sewbeachlife

Make It A Workout Top

And Check Out My New Leggings

When you go to the gym five days a week, you need a lot of workout wear. My favorite sports bra patterns tend to get hacked into workout tops because if I love it as a bra, I’ll love wearing it as a top too! I couldn’t wait to make the Greenstyle Delphi Bra into a workout top, and doing something simple wasn’t enough of a challenge for me.

The infinity back on the Delphi is my favorite back option, and I thought it would be fun to make the back infinity straps narrower, with the final back strap width at 1″. So I figured out the strap width, ensuring that when the seam is properly aligned that the back attachment angle would match the original angle, blah, blah, blah. Don’t be like Debora- the pattern is excellent as designed, and it was ridiculous of me to try and over-engineer the back infinity straps. 🙂

I’ve made numerous workout tops using the Greenstyle Power Sports Bra pattern, and love the front princess seams. So I figured, why not mash the two patterns? The side seams are not the same height, so there was a little bit of adjustment to get them to align. It worked out well to get a fun look in the front and the back, and it gave me more seam lines to reverse triple coverstitch.

Since I make so many workout tops, I had front and back bodice pieces already saved in my Power Sports Bra pattern envelope. (I use 14″ x 18″ manilla jumbo catalog envelopes to store all my .pdf patterns, and they work great. The larger size means that my pattern pieces don’t have to be folded as much.) I’m not sure whether I originally used the bottom of the Staple Tank or Cami Tank to make the bodice, but honestly, whatever tank top pattern fits you well can be used as to get the shape.

I wanted to narrow and shorten my previously traced bodice pieces, so I grabbed my Bobby Brami pattern and went sort of halfway between the two different lengths and widths, as I didn’t want it quite as short and fitted as my Bobby Brami tops. Looking at my photos though, I may have gone a bit too narrow at the ribs, and not quite fitted enough at the waist and hips. I can always take it in a bit later.

I wanted a super clean finish where the bodice attached to the bra so that the infinity back really stands out. A bra obviously needs a band for compression and support, but I kept it hidden.

For reference, I make a size C1 Delphi Bra, which is where my measurements put me according to the new size chart. My underbust measurement is 30.5″, and I generally use 24″ of 1″ wide knit elastic from Wawak in my bra bands. That’s what feels comfortably snug to me.

To figure out the length you need, wrap your elastic around you under the bust, pulling it as taut as feels comfortable to you, add .5″ for overlap, and cut your elastic and band to that length. Make your band 2.25″ high. This allows you 1″ for the elastic, 1″ to fold it up, and a quarter inch seam allowance to attach it to the bra and bodice. Assemble the bra as per the pattern tutorial, stopping at the point where you would add the band. Sew the bodice front and back together, and hem the bottom. Sew the short ends of the band together, forming a loop and mark the quarter points. Overlap the ends of the elastic and zig zag together forming a loop and mark the quarter points with a pencil. Align the quarter points of the band and elastic, and serge the elastic to the bottom edge of the wrong side of the band.

Take a look at the back band pattern piece of the Delphi Bra, and measure the distance between the two notches. (On my size, that’s around 7.5″) Use a piece of tailor’s chalk or pins to mark this measurement, centering it on what will be the back of your band.

The next part seems tricky, but it’s really not. It’s more a matter of aligning and pinning. 🙂 To sew the band, bra, and bodice together, align the raw edges in this order: right side of band against wrong side of bra. Align the finished back edges of the bra back with the previously made tailor’s chalk marks. Align the center fronts, as well as the side seams and quarter points. Then align the right side of the bodice with the right side of the bra, matching the quarter points. The bra will be sandwiched between the band and bodice. Pin all around and baste all the layers together. Looking at the photo above see how there’s only two layers of fabric where I’m sewing? That’s the band and bodice at the infinity back opening. Near the bottom of the photo you can see the bra sandwiched in there. Having everything basted together will make it easier to serge the seam. You may want to use a hump jumper when you go from two layers of fabric to four.

Ignore that I put the pins in from the wrong direction when folding the elastic up. 😉

Get the bra and bodice out of the way, fold the band up so that the elastic is hidden, and pin in place covering but not overhanging the seam allowance. Coverstitch (or topstitch with a stretch stitch or double needle) to complete the band. Press your completed top with your iron set at an appropriate temperature for your fabric.

This is the second pair of Sinclair Patterns Glide Leggings that I’ve made. I love that they have pockets and a gusset. It’s nice that they have tall files as well as regular and petite. These are a size 10 tall, and they actually may be about a half inch too long. To see the first pair I made in black supplex, see the previous post. I wore them on my trips to and from Michigan last month. They were comfortable during the flights, long layovers, and walking around in airports.

I have strong (large?) calf muscles from growing up on skates, and graded out a little bit for the calves. I’m thinking about adding maybe another quarter inch of width there.

I wore my new workout outfit to Dance Fitness Fusion class and received a couple compliments. Dance class is followed by yoga class, and I had time to play around and asked someone to take a few photos of my headstand.

See that perfect triangle formed by my clasped hands, with forearms to elbows pushed firmly down into the floor? That’s the base you need to be able to do a headstand, because the weight of your body isn’t actually on your head, it’s on your base.

It’s interesting to see the look of determination and focus on my face. And lest you think that dance class isn’t really a workout, peep the sweat under my bust. My watch tells me I burn about 400 calories just having fun at dance class. Then I cool down at yoga.

My outfit was reverse triple coverstitched using Superior Threads Fantastico variegated thread #5028 Peacock Plume in the looper. The trickiest seam to complete is that inner leg seam. You’ve just got to remember to go in from the waist (it helps to do it before adding the waistband), scrunch one leg up like you’re putting on pantyhose, and start sewing from the hem of that leg, all the way up to the crotch, continuing down the other leg, pausing to scrunch further and further down the leg to the hem. It’s time consuming, but doable.

The details:

For the top I mashed the Power Sports Bra, Delphi Sports Bra, Cami Tank, and Bobby Brami by Greenstyle Patterns. The bottoms are Glide Leggings by Sinclair Patterns. By playing pattern tetris, I was able to fit all pieces on less than two yards of Greenstyle Align 2 in a teal color. This particular color is no longer available, but I love Align 2 because it is a nylon/spandex blend. I avoid polyester fabrics. I love having a new workout outfit to add to my rotation! Am I likely to make another Delphi Bra workout top? Absolutely!

