pattern hacks – Page 3 – Sew Beach Life

Lila & The LLK Kensington Dress

I did a bit of Christmas sewing, making microwavable bowl cozies for my Mom, siblings and family, and adult children, making a total of (I think) 22 cozies by the time I was done.

We use our cozies all the time, whether cooking broccoli or oatmeal, or keeping our fingers from freezing while eating a banana split. Not that we do that often, really! 😉

I also sewed a few things for Lila. ❤ I thought the Little Lizard King Kensington would be a cute dress, but I had to make a couple of alterations. My daughter dislikes buttons. She has disliked them since childhood. Which presented quite a challenge when trying to find the collared shirts required at their elementary school! (I didn’t have time to do much sewing back then). So, she didn’t want Lila’s dress to have buttons. Which meant I had to alter the pattern to use a zipper. It wasn’t really hard to do. I just found the center point of the back overlap, and instead of using the button placket, I reduced the width of the bodice back to just having a 1/2″ seam allowance. I had cut only one skirt panel the width of my 45″ fabric, and put the seam at center back.

This meant that rather than following the pattern tutorial, after attaching the collar and bodice lining at the neckline, the skirt had to be gathered and sewn to the bodice. The zipper was installed (ending about 3″ down into the skirt). Then the bodice lining, (which I had pulled up out of the way while installing the zipper) was sewn down into place.

The most challenging part of the pattern was the scalloped collar. It wasn’t that it was hard to do, just very time consuming. The scallops on a size 2 are rather tiny! I took my time, and very carefully trimmed and clipped each scallop so that it would lay neatly when it was turned and pressed.

Another important consideration when using a fabric with an obvious pattern to it, like this Art Gallery Fabrics Evanescence Blackout, is to take your time when laying out your pattern pieces. For a professional finished product, the design needs to line up and be evenly spaced. Notice that the darker “stripe” going across the collar is the same on the left and right? I also took care when cutting the skirt and bodice to ensure that the almost plaid-like design was evenly spaced where they meet at the waistline. The print doesn’t have perfectly straight lines forming an even plaid. It’s more of a pretty graphic design and loosely drawn and wavy grid pattern. Although I tried to get the sleeves as perfectly aligned, the right sleeve lines up better than the left. Oh well, perfection escapes me again! Hahahahahaha!

At least my granddaughter is perfect, and perfectly adorable! 🙂

And a bit of advice for photographing toddlers: always bring snacks. Everybody is much happier when there is food in their tummy!

Lila also got a rayon spandex dress, trimmed in stretch lace, hacked from the Ellie & Mac Grow With Me Pajamas.

I cut a strip of the stretch lace to half the width, and added it at the bodice to skirt seam line. I shortened the skirt to make it dress length, and gently curved the hem so that it would hang nicely when on the body. After gathering the lace (about 2-1/2″ yards worth), I zigzagged it onto the hem. Lila likes the orchid color, and the soft, breezy comfort of the dress.

It’s such a comfortable play dress, that she just didn’t want to stop swinging for photographs.

It didn’t take long to whip up a couple of Made For Mermaids Hadley Hand-Tied Bows, and attach them to hair clips for a finishing touch. Maybe I’ll make one of the larger bow sizes next time. After all, Lila is a little southern belle! 😉

She is also fun to sew for, and pretty much looks adorable in everything I make for her! Now I need to sew up a couple more patterns for this sweet girl. ❤

The bowl cozies (link to tutorial here), Kensington dress, and bow, were all made with Art Gallery Fabrics 100% cotton purchased from Phee Fabrics. The 13oz. rayon spandex was also purchased at Phee Fabrics.

Thank you for reading and sharing my love of sewing, fabric, patterns, and pattern hacking. ❤

Wrap Up A Holiday Outfit

Do you attend fancy Christmas parties that involve dinner, dancing, and drinking adult beverages? Or do you prefer a simpler setting that includes sweatpants, eggnog, snuggling your kiddos and pets, and perhaps a Hallmark Christmas movie (or two)? I used to really enjoy attending the fancy fun parties, because other than a wedding reception, how often do you get to dress up, enjoy a nice dinner and dance the night away? But I also enjoy the simple (and sometimes noisy, chaotic, crazy, and wonderful) days or evenings gathered with family and friends.

Either way, I like to feel comfortable in what I’m wearing. There aren’t any super fancy parties on my schedule this year. Just a couple of gatherings that are sure to include delicious food, conversations with people I love, and the normal fun and silliness that ensues whenever people get together. So I decided to make a fun wrap top, that could also work as a cardigan.

The first step was choosing comfortable fabric. I strongly considered using Phee Fabrics nylon/spandex Tricot. It would be a great choice- it has a pretty drape, excellent recovery, and would give the top a more elegant look. But in the end I went with Rayon Spandex for a softer, more cozy feel. Because of the more substantial 13oz. weight, the drape is beautiful, and even the white isn’t sheer.

The Joanne Faux Wrap Dress & Top by Sinclair Patterns easily became an actual wrap top. I love the fit of my Joanne dresses (blogged here), and knew that I wanted to make a top version. With a little bit of customization, it was easy to make my vision come to life. I wanted the peplum to be a bit longer than designed, so I traced the peplum front and back pieces on my size for width, and followed the lines for the largest size for the length. Since Sinclair Patterns come in Petite, Regular, and Tall, all you may need to do is print the Regular or Tall version of the peplum pieces to get extra length.

A true wrap top needs nice long ties. I cut four pieces at 2-3/4″ high, by the 60″ width of the fabric. I also cut strips of knit interfacing 2-1/4″ high, and ironed them onto the wrong side of two of the tie pieces. After laying an interfaced and a non-interfaced tie piece right sides together, I trimmed one end at an angle. I used the markings on my quilting ruler to get a perfect 30% angle, but you can use whatever angle looks good to you. Then stitch along one long side, along the angled end, and back along the other long side using a 3/8″ seam allowance. (I know the pattern uses a 1/4″ seam allowance, but my sewing machine prefers 3/8″!) 🙂 Turn the tie right sides out and press, and repeat with the second tie. Do you want to know my trick for helping to push the long sides of the tie out in order to press them? A yardstick! It really made it easier to press and not worry that the fabric was still folded inward. An interesting thought occurs to me. If you live where the metric system is the common form of measurement, I suppose it’s not called a yardstick. Is there such a thing as a meter-stick? Go ahead and laugh, I might bother to google it later. Or not.

The basic construction of the top is the same as the pattern tutorial