Roses, Pajamas, Pants, and Undies!

Round 2 sewing for the girl. 

Awhile back I made K a dress in a rib knit.  The fabric stretched out too much and the dress was a wadder.  However, Miss K snatched it up as a nightgown and wears it every chance she gets.  So I decided to re-make that dress with this pretty rose fabric she picked out a few months back.



Everything went beautifully this time around.  My fabric behaved, the pattern is well written and well drafted.  Seriously this is probably the best I’ve stitched up any garment. 



And K hates it.  She thinks it is “too girly.”  I was a tiny bit crushed, however I don’t think this color looks that great on her so I’ll let it go. (Although I do think the style is beautiful on her).



Pattern:  McCall’s M7079;  This is a great dress pattern for girls and has many options for open back, short sleeves or sleeveless.  It reminds me a lot of Kitschy Coo’s Skater dress.  It has a fantastic skirt on it too, perfect for twirling.  I’ll try again in a different fabric because I love this pattern, I mean I really, really love it!



Sizing:  Size 12 for shoulders and bust, size 14 for the rest.



Instructions/Alterations:  well written.  The pattern calls for you to simply turn and stitch the neckline, I used binding instead.  I also used fold over elastic in the waist to help it hold its shape.  FOE is so much softer on our skin whereas clear elastic makes us itch and get a rash. 



Fabric:  2 yards Buff Yellow Floral Ponte de Roma Double Knit.  Miss K picked this out in August of 2015 from fashionfabricsclub. It is a nice thick Ponte and fantastic to work with. Total cost: $9.90. 



Next I thought I would try the Jalie Eleonore (3461) pants pattern in a Ponte.  I made these in a stretch corduroy for Miss K before and they looked nice but she split the back seam the one time she wore them. 



Sizing: This time I sized up to an R above the knees, a Q below the knees, and a P for the height.  This worked beautifully because they fit well.



Instructions/Alterations: I made no other alterations besides the mixed sizing, oops I forgot I did scoop out the back crotch curve about 1/2" to accommodate her large rear.  The instructions are typical Jalie, words and picture steps.  They do a great job of holding your hand with each step clearly shown.



Fabric: My fabric had 60% stretch (20% vertical); it is a gray, super soft “Pontiroma,” a poly blend, lighter than Ponte, but a nice weight.  I purchased 1 yards for $5.44 from Walmart.  I forget when I purchased this. 



I tried a new underwear pattern for Miss K.  This is Stitch Upon A Time’s Scrundies pattern.  I used the XS for her.  She won’t take them off! I had to make a second pair just to get her to take the first pair off! I think I need to make her some more!  These use bands on the legs/waist instead of elastic so they are nice, soft, and not restrictive at all.



Miss K also needed a few more pajamas.  They have pajama day at school every so many months so she needed some separates to wear. 



Pattern:  Jalie 2686
Sizing:  I used a size R for the waist grading to a Q at the hip on down, and O for the inseam.  They fit perfectly and she loves both these pairs. 



Fabric: 2 yards of Ice Cream and Cupcakes Flannel.  I picked this up from Hancocks in June 2015 for $6.38.  I bought the shirt to go with it and put this cute kitty on it with my Silhouette cameo.  He is trying to squish himself into a cupcake wrapper so I thought it fit well with the theme. 



The second pair of pants was made with 1.5 yards of Sky Blue Sheep Flannel.  This fabric is heavenly.  It is brushed on both sides making it extremely soft.  I picked it up in February from fashionfabricsclub for $9.90.  Miss K has been asserting the fact that she is not wearing baby clothes anymore, yet she picked this image of “Timmy the sheep” from “Timmy Time.”  I will never understand, but I was happy to oblige.

Mr. T was feeling left out of the pajama making so I whipped him up a pair of pajama pants from Simplicity 2771.  I used Size Teen Large for him and added 1” to the inseam.  This fabric was also brushed on both sides.  I used 2 yards that I purchased from fashionfabricsclub in February for $9.90.  I bought this shirt to match and added the Bob’s Burgers graphic to it.  Mr. T loves this set. 



Stitch Upon A Time Boxerwear – I set out to make Mr. T and Mr. Sunny a pair of boxers with Ewoks on them. I’ve used this pattern 3 times now for each of them.  But since these are made with Ewoks, I had fun with them.  For Mr. T I used size XS with bands and no fly.  For Mr. Sunny I used size XL long length with fly, leg bands, low rise front, high rise back, and waist elastic.



 I also flatlock stitched the butt seam of both of these to make them more comfortable. Both guys loved them and wear them often.  Fabric: 1 yard total for both of Dark Olive Cotton Lycra Jersey Knit Fabric Combed 10oz.  I purchased this from Stylish Fabrics in Nov 2015 for $6.90.  It matched the Ewok panels I had gotten as flawed about a year ago for $1 a piece.  Each pair cost about $4.45 to make. 

flatlocking

Finally, I wanted to gift my niece and nephew a fun t-shirt for Easter so I bought and one for the boy in a 4t but couldn’t find a shirt for the girl in a 6-12 months.  At the last minute I decided to make her one with the Flosstyle Jukebox pattern.  It turned out so cute!  I designed the Farm graphics for each shirt myself. 