Thank you for reading and sharing my love of patterns, sewing, fabric, thread, and cute workout wear. The links to GreenStyle may be affiliate links (if I did them properly!) which means that I may earn a few pennies if you use my links without it costing you anything extra. Since this is my blog and represents me, I always give my honest opinion about any patterns, fabric, or supplies that I talk about. I do like knowing whether the time I spend writing posts actually interests people enough that they take a look at the patterns I review, but I write for me. It’s one more creative pursuit that I hope is helpful or interesting to others. I write to share my love of sewing and to encourage others to love it as much as I do! ❤

Wardrobe By Me Tropicana Shirt

Since winter has arrived in Florida, I figured it was time to make some shirts with sleeves. I’ve made a couple of blouse patterns by a new to me pattern company- Wardrobe By Me, but they’ve all been sleeveless options, and the patterns both had set-in sleeves. This time I wanted to really challenge myself by making a woven raglan shirt. So I went with the Tropicana Shirt pattern.

Raglan styles can be tough, because the sleeve has to fit up over your shoulders. I started by making a muslin, but made a fatal area choosing my base size. In the previous two WBM patterns I’ve sewn, I used a size 4 or 6 at the shoulders, because my upper bust measurement is narrower than my full bust would indicate. Then I’d grade out at the bust (under the armscye), down to the waist and hips. That method works well for a set-in sleeve, or sleeveless shirt. It does NOT work for a raglan style, especially if you have muscular arms. Lesson learned: use your waist and hip measurements to choose a size with this pattern!

Generally speaking, I have to lower bust darts by about an inch, because I am longer than average from shoulder to bust point, and I did that here. I also added an inch to the length because I am tall. These are normal alterations that I make to pretty much any woven pattern. Patterns are designed to an “average”, but most bodies aren’t a perfect “average” size and shape. As you gain experience sewing, you learn to automatically check these things on a pattern, adjust accordingly, and grade to fit your body. It is worth the effort to get a nice fit.

Since I upcycled one of my husbands old shirts to salvage the fabric (and buttons!), there was limited fabric left when it came time to cut out the sleeves. Short sleeves were the solution, and I hacked them to have a contrast split sleeve band. I think it works well with the split hem on the shirt.

The sleeves, or more precisely, the shoulders were the biggest challenge for me. Like many, many people, my shoulders slope. As I’ve gotten older, I think the sloping angle has increased. 😉

See the pin I’m pointing to in the photo above? That’s where a set-in sleeve seam would be. That is not where the slope of the pattern ended, which is why you can see that puffed up section on the shoulder. Because there isn’t adequate length there, the sleeve couldn’t settle down onto my shoulder. I adjusted the angle of that seam to gain the needed length.

Although the pattern has button and button hole markings, because I lowered the bust dart and added an inch to the length of the pattern, I always wait until I can try a shirt on to mark the buttonhole placement.

I like the top button to sit at the center of the bust, so a pin marks the point for me. Once the shoulder seam adjustment was made and the buttons and buttonholes were done, I figured that there was no reason to waste the pocket from my husbands shirt, but I didn’t want a chest pocket. So the pocket was added to the lower right hand side of the shirt, in case I want to carry my phone, etc. I took the time to carefully match the plaid, and the pocket blends in nicely.

I’m pretty happy with how the Tropicana Shirt turned out. I made it a couple months ago, even though I’m just now writing about it. The tutorial gave good directions for sewing the collar, which is nice, because collars can be intimidating. I’ve worn this shirt numerous times and it is comfortable even under a cardigan. Is it perfect?

Well, the back could use some work. I’m sure it has something to do with the slope of my shoulders, the depth of the armscye, and my muscular upper back. The perfectionist in me wants to fix it, but frankly, I’m not quite sure how to go about it with the raglan style. If you’ve got ideas on how to improve it, or tips for working with this style, I’d love to hear it!

Would I make this pattern again? Yes, but only when I have the time to dedicate to improving the fit of the back. In the meantime, I’ll just enjoy wearing it, and spending time with my true love.

Details: This is the Tropicana Shirt pattern from Wardrobe By Me. I really like the aesthetic of their patterns. I started out by buying three of their patterns. Then I bought two more. 🙂

The fabric was upcycled by completely seam-ripping apart one of my husbands old dress shirts. It was sewn on my Bernina, which does such a great job of sewing perfect buttonholes. I also love the fact that I can move the needle up to five spaces left or right, which really helps when you make a pattern with lots of topstitching!

Thank you for reading and sharing my love of patterns, sewing, fabric, upcycling, and sewing machines! Since this is my blog and represents me, I always give my honest opinion about any patterns, fabric, or supplies that I talk about. I do like knowing whether the time I spend writing posts actually interests people enough that they take a look at the patterns I review, but I write for me. It’s one more creative pursuit that I hope is helpful or interesting to others. I write to share my love of sewing and to encourage others to love it as much as I do! ❤

Delphi Sports Bra

Who can resist a fun new sports bra? Especially with options for a super cute infinity, twist, or simple back design. I am all over trying new sports bra patterns, and the infinity strap design is just so unique and fun.

I don’t limit myself when it comes to wearing sports bras. They get worn to the gym, as a swim top at the beach and in the pool, and for everyday wear. They also get worn with shorts when I skate around my neighborhood, because that is #floridalife. 🙂

The Delphi Sports Bra pattern calls for athletic fabric. I used nylon/spandex Supplex and nylon/spandex Align 2 for my two bras. You could add powernet if you wanted, but I found that the compression and firmer rebound of Supplex and Align 2 were adequate for me. (For reference, I wear and buy a size 32D bra at Soma.)

I wore one of my freshly made bras all day yesterday and it was super comfortable. The straps stay in place, and the neckline depth is perfect. It’s high enough to be supportive, but low enough to not show under a scoop or V-neck top.

You can use 3/8″ or 1/2″ elastic in the straps. Although the pattern calls for 1-1/2″ or 2″ elastic in the band, because I am rather short-waisted (which seems weird for a tall girl, right?) I chose to use 1″ elastic in my band. Of course that meant adjusting my band height to 2-7/8″, but I love being able to personalize a pattern to fit my body. That’s one of the reasons that I sew my own clothes.

Greenstyle has once again nailed it on a fun, great-fitting, well-designed pattern with the Delphi Sports Bra. It doesn’t take a huge amount of fabric, and can be worn with shorts, skirts, leggings, and under your favorite top. Sizing ranges from 32″ to 61″ at the full bust. If you need it, there are 2″ and 4″ full bust adjustment pattern pieces for the front.

The details:

The Delphi Sports Bra pattern is one of the many awesome patterns by Greenstyle. I had some plum Supplex from Phee Fabrics in my stash for the first Delphi Bra I made. The teal Align 2 for my second bra was purchased from Greenstyle a while back. Although this particular color is no longer available, they have lots of pretty colors in stock. I also recommend the Signature fabric line, which is another high quality nylon/spandex athletic fabric.

For reference, I made a size C1 with the plum supplex. For the second bra, I again used size C1, but cut the front in size B2 width (keeping the C1 length), which feels more comfortable for my shoulder width and at the armscye. I dislike anything being too close in the armscye, and this combination works perfectly for me.

I can’t remember which pattern I used for the swim bottoms, but the Delphi Sports Bra is also shown worn with the Windward Shorts and Tidal Skirt, blogged here and here.

I purchased my 1/2″ and 1″ knit elastic at Wawak, along with the Maxi-Lock serger thread. There are steps in the pattern that I highly recommend using your sewing machine to stitch, such as the side seams, and attaching the back infinity straps. It’s also important to trim those seams to reduce bulk and help them lay more smoothly when turned out to the right side. I drive a Bernina sewing machine and LOVE it! Other seams and the cover-stitching on the straps were done on my Babylock Triumph, which I also love.

I cannot stress strongly enough how much easier and more fun it is to sew when you use high quality patterns, fabrics, and machines. It isn’t that you can’t sew with a cheaper machine, because I sewed for decades on much, much less expensive machines. But once I had saved enough money to purchase my current machines, I really feel like the quality of my work, and ease of sewing (due to less frustration with machine capacity, bobbin struggles, lack of foot height, and motor strength) has greatly improved.

Thank you for reading and sharing my love of patterns, sewing, fabric, and cute sports bras! The links to GreenStyle may be affiliate links (if I did them properly!) which means that I may earn a few pennies if you use my links without it costing you anything extra. Since this is my blog and represents me, I always give my honest opinion about any patterns, fabric, or supplies that I talk about. I do like knowing whether the time I spend writing posts actually interests people enough that they take a look at the patterns I review, but I write for me. It’s one more creative pursuit that I hope is helpful or interesting to others. I write to share my love of sewing and to encourage others to love it as much as I do! ❤

Trying Something New – Sewing A Sydney Bag

I like to challenge myself once in a while by making something totally different than what I usually sew. Greenstyle was testing the new Sydney Bag, so I signed up to test it. I’ve never made a “real” bag before. I’ve made a few lined tote bags, just making up my own patterns. But they were simple rectangles with pockets. Here was a real pattern with zippers, inner and outer pockets, and an adjustable strap.

I felt a bit intimidated, simply because it was so completely different than what I was familiar with. Don’t let the number of pattern pieces scare you. It just seems like a lot because there are outer main fabric, inner lining, and interfacing pieces.

No matter how many layers there were, I knew that my Bernina would have no problem sewing them all. It is truly the most fabulous sewing machine I have ever owned. If you’re ready to move beyond a basic model sewing machine, I recommend going to your local Bernina dealer and checking them out. It’s like driving a luxury car, once you’ve driven one, you can never go back to a “basic” model! 😉

The Sydney Bag tutorial walks you through every step whether you’re a beginner bag-maker like me, or you’ve made dozens of bags. There are two sizes: small and medium, I chose small for both of my bags, but I’m here to tell you that they are not tiny. They’re just the perfect size to hold all the things.

The shape is fun, and gives you so much space for all the things.

I used upholstery fabric for the main outer pieces of both my Sydney Bags, and quilting cotton for the lining. The pattern calls for 1-1/2″ wide webbing for the strap. You can get polypropelene webbing in all manner of colors, but I don’t care for the “plastic like” feel of of polypropelene, so I used cotton webbing. I also ordered nylon webbing in black for future bags. It feels similar to the cotton webbing.

Something to keep in mind about cotton and nylon webbing is that you will need to turn the raw edge under twice and stitch it. Whereas you can simply melt the edges of polypropelene. The pattern calls for a yard and a half of webbing for the strap, and I used it on the coral print bag. Even when worn as a crossbody bag by this tall girl, it is longer than necessary. So when I made the leaf print bag, I made it 9″ shorter.

Cutting the webbing 9″ shorter than the pattern called for still gave me plenty of length to wear the bag as a cross-body.

Along with the zipped exterior pocket, there’s an internal pocket. The pattern calls for stitching the internal pocket down the center, making two pockets. I went rogue and added another line of stitching 1-1/2″ from the center line to make a space for a pen or pencil. I don’t like having to dig around when I need a pen, and just adding a second line of stitching customized the pocket for my needs.

My pen stays perfectly in place, and is easy to access.

The pattern calls for the zipper pulls to be on the left when you are looking at the exterior pocket. And I followed the tutorial on my first bag.

Zipper pulls are on the left when closed.

When I carry a bag, I like the strap adjustment to be in the front for security sake. I also like my zipper pulls to the front for the same reason. Since I carry my bags over my right shoulder, this means I like my zipper pulls on the right hand side.

When making the leaf print bag, I simply reversed the direction the pull end of the zipper was facing when following the tutorial. This means I pull the zippers from the front to the back when opening while carrying. Either way works fine, just pay attention during construction if you plan to switch it around like I did.

You can fit so much stuff in the Sydney bag. I’ll be traveling next month and I’m excited that I’ll have no problem carrying my phone, wallet, tissues, lens wipes for my glasses, lip balm, lip gloss, a ponytail holder, hand sanitizer, hand lotion, a book, gluten and dairy free snacks, and a water bottle, leaving my hands free to lug a suitcase and perhaps hold my cardigan if I get too warm while waiting in line at the airport.

I finished up my first bag while my daughter, son-in-law, and granddaughters were visiting. My daughter and granddaughters liked it, and the eldest granddaughter wanted to pose holding it.

She doesn’t need to carry a purse yet, but doesn’t she look adorable?

One of the funnest parts of sewing is choosing fabrics and notions. If you’re already a bag-maker, you probably have several sources for fun hardware. I wanted a quick turn-around and knew that Wawak ships quickly. So I ordered my zippers and hardware from them. I love the fun rose gold rectangle ring and adjustable slider buckle on the coral print bag. I went with simple white zippers so that the fabric and hardware would stand out.

I went for a pop of color and used light green zippers on the second bag. I love the rainbow finished hardware and think it’s so cool how the colors change from purple, blue, and turquoise to pink, green, and rose gold. So I used a rainbow rectangle ring and adjustable slider buckle on the leaf print bag, as well as adding a cute rainbow finish “Handmade” label bar tag to the upper pocket flap.

I took my time centering it on the upper flap to ensure that it wouldn’t be in the way of any stitching. Speaking of stitching, I love how close I can get to the edge when top-stitching just by adjusting the needle position on my machine. It’s those added features that make a high end machine so helpful when sewing.

Don’t get me wrong, you can make this bag on even the most basic machine. I’ve sewn many, many garments and a couple of tote bags on my inexpensive Brother machine. I’m just still excited about having a nice machine even though it’s been a year and a half since I got it. My best tips are to use a fresh needle in the proper size for your fabric (I went with a size 90/14 needle since my fabric was thicker and a bit stiff) and to follow the tutorial, looking at the illustrations carefully if you get confused. They are very helpful.

My final tip is this: DON’T BE AFRAID TO CHALLENGE YOURSELF AND TRY SOMETHING NEW AND DIFFERENT! My second bag went much more quickly than the first because I felt confident in what I was doing. I’ve sewn literally hundreds of garments, so it’s weird that I let myself feel intimidated about sewing a bag pattern. It’s like anything else, the more you do it, the better you get at it. I absolutely will make this pattern again, and won’t be afraid to tackle other bag patterns.

The bottom gusset can be cut as one piece or two. The two-piece option is perfect when your fabric print is directional. All the leaves are upright using the two-piece method.

The details:

The new Sydney Bag pattern from Greenstyle is great! Both my bags were made with upholstery fabric and quilting cotton from my stash. All hardware and notions were purchased from Wawak. (Don’t forget to order washable basting tape, as it’s a big help when installing zippers!)

The blue dress I’m wearing is the Savannah Dress, which you can read more about here.

The links to GreenStyle may be affiliate links (if I did them properly!) which means that I may earn a few pennies if you use my links to purchase, without it costing you anything extra. Since this is my blog and represents me, I always give my honest opinion about any patterns or supplies that I talk about. I hope that the time I spend writing posts and sharing sewing tips interests people enough that they take a look at the patterns I review. I write to share my love of sewing, patterns, fabric, and supplies, and hope that it encourages others to love sewing as much as I do! ❤ Try something new and maybe challenge yourself a little bit today.

Tidal Skirt Love

Who doesn’t love a pattern with multiple uses and lots of options? While originally designed as a swim cover up (like the Ripskirt Hawaii), I wear my Tidal skirts for daily use. With 14″, 16″ or 18″ length options, you can go as short as you dare! The pockets are deep enough to safely hold your phone or stash your cards, ID, or a house key.

It’s a fun wrap skirt with godets in the back and a contoured waistband for a perfect fit. The pattern tutorial calls for Velcro closures, but you could use buttons or snaps if you prefer. I chose Velcro, and found Sleek & Thin sew on low profile fastener at Michael’s. It truly is sleek and thin, and is so soft that you could use it for children’s clothing. Even the “hook” side of this variety of hook and loop fastener isn’t scratchy at all. I was surprised and impressed at how different it is from the industrial version.

It’s easy to put on or take off the skirt:

And just like that, you’re ready to lounge in the sun, or go for a swim! You’ve got modesty for walking to the beach or pool, and can quickly prep for beach time. It’s simple to slip back on if you’re going out to dinner or walking the neighborhood.

I love the clean finish on the inside of these woven skirts, which is achieved by serging the raw edges of the seams, and top-stitching with a coverstitch. I chose to sew each 3/8″ seam with my sewing machine, then serge the raw edge with a stitch length of 2-2.25 and a stitch width of M without cutting off any of the seam allowance. The seams were pressed in the appropriate directions as per the pattern tutorial, and top-stitched with a wide coverstitch.

I generally use a narrow coverstitch with the needles in C2 and C3 when hemming or wanting a subtle look. But with the fun angles and seams of the Tidal Skirt, I wanted to try the bolder look of a wide coverstitch (with needles in C1 and C3) and accented every single seam!

See how carefully I mirrored each pattern piece on the ombre fabric? I love how the wide coverstitch really pops on all of the seams!

Here are a few tips to make sewing the Tidal Skirt even easier:

When attaching the inner pocket to the outer pocket, I find it helpful to slide my quilting ruler between the pocket pieces and the skirt so that when pinning the curved section of the pocket pieces I can’t accidentally pin into the skirt front.

Ignore the glare of the overhead light fixture reflecting in my ruler, but smile with me at the knowledge that I have a nice bright light fixture to help me see to sew.

To help “tame” the curves when pressing up the hem of the skirt or the bottom of the inner waistband, turn the differential on your serger up to 1.3 (or even 1.5 depending on how deep the curve) and serge the raw edge of the fabric. This will slightly gather it so that when it’s pressed up, the fabric will lay smoothly.

See how smoothly the pressed up hem lays?

The pattern tutorial has you attach the Velcro by sewing through both layers of the waistband. It’s the simplest way to do so. But the perfectionist in me didn’t want to see those stitch lines on the outer waistband. I wanted the Velcro completely hidden. As per the tutorial I attached the outer waistband to the skirt. Then I attached the inner waistband to the outer waistband along the top seam, but I did not sew the short sides at that time. I tried the skirt on, and carefully marked where the Velcro needed to go with pins. (The pattern piece has markings, but it’s always good to try on and adjust placement if needed.) I folded the waistband open so that I could attach the Velcro through the single layer of either the inner or outer waistband. At that point I folded the waistband back down right sides together and stitched the two short edges. Then it’s back to the tutorial and turning right sides out, pressing, and stitching in the ditch.

*Note: it is very important that you top-stitch or coverstitch all the way around your waistband if you use my method to attach the Velcro as it adds the needed stability.

The Tidal Skirt pattern by Greenstyle uses their new, updated size chart that includes sizes A1 through M3 with waist measurements from 24″-53″ and hips from 33″-62″ so it’s very size inclusive.

The details:

I made size D1 and love that the Tidal Skirt can be made with quilting cotton. I don’t own many woven garment patterns that recommend quilting cotton, so this is a great way to use a fun print or some fabric that’s been languishing in your stash for far, far too long…

This teal print may be 27 years old, but it worked perfectly for this pattern!

There is a bit of purple in the teal print, so I chose to accent it by coverstitching with MaxiLock thread from Wawak in orchid. I wore my teal skirt with a Bobby Brami, which you can read more about here.

The purple ombre cotton print came from my local(ish) quilt and sewing machine shop in Tampa a couple of years ago. I used Sergin’ General from Superior Threads in periwinkle to serge and coverstitch it. I wore my purple skirt with a slightly hacked Endurance Sports Bra (made with Greenstyle fabric), which you can read more about here. I’ve also worn it with an Azure Tank, shared here.

The links to GreenStyle may be affiliate links (if I did them properly!) which means that I may earn a few pennies if you use my links to purchase, without it costing you anything extra. Since this is my blog and represents me, I always give my honest opinion about any patterns, fabric, or supplies that I talk about. I hope that the time I spend writing posts and sharing sewing tips interests people enough that they take a look at the patterns I review. I write to share my love of sewing, patterns, and fabric, and hope that it encourages others to love sewing as much as I do! ❤

Bobby and Billie

From Lounge Wear to All Day Wear to Workout Wear

I love versatile patterns, and the new Bobby Brami pattern from GreenStyle does not disappoint! It makes for super comfortable pajamas when paired with the Billie Shorts. You can lounge all day, clean house, sew, read, do laundry, and snuggle your cat, all while feeling cozy, yet cool.

I love the way he curls his tail around me when I hold him. He loves being held up on my shoulder like a baby.

I interrupted his nap for some kitty snuggles.

But the Bobby Brami isn’t just for lounging. I wear mine out and about while running errands, taking a walk on the beach, and while skating. Fabric choice makes a little bit of difference on which top I’ll choose. All of my Bobby Brami shelf bras are made with high quality nylon/spandex swim or athletic knit. I didn’t even bother using power knit as an additional layer, because the shape of the pattern pieces gives me adequate support. The coral floral print and bright green main layer (and Billie Shorts) sets are rayon/spandex. They are soft and cozy.

It’s been chilly here in Florida, but it finally warmed up enough for me to skate again. When it finally hit the mid sixties, I wore the coral floral Bobby with some Moxi bike shorts to skate.

Some of the side streets have been repaved and they are so much smoother and nicer to skate on.

You’ve just got to pause and have some fun when you get to the top of a little bridge!

As much as I love rayon/spandex, I’m unlikely to wear it while doing a sweaty workout. On those 90 degree days, I’ll reach for the nylon/spandex athletic fabric tops, like my palm leaf print or solid white versions.

When pattern testing, I like to take fresh measurements just to make sure I’m choosing the correct size(s). Garments fit best when you start with your upper bust measurement to get a good fit at the shoulders. Then you can grade for the full bust, waist, and hips. My upper bust is a size D, and my full bust is on the outer edge of D. My waist and hips are size F. So my pattern is graded from D to F starting below the bust. After making the first test version, I realized that my bust projection made the front of my top a smidge too short. But I don’t measure into or need the +2″ or +4″ FBA front pattern pieces. What I do need is a little bit of extra length at the center front. So I reshaped the hem similar to the hem on the FBA front of the Azure top shared here. Adding 3/4″ at center front, gently curving up to nothing at the sides made a world of difference.

See how evenly the hem sits? It’s the same length all around instead of riding up in the front.

I upcycled the pretty palm leaf print fabric from a now too large tunic top (shared here) for my third Bobby Brami. Because it has a higher percentage of spandex and would be more form-fitting and less drapey, I experimented with adding 1/2″ to the length of both the (previously adjusted) front and back of the top. I’m super happy with the results!

This top is so comfortable and supportive, I don’t even have to think about adjusting or pulling on it. Carefree clothing is the best!

The slim fit of the pattern and quality of the nylon/spandex fabric kept the top firmly in place even when doing cartwheels.

All four of my Bobby Brami’s have the V-neck front, U-back, and are the (longest) high hip length. Some may think that’s boring, but I like what I like! 😉 There are a lot of options: high neck, U-neck, and V-neck fronts; and high neck, U-neck, and V-neck backs, which can be mixed and matched; along with bra length, waist crop, and high hip lengths. They can be worn with shorts, leggings, and skirts, like the Paseo Skirt shared here.

I love the *just the right amount* of coverage of the soft V-neck.

The Billie Shorts have three length options from boy shorts to the longest length, which is what I made. There’s also a lengthen/shorten line if you need to adjust the rise.

I like the longer length, and if you’re someone who experiences “chub rub”, I can foresee these being made in a nylon/spandex to be both smoothing and to protect the inner thighs. I know someone who would probably really appreciate if I made her a pair or two, as this is the style that she likes, and struggles to find in her size. Speaking of size, these patterns come in sizes B-M, which range from a full bust of 30″-61″ and a hip of 32″-62″.

If you choose to make Billie Shorts as a smoothing layer to wear under scrubs or clothes, you’ll be happy to note that there is a liner pattern piece that should be made out of cotton/spandex, bamboo/spandex, rayon/spandex or other breathable fiber. Alternatively, you could just cut a second center front piece so that the full center is lined.

A freshly sewn burrito rolled main top and shelf bra may not look like much before it’s pressed, but when it’s done, you can’t help but admire the clean finish!

One of the sewing techniques used on the Bobby Brami is the burrito roll. Don’t let the idea of it intimidate you. It really is just rolling from one side over to the other armscye, wrapping the right sides around the rolled up fabric, and pinning, then sewing them together. When you pull the fabric out after stitching, it’s amazing to see the clean finish of your garment.

Have I mentioned lately that I love the coverstitch feature on my Triumph? It makes hemming and finishing elastic bra and waistbands so quick and easy!

Though it is a rather soft V (due to the negative ease of the pattern) the V-neck does come to a point. It can be tricky to navigate exactly where to stop and pivot your fabric. I like to use a disappearing fabric marker to mark the center line of my V. Then I can stitch, keep the needle down, and pivot to stitch the other side of the V. I use a lightning bolt stitch for this, as this is a knit garment with a bit of compression. Once I’ve stitched the V, I clip down to but not through the stitching line. Then I can easily serge the neckline while adding the clear elastic to the seam. Once serged, I very carefully snip the elastic at the center of the V, trying not to snip any thread. This will help the fabric lay smoother at the V. I generally use my seam ripper to do this, as the tiny point can easily get in there to do the job.

It was easy to tell the front from the back at a glance as I made V-front and U-backs on my Bobby Brami’s. But I’m making a U-back and front for my daughter, as she prefers a slightly higher cut at the bust. To make life easier, I put a clip at the center back of the main and shelf bra pieces. A simple tip that can make things faster, easier, and avoid confusion when sewing.

Although the tutorial calls for adding clear elastic at both the neck and armscyes, I cannot stand anything tight or constricting in any way in my armpits. So I used clear elastic only on the neckline seam, feel like I have great support, and don’t feel the need for it around the arms.

Good support and a flattering fit? Yes, please!

I’m super happy with my new makes and will continue to get so much use out of them! It was nice to wear a new top to yoga class on Saturday because I do seem to be running out of workout wear and get tired of wearing the same five outfits week after week. I’m in love with these new patterns!

I had intended to add a video of my backbend to wide legged forward fold to headstand and back to wide legged forward fold, but WordPress wants me to upgrade (and pay more for) a premium plan in order to add videos. Lame. So no videos for me. 😦 But check out my new Liforme yoga mat! I bought the XL length during their holiday sale and *love* it! My previous Liforme mat lasted me for six plus years of doing yoga 3, 4, or 5 times a week.

The details: Greenstyle just released the Bobby Brami and Billie Shorts patterns.

The bright green rayon/spandex, and palm frond print nylon/spandex were from Phee Fabrics.

The coral floral rayon/spandex was given to me by my daughter, no clue where it came from.

The white nylon/spandex double brushed jersey athletic knit was from Porcelynne. As was some of the nylon/spandex swim type fabric used for the shelf bras.

I can’t be the only one that curls their legs up when sitting, right? 🙂

The links to GreenStyle may be affiliate links (if I did them properly!) which means that I may earn a few pennies if you use my links without it costing you anything extra. Since this is my blog and represents me, I always give my honest opinion about any patterns, fabric, or supplies that I talk about. I hope that the time I spend writing posts and sharing sewing tips interests people enough that they take a look at the patterns I review. I write to share my love of sewing, patterns, and fabric, and hope that it encourages others to love sewing as much as I do! ❤

Scents And Memories

Isn’t it funny how a smell can transport you to a different time and place? If I smell a certain type of bread baking, it reminds of my Great Grandma. Lilacs remind me of my Grandma. Everyone has scent memories, and a lot of them probably revolve around food or cooking. But not this one, so let me tell you about it.

Living in Florida it’s generally warm year round. Sometimes we’ll get a couple of chilly weeks, but no real winter. But this season has been downright cold, and I am not prepared for that! I pretty much live in Birkenstock sandals. I do own some Boston clogs, and have worn them a couple of times when out and about. But I need something warm to wear around the house, and I remembered that I had an old pair of UGG slippers in a bin of closed toe shoes that is stashed in the spare room closet.

I dug out the bin, found the slippers, and dusted them off, and figured they’d look a lot better if I gave them a good polish. Since I live in sandals, it’s not often that I dig out the box of shoe polish that we brought with us when we moved here from Michigan.

As soon as I opened that tin of polish, I was instantly transported to childhood, early on a Sunday morning. My Dad polished his shoes every Sunday morning before Mass. I cannot smell shoe polish without thinking about that. The smell of polish as he rubbed it into the leather. The whisk, whisk, whisk sound as he buffed it out with the rectangular brush to bring out the shine.

Gosh I miss him! I know we can’t go back in time, but man I wish I could once again hear his voice, watch him polish his shoes, and sit next to him at Mass.

What is your favorite scent memory?

GreenStyle Mini Flare Leggings

On Trend With Fun Style

Since we’re moving into winter, it’s definitely time for pants, even in Florida! The new GreenStyle Mini Flare Leggings are very on trend, with the flare starting at mid-calf. And the best part for a tall girl like me? The pattern comes with petite, average, and tall files!

They’re dressy enough to be worn with a blazer or cardigan for work or other events, while also being “fun” pants. I mean, if neon green doesn’t scream fun to you, I don’t know what does! 🙂

My husband says he likes my groovy bell bottoms. 😉 Since we lived through the ’70s (albeit in middle school) I can’t disagree! 🙂 They are very fun pants, and I like them.

Truth in advertising here though: if you have average (for your size) knees and/or calves, the pattern is great as is. I have quite muscular legs, with 15-3/4″ knees, and 15-1/8″ calves. This is way larger than the size F tall leggings are drafted for. Since the leggings are quite fitted at the knees through upper half of the calves, I knew I would need to make some adjustments. I added width to help the leggings fit the shape of my inner knees, as well as both sides of my calves. They are perhaps still a bit in need of space for my knee and calf muscles, but my husband and I were traveling to visit our granddaughters for the Christmas season, so I didn’t have any more time to play with the pattern.

The pattern has markings for the knees, and the tutorial has been updated to add a fit guide. If years of skating, yoga or other exercise has made your legs more muscular than average (like me), you’re probably going to want to check out that fit guide.

I chose the higher contoured waistband, and it is perfect! I didn’t even bother to add powernet or elastic along the top waistband seam because it just fits so well. If a contoured waistband isn’t your thing, there’s also a seamless (folded) top waistband option.

The striped top I’m wearing with my gray leggings is a Leeward Tee. I upcycled an old tunic top and kept the 3/4 length sleeves for winter wearing.

The colorful tunic top worn with my neon green pants is an old ready-to-wear top from the back of the closet.

The details:

The GreenStyle Mini Flare Leggings pattern just released, and comes in sizes B-M (32″ to 62″ hips). It took 1-1/2 yards of fabric to make size F Tall.

The green pair is made of high quality heavier weight cotton lycra. I used supplex for the inner waistband, since cotton lycra can become baggy after wearing for several hours.

The gray pair are a high quality nylon/spandex ponte athletic knit I found at my local(ish) sewing machine dealer. I wish they had had more colors available.

If you’re looking for some trendy leggings, you may want to check this pattern out!

The links to GreenStyle may be affiliate links (if I did them properly!) which means that I may earn a few pennies if you use my links without it costing you anything extra. Since this is my blog and represents me, I always give my honest opinion about any patterns, fabric, or supplies that I talk about. I hope the time I spend writing posts actually interests people enough that they take a look at the patterns I review. I write to share my love of sewing, patterns, and fabric, and hope that it encourages others to love sewing as much as I do! 🙂

All About The Azure

Greenstyle has been knocking it out of the park with new patterns, and the Azure Top and Dress is another winner! There are options galore with crew, scoop and V-necklines; narrow or wide tanks; cap, short, full, or long sleeves; crop, high hip, or low hip tops; and a super cute dress with elastic in the back for shaping.

When you make three tops and a dress, it’s a sure sign that you love a pattern! 🙂 My first make is a V-neck narrow tank in the high hip length. When I texted my daughter a photo to show her how cute it is, she said she “loves the modern length on me.” Hahahahahahahaha! Obviously I have not been wearing tops with a modern length! She’s not wrong. After losing some weight, most of my tanks and tops are big, baggy, and too long on me. So I really needed to make some new ones!

I love the V-neck, I love the drapiness of rayon spandex for this style, and the narrow tank width is perfect for my shoulder width.

Since those style choices worked so well the first time, my second make is another V-neck narrow tank in high hip length.

This green rayon spandex is a bit heavier weight than the cheetah print, and as usual for testing, the pattern was updated slightly to fit a little slimmer at the armscye and bust. This top may look a little snug at the bust, but it is super comfortable and will fit an average bust quite nicely.

All of my makes are a size E graded out to size F. My upper bust is 33″, which is the smallest end of size E. My full bust is 37″, the largest measurement for size E, so right on the edge of needing an FBA. Because Greenstyle is awesome, they include a +2″ FBA option in the pattern. 🙂

Which leads me to the third V-neck narrow tank in high hip length, made using the +2″ FBA front pattern piece. Along with a bit of width at the bust, the FBA adds length to the center front, which is super helpful for those of us with a lot of bust projection. Although I don’t mind the slightly high low look of my first two tanks, my FBA make has a more level hemline.

This tank is an upcycle made from an old RTW dress. Although the fabric is a polyester spandex (if you know or follow me, I’m not generally a fan of polyester) the print and colors were too fun for me to ignore.

Polyester spandex doesn’t have quite as nice a drape as rayon spandex, but it still works well for this pattern. I wore this outfit all day while playing with my granddaughters. The six year old and I went roller skating around the neighborhood and I was so comfortable that I didn’t even think about my clothes.

Photo courtesy of my six year old granddaughter.

I love that the “modern” 😉 high hip length keeps my belly covered even with arms raised overhead. One of these days I might try the crop length, because it would look super cute with a Paseo Skirt…

After seeing the cute Azure dresses during testing, it was impossible to not make one. The back elastic just gives it such pretty shaping.

The length is perfect! Short enough to be cool and breezy (because let’s face it- Florida is hot and humid for most of the year), but long enough to wear to Mass.

The back elastic not only provides shaping for the front of the dress, but helps it lay smoothly and comfortably against your back.

If you’re nervous about sewing an elastic casing on stretchy knit fabric, I’ve got great tips for you. First, make sure you mark your casing lines (on the wrong side of the fabric) with a high contrast color. I like using tracing paper and a tracing wheel. Then press up both long sides of the casing.

My (not so) secret weapon for keeping the casing from stretching or shifting out of place when sewing is Wash Away Wonder Tape.

Place a strip of Wash Away Wonder Tape along both pressed up edges of the casing. Flip the casing over so that the wrong side of the casing lines up with the marked lines on the wrong side of the dress back.

Start peeling the paper backing off the strip on the top edge of the casing, then use your hands to press it in place along the top marked line. Once the casing is perfectly aligned and pressed into place, do the same with the bottom edge.

My sweet kitty likes to be close by while I’m sewing. He lounges on a chair while I cut or do prep at the dining table, then follows me into the sewing studio when I sew. ❤

The Wash Away Wonder Tape will keep the casing perfectly in place for stitching. What you may have thought of as a challenging step becomes super easy, and you don’t even need to worry about using or pulling pins when you sew the casing in place!

Maybe this winter I’ll try a version with sleeves, but for now the V-neck and narrow tank options are perfect for both the top and dress.

My favorite fabric for both the tank and dress is of course rayon spandex, because I love that fabric blend for pretty much any knit tank, tee, or dress I make.

But I have to admit that the polyester spandex blend worked well too.

Whether you’re working, playing, walking through the woods or just stopping to smell the roses, the Azure Top and Dress will keep you comfortable on your journey.

The details: the Azure Top and Dress is a new pattern from GreenStyle Creations. It comes in sizes B-M (full bust of 30″ to 61″ and hips of 32″ to 62″) and has options galore for the neckline, tank styles, and sleeve options, with three top lengths (plus a dress length!)

I purchased the rayon spandex cheetah print from Mood Fabrics, and wore my tank with bike shorts from the Moxi Shorts pattern.

I purchased the green rayon spandex from Phee Fabrics, and wore it with my Windward Shorts (you can read all about them here.)

