Pattern: Love Notions - Laundry Day Tee, dress – used new, updated pattern
Made previously: black tunic tee in 2017, Aqua floral tank in 2019, Aqua Doxie Tee in 2021
Measurements at this time:
high bust 39 inches
bust 42 inches
waist 37 inches
hip 48.5 inches
Size Sewn: large bust to extra-large hip
Started and finished Sewing: 07/31/2022
Adjustments:
· I made 1/2-inch forward shoulder adjustment
· I added 1/4 an inch to the width of the tank straps
· I took a 1/4 inch off the neck band
Fabric: a light Gray and Aqua striped rayon spandex type knit or maybe a Poly jersey I'm not sure. I'm also not sure when I got it or where I got it from, but I used two yards
Thoughts:
I made this as sort of a test to see if it was something I would wear out of the house or if it was more of a nightgown. This one ended up in the nightgown pile and I'm not sure how I feel about it. I am just on the fence. I made it with the new updated pattern, and I felt like it was a bit tight on the hips and less flowy than I’m used to with the laundry day tee pattern - the other ones I've made have been very swing type at the hip with lots of room and this one was just tighter. BUT this is my first LDT Dress that I’ve made so I don’t have any comparison to the old and new with the dress. I looked at the pattern, both old and new. The old pattern flares out about 2 inches more front and back at the hem for the shirt and tunic - so the new pattern loses about four inches total to swing ease at the dress hem which
travels up to about 2 inches lost at the hips and 1 inch lost at the waist. I need that 2 inches with my pear shape! In the future I'll be flaring out the dress to match the hip size flare of the tunic and then carrying that down to the dress hem. The tunic and shirt lengths are fine because they have the added swing inches. I think if I lost some of my gained pounds I might even wear this one outside the house. It doesn’t scream nightgown and I could pull it off.
Next Time: The tank straps don't match up from front to back widthwise, very tight in the arm bands I need to add an inch, shoulders are too narrow widthwise, need to add swayback or more hip room
Pattern: Love Notions - Laundry Day Tee, tank
Made
previously: black tunic tee in 2017, Aqua floral tank in 2019, Aqua Doxie Tee in 2021, and now the nightgown above
Measurements at this time:
high bust 39 inches
bust 42 inches
waist 37 inches
hip 48.5 inches
Size Sewn: large bust to extra-large hip, sewed shirt length for the tank
Started and finished Sewing: 07/31/2022
Adjustments:
· I made 1/2-inch forward shoulder adjustment
· I added 1/4 an inch to the width of the tank straps
· I took a 14 inch off the neck band
Fabric: light blue and ivory rayon spandex jersey knit striped fabric bought from fabric.com via Amazon.com on June 17th, 2020, for $4.60 a yard. it was only one yard; 96% Rayon/4% Lycra Spandex,
yarn-dyed horizontal stripes,
4-way stretch (50% across the grain and 25% on the vertical)
Thoughts:
I like this tank. The fabric is soft and flowy. I feel it looks good on my body. Unfortunately, I made it and now it's cold here in Wisconsin. So, if I get to wear it, it'll be with a cardigan over it. This is a good basic tank pattern and I think it looks good on a pear-shaped body: I'll probably make a few more of these for next summer. Plus, it only uses one yard, a big bonus. Now that it's cold I need to sew up some of the laundry day tees and tunics. I saw that there is a cowl option now and I’m just itching to make that version because you all know I just love a cowl.
Next Time: The tank straps don't match up from front to back widthwise, very tight in the arm bands I need to add an inch, shoulders are too narrow widthwise
Close up of narrow tank straps, and some awesome topstitching 
Pattern: Stitch Upon A Time – Spoxxy Dress (new, updated pattern with dress option)
Made previously: orange striped tank in 2016 and Blue/White ITY Nightgown in 2019
Measurements at this time:
high bust 39 inches
bust 42 inches
waist 39 inches
hip 49.5 inches
Size Sewn: bust – large, Waist – XL, Hips -2X
Started and finished Sewing: 10/04/2022
Adjustments: None!
Fabric: this fabric came in a scrap box. It is super soft buttery rayon spandex I think. I am not a pink person at all, and I don’t care for rayon spandex, but the fabric was so soft I couldn't say no to it. There was 1.25 yards and I’m pretty sure it came from FabricMart. I used a scrap on the back yoke from the butterfly double brushed Poly I used on my Sinclair Dakota tunic I made and loved. I also used white cotton lycra for the bands on the neck and the arms.
Thoughts:
I love this one too! It is very soft and comfortable, super easy to just throw on quick, and It is a loose style so it can be worn with my weight changes. I really like how this dress fits and I think if I made it with different fabrics it would be a good dress to wear outside the house. Comfortable, roomy, and yet looks good. I’ll probably make this up again in something that looks like a dress and not a nightgown.
Thanks for reading and Happy Sewing!
Kristin
Measurements at the time: High bust: 37, Bust 39, Waist 32, Hip 47
Date started and finished: 09/03/19, and then they sat for 3 years waiting for the top to be sewn.
Size sewn: 50
Alterations: added ¼” to front thigh at crotch tapering to 0 at inner thigh
Scooped ¼” off front crotch curve
Lowered front rise by 3.5”
Took in 1.5” on waist tapering to 0 at hip front and back
Fabric: 2 yards of a mystery fabric. It is polyester, shiny on one side with striations in the fabric and matte on the other. It is soft and silky feeling. I’m not sure what it is, except that it’s slipper and polyester. I got it when Hancock was going out of business. I had 10 freaking yards of this stuff, and it was only like $0.10/yard. lol. (Hancock label calls it "Dull satin" and internet searches call it hammered satin). I’ve had it in my stash for well over 10 years now. I used this fabric when I made my Jalie Melanie Kimono robe back in 2018 and I still have 3 yards left of it after this pj outfit.
Ottobre 02/2017 #13 Swing top:
Measurements at the time are the same as above for pants.
Date started: 09/03/19 Date finished: 10/28/22
Size sewn: 42 shoulder, 44 bust/waist, 50 hip
Alterations: added 2” to facing hem length so it wouldn’t cut me in the middle of the bust – well now my bust has grown with my weight, and it cuts me right in the middle.
Sewing: sewing the straps were a major pain in the ass with this silky, slippery fabric. Stuffing them into the back “holes” between the fabric and facing were a total challenge. Many swear words ensued.
I sewed a rolled hem instead of a flip and flip hem because I thought it would be easier on this silky, slippery fabric. I thought it would make the hem flare out cute too.
On the facing hem I did do a flip, flip and sew tiny ¼” hem.
Because the neck was already sewn up with the facing, under stitching the facing to the armpits absolutely sucked and was darn near impossible.
Fabric: 2 yards of the same fabric as for pants
Thoughts: Well, this is the right type of fabric for this pj set but I hated sewing with it. It was such a pain. I do love the pants. They are fun and slippery to wear. The top seems huge and sack-like. It is not very flattering at all. I’m not sure how I feel about it yet. I’ll give it a wear for awhile before I decide. I think that now that I gained weight I’m not used to my body or comfortable with it. My bust has grown quite a bit and it makes the tops seem huge and sack-like on me, while it eliminates my waist. I must fit the bust and this makes the waist bigger. Back in 2019 when I started this my bust was 39 inches. It had been that way for a long time, and I was used to it. Now here in 2022 I have a 42” bust and those 3” make a big difference, lol. My waist went from a stable 32” to a thyroid belly of 39” – that’s been the hardest to accept.
Ottobre 02/2017 #11 – Tee Shirt Dress
Made once before in June 2018, my blue crosses nightgown. If I fit in it, I would still wear it. I love it.
My measurements at the time: 38 high bust, 42 bust, 38.5 waist, 49 hips
Started and finished sewing: 10/31/22
Size Sewn: Bust 46, Waist 50, Hip 52
Alterations: I didn’t sew this with bindings, I used neckbands (at ½”) and sleeve bands (at ¾”)
1/2” forward shoulder adjustment
After sewing I tried it on and it was way too big in the neck and bust so I took out 2” at the neck tapering down 11” to 0 at about the waist area. In the future I would make the bust 44 and the waist 48 instead of 46/50. (left picture above is before altering when it was way too big. right picture is the pieces I took out from neck to about waist. I basically made a dart in the center back).
Instructions: This is a simple T-shirt dress. I sewed it up without looking at the instructions. It was super-fast.
Fabric: 2 yards - White/Fuchsia/Turquoise/Multi 100% Cotton Plus Sign Design Interlock Knit; purchased Feb 2018 in Fabric Mart’s wonderful precut sale. 2 yards for $3.20 total. (Please bring back the precut sale!!).
Thoughts: I made this for a nightgown, I love it for that purpose. Let’s be real here, I don’t leave the house unless I have a doctor’s appointment, so many times I just wear the nightgown all day. It is soft and comfortable, easy to throw on and go. The interlock is thicker and less stretchy than most knits, but it works well in this dress. I have no complaints!
Health and Life update:
Wow, we have had a hard couple months here in the SunnySewing house. I feel like I say that all the time, but really, these last 3 months have been hard. So my soulmate, love of my life, Cheeto had to have Knee,acl surgery in November. I embroidered his soft cone, but funny enough, he was never interested in licking his leg so he wore it maybe 2 hours and one night.
Now this surgery is a 3 month recovery and that all falls on me…… To make this worse, the VERY SAME DAY Kiela came down with Covid….. 3 days later I got it…. and 2 days later my husband got it. It was ROUGH. a dog with recent surgery and 3 people so sick they couldn't get out of bed. we were all miserable. We all had our vaccinations and boosters but man that stuff hit us HARD and FAST and omg it lasted forever. I think I’m finally ( a month later) back to my normal cruddy self. Now sadly the worst part. My husbands Grandma that I love dearly passed away just as we were getting over Covid. She lost her battle with cancer. It was so sad and so hard. During Christmas I kept reaching for the phone to call her, text her, ask her questions or share what decorations of hers we put up (as we called her every year about these things). I loved her as my own Grandma, she was the best. Oh, and Tayden (now 20yrs old), moved out with his friend to be closer to college. I thought I would be more happy about that but I’m so worried and its weird with him gone from the house.
So yeah, not so fun stuff around here. that covid knocked me so hard I haven’t been able to do much these last 2 months in my sewing room. But I have a backlog again of projects to share. And Feb 28 I have my yearly MRI to see what George the Tumor is up too.
I hope all is well with all of you and that you had wonderful holidays!
Happy Sewing!
Kristin
it makes my frugal heart so happy.
