these tally's back in order here;
Totals for the year to date:
Purchased in Oct and Nov: 41.25 yards (oops, but I was ill and it felt good)
Stash from before this year, sewn this year: 44.75 yards
All Fabric sewn/sold/gave-away in 2014: 182 yards
Fabric purchased in 2014: 195.75 yards

~ Happy Sewing! ~ Kristin ~