I upcycled the teal and purple polyester spandex fabric, and wore the FBA version of the tank with Moxi bike shorts.

The blue rayon spandex for the dress was purchased from Phee Fabrics. The Wash Away Wonder Tape and the 1″ knit elastic used for the back elastic casing were purchased from Wawak.

No matter what options you choose, I am definitely all about the Azure!

The links to GreenStyle may be affiliate links (if I did them properly!) which means that I may earn a few pennies if you use my links without it costing you anything extra. Since this is my blog and represents me, I always give my honest opinion about any patterns, fabric, or supplies that I talk about. I hope the time I spend writing posts actually interests people enough that they take a look at the patterns I review. I write to share my love of sewing, fabric, patterns, and notions, and hope that sharing helpful tips encourages others to love sewing as much as I do! 🙂

Skirt? Skort? Either Way It’s A Great Look!

Love the easy breezy comfort of a skirt? Me too, especially when it has super cool optional front pockets, along with the option of back welt pockets. The thing that makes it even better are the optional undershorts, with or without side panel pockets. The GreenStyle Paseo Skirt pattern is perfection!

I love this pattern so much that I made three versions, all of them a bit different. (I would have made more before posting, but a home project left me with little sewing time). The blue shorter pencil skirt has the optional undershorts with side panel pockets. It’s made of a heavier weight nylon spandex swim, and I love it!

The side panel shorts pockets are a perfect size, wide and deep enough for a large iPhone. Did I mention that the undershorts have two length options? I made the shorter length. It’s super awesome to have attached shorts in case you break into spontaneous cartwheels 😉 or have children (or grandchildren) to chase after and play with.

My top slid up, the skirt slid up slightly, but the shorts stayed perfectly in place! Even the bird flying by (see the wing behind me?) was impressed. 😉

My teal long pencil skirt with no pockets or shorts was a super quick sew. It is scuba, upcycled from a no longer worn dress. Because the scuba didn’t have the greatest recovery, I used nylon spandex supplex from GreenStyle for the waistband.

The longer length pencil skirt is perfect for church or work. My only regret is not adding the front pockets. But being an upcycle, I was working with limited fabric. All future versions are going to have pockets! It really doesn’t take much longer to make the pockets.

This skirt is so comfortable and easy to wear all day, I wish I could say the same for the high heels! 🙂 Back in the day, heels were no big deal. Apparently I’ve reached the stage of life where Birkenstocks rule the day.

I just feel so fancy in this skirt! Obviously, I need more in my closet.

The third skirt I’m sharing is technically the first one I made. I’d made it as the longer length straight skirt with front pockets, using a stretch cotton twill panel from Mood Fabrics, taking the time to carefully match the border print at the side seams and at the front pockets. I’d chosen to make the straight skirt because I was sure that the pencil skirt would be too form fitting on me. Boy, was I wrong!

It was cute, but a bit longer and straighter than I wanted for a summer skirt. For reference, below is a photo from testing to see the longer length straight skirt. Keep in mind that it didn’t yet have a waistband on it.

Looking at the other pattern testers photos, I just loved the cut of the pencil skirt. So I unpicked the side seams and back waist darts and cut it down to the short pencil skirt. The updated version of the pattern (that’s why patterns get tested, to perfect every tiny detail!) has curved back darts, and it fits so smoothly with no bumps at the end of the dart. I’m very happy that I chose to cut it down to the shorter pencil option, as I think it’s a more flattering look on my body shape.

The skirt fits great, but since I’ve lost weight the Waimea Rashguard Top I made a few years ago is getting a bit big and baggy on me.

It’s important to use a knit fabric with good recovery for the waistband, since this is a pull-on skirt with no zipper. There are options for a mid or high rise waistband. The mid rise worked great for me. Since I like being able to carry my heavy phone in a pocket, I generally add 1/4″ clear elastic when serging the top seam of my waistbands together. Feed the elastic (grippy side down) through the slots on the presser foot. Your waistband pieces are right sides together. Once you’ve got everything aligned, lower the presser foot, ensuring that you can see that the elastic is back to where the needles will catch it.

Using a four thread overlock with a stitch length of 2, stitch width on M, and the differential at 1.3, serge around the top of the waistband. You don’t need to stretch or pull on the elastic. If you do, the elastic will end up a bit too tight, giving the dreaded “muffin top” look. Just gently let it feed through your fingers and let the machine do the work.

I love all three of the Paseo Skirts I made, and can’t tell you which is my favorite. Which one do you like the best?

The details:

The Paseo Skirt from GreenStyle Patterns comes in sizes B-M (hip sizes 32″-62″) with pencil or straight options, shorter or longer lengths, an optional flounce, an optional curved faced hem, optional front pockets and/or back welt pockets, a mid or high rise waistband, and optional undershorts in two lengths that can be plain or have side pocket panels. Whew, I think I listed all the options! I love patterns with a lot of versatility. They make me feel like I really get my money’s worth because I can make dozens of skirts and they can all look a little bit different.

My blue skirt is nylon spandex swim purchased as a destash from Ragamuffin Fabrics. I wore it with a blue modal Leeward Tank, you can read the post here.

The teal skirt is upcycled scuba, with a mid rise waistband made of supplex from GreenStyle Fabrics. It was worn with a black rayon spandex Staple Tank (read post here) tied in a knot.

The border print skirt is a stretch twill panel (with not-quite-enough stretch) from Mood Fabrics. Fortunately, I am on the very bottom edge of my size range and it works. You’ll want to pay attention to the fabric stretch requirements, especially for the waistband. You can read more about the Waimea Rashguard top worn with it here.

This is one of my favorite patterns, and will be made again and again. It’s perfect for traveling and wearing out and about. GreenStyle has knocked it out of the park again!

The links to GreenStyle may be affiliate links (if I did them properly!) which means that I may earn a few pennies if you use my links without it costing you anything extra. Since this is my blog and represents me, I always give my honest opinion about any patterns, fabric, or supplies that I talk about. I do like knowing whether the time I spend writing posts actually interests people enough that they take a look at the patterns I review, but I write for me. It’s one more creative pursuit that I hope is helpful or interesting to others. I write to share my love of sewing and to encourage others to love it as much as I do! 🙂