This week I’ve been doing a little landscaping, spring cleaning, and pattern testing.  This warmer weather has shorts on my mind.  I think I’ll start sewing some up soon!

*~* Happy Sewing! *~*


Kristin

October makes for K ~ Ottobre and Jalie, etc.

Before October exits and November begins I wanted to document my makes for Miss K this month.  I refer back to my blog posts often when I am making things so it is handy to have all my info here. 

Ottobre 04/2007 #31 ~ “Tunic Top”



Size: I used a size 146 for height and 152 for width. I knew K would not like the belt on this tunic so I left that off.

Construction: I had trouble gathering the waist because of my drapey, thin fabric so I ended up getting few gathers and just shaved the sides off by 1.25 inches each so the bottom of the tunic wasn’t so huge. 



Outcome: I used really expensive custom knit fabric that K “had to have and loved” for the bodice.  After I made this top up she informed me that she hated the sleeve cuffs.  So I sat and unpicked both sleeves, cut new ones, sewed them on, and just hemmed them.  After all this work she tells me the top is too babyish and will not wear it.

Fabric: The custom fabric is normally $25 per yard but I bought and sold some to make my Fat Half $9.79, it is called “Bunny Tea” and was ran by Sweet N’ Charmed; I purchased it in July 2014.  The solid pink is a soft rayon type jersey knit with a heathered look; I purchased it from Fashionfabricsclub in Jan 2015.  I used 1/2 yard, $1.98.  The yellow is ribbing material. We’ll say that small bit cost $0.25.  Total for the now pajama shirt: $12.02

Jalie 3461 ~ Eleanore

Size: Before my troubles with the Eleanore pattern I had already traced and cut out a pair for K.  This girl only wears yoga pants and hates jeans.  I thought I’d give this pattern a try on her.  I used a size “Q” for her but shortened it by 2 inches.  The size falls in her exact measurements.



Construction:  I sewed these after my failure with the pattern and hoped that they would fit.  I sewed them with 1/4” seam as directed, but this left no room for adjustments.  These sew up fast and great.  I loved the instructions.  I had no difficulty with them.  Then I crossed my fingers and hoped for the best.



Outcome: K put them on and actually loved them.  They were a tad snug in the rear but overall fit well, if not a little long.  She wore them to school the next day and was happy.  Then I washed them and noticed the seam in the rear had split open.  There is no way I can unpick the top stitching in this corduroy and not ruin the fabric.  So the pants were worn one time and have now met their sad demise.  I will try this pattern again once I pick up some more stretch corduroy; However, I’ll go up one size for her width wise and double stitch the crotch seams.  I will also scoop out the back a bit to make room for her rear.



Fabric: 1 yard of Stretch Corduroy in Dark Teal.  This had great stretch of at least 30%.  I picked this up in August 2013 from Mill End Textiles before they closed shop. It was only $2.99 for the yard. 




Jalie 3352 ~ Dolman Tee

Size: Last week Miss K told me at 5pm that she needed to wear orange the next day to school.  She has no orange shirts.  I went and looked in my stash and wanted to choose the fastest, simplest pattern I could.  I settled on the Jalie Dolman Tee.  I normally go up 2 sizes in Jalie because the fit is snug so I debated and cut an “O” for the shoulders/bust to a “Q” at the waist/hip.  Well, this pattern runs normal sized so I didn’t need to size up. 



Construction:  This went together fast.  There are 3 pieces for my version: the front, the back, and the lower sleeve part. I used my coverstitch for the hems.  K didn’t want the high/low hem going on so I took the low part off the back and used the length of the front all over.  Well, it is short.  It hits her at the just acceptable mark.  I will make this for her again because she loves the style, but will lengthen it by 1-2 inches. 



Outcome: Miss K loved this top. She liked the style and the fabric.  All her friends loved it at school the next day and requested one for themselves.  The next one I make will be smaller in the shoulders though.



Fabric: The main body is a Fat Half of “Paintstrokes” ITY.  I picked it up from FabricMart in July 2015.  The fat half would be $2.25.  The black is also an ITY I picked up from Hancock's in Sept 2015.  I used 1/4 yard we shall say, $1.60. Total for the shirt: $3.85



Jalie 3355 ~ Sweatpants

Size: I’ve had tons of success with this pattern using the sweatshirt and so I assumed the sweatpants would be great too.  I used Miss K’s measurements and settled on size “Q” after measuring the pattern, too.  I shortened the rise by 1” and the height by 2”. 

Sorry, I have terrible light to take pictures this morning

Construction:  I love the pockets on these pants, they are so cute!  These sew together fairly fast. too.


Outcome: They are huge. Absolutely huge on her, all over.  The width and length and rise overwhelm her.  Miss K and I decided to put them away for next year instead of trying to alter them.



Fabric: 1.5 yards of Berry Pink French Terry, purchased from Fashionfabricsclub July 2015 for $5.93

Bonny Leggings – Made for Mermaids

Size: 12 height, 14 width. 



Construction: These go together super fast.  I taped the pattern and cut it out, cut out my fabric AND had it sewn in 45 minutes. 

Outcome: K doesn’t like them. She thinks they are “weird” looking and tells me they are too tight.  This fabric stretches 70% widthwise and 50% lengthwise though.

Fabric: Neon Orange Active wear I just purchased form Fashionfabricsclub. These used almost a yard so we will say they cost $3.95

Brazi Bra – Stitch Upon A Time

Size: XS with a size 2 band



Construction: This is pretty simple to make.  Through trial and error I found that Miss K likes the 3” fold over bottom band instead of the 5”.  I also have to shorten the straps by 1.5”

Outcome: She still doesn’t like this fabric and tells me it is sort of tight.  However she did wear it all day to school. 

Fabric: Neon Orange Active wear I just purchased form Fashionfabricsclub. This used a small bit of my yard so we will say it cost $1.00.  It is fully lined with the same fabric.

Midnight Slippers ~ Stitch Upon A Time

Oh, I almost forgot.  I started to make Mr. T these awesome slippers.  I will not finish the other one laying there however because they are too small for him *cry*  They fit Miss K but she won’t wear them because... zombies.
 


I printed the pattern at 90% and used the biggest size (per his measurements).  I even placed the zombie face right where he looks in the slipper!  The bottoms have slipper grip.  I was too excited to give them to him.  He can’t even squish his little foot in them, lol.  And this was the very last of the walking dead fabric I had.




And there you have it.  Many fails for K and only 1 success and 1 partial success, lol.  She is such a fickle child.

Bring on November!

Pitiful Pants ~ the epic journey

Let's talk pants.  They are not hard to sew, but time consuming.  They look great when executed right; but they are just so darn hard to fit correctly!!  I have been struggling with finding a good pants pattern for awhile now.  I thought I would share my recent failures learning experiences. 
My main problem is the crotch curve and thighs.  I know, I know, that is like the major part of fitting pants. I have a small waist, very large hips/rear, and saddlebags large thighs. To make things worse, I am very particular in how my pants fit.  I can't even buy RTW jeans because finding a pair to fit these areas is exhausting.  

So here is my recent work on 3 different pants patterns.  I'll give my thoughts on each one.

Kwik Sew 3193: Size L waist, to XL elsewhere.  These are more “trousers” than pants so the fit will be a bit different.  They are higher rise than I like. My fabric has some stretch.
 
Jalie 3461 Eleanor: I really, really wanted these to work.  This is the look I was going for.  Per my measurements I should go with a  “V” at the waist to an “AA” elsewhere which I did. My fabric was the right stretch, too.  I could barely put these suckers on. Super tight. *Shakes fist at those who had this pattern work “right out of the envelope”*
 
Ottobre 02/2013 #5/6: My butt looks the saggiest in these.  After seeing these pictures I threw away this muslin and the traced pattern. I will not proceed with these!  Size Waist 44 to 48 elsewhere.  This fabric has some stretch.
 

Here are the back views:

Kwik sew: Yikes, my rear crotch curve needs to be let out some and I should scoop a bit more for the rear as it looks like I’m trying to bust out!

Jalie: wrinkles, wrinkles, wrinkles.  Way too tight.  Do my knees knock together or am I just standing weird?

Ottobre: Saggy butt. Knee, thigh, and under rear issues.

And the front views:

Kwik Sew: front looks ok, though the tights need some work.

Jalie: Still tight. Front crotch hanging too low causing frown lines.  Pulling across hips. Knee issues.

Ottobre: Not good, but not terrible.  Knee issues, hip/thigh issues.  Weird crotch issue trying to form a camel toe.

And the side views:

Kwik Sew: From the side these look ok.  The outer seam is mostly straight, though tilted back on top and forward in front slightly. 

Jalie: Wowza.  My waist to thigh bump looks horrible.  The outer seam is pulling to the back on top.  Wrinkles on the thigh to knee. 

Ottobre: *shakes head*  Just wrong.  outer seam pulls to rear on top. waist, rear, thigh, knee wrinkles. 
 
So there you have it.  Pictures speak volumes when fitting.  I will probably continue to tweak the Kwik Sew pattern to get a good trouser pant out of it.  The front side seems very loose on me, but overall the issues are manageable.  I would love to get the Jalie pattern to work but I’m pushing at the very top size on the pattern – which is disheartening!  I wear a size 14 in RTW pants right now and the Jalie pattern goes up to a 22 in women, you would not think I’d be at the edge of the size chart. I may or may not try it in the largest size at a later time.
 
How do you fit your pants?  Do you tissue fit? Muslin? or sew straight out of the envelope?  If you are pear shaped like me, have you had success with a certain pattern?
 
~ Happy Sewing! ~ Kristin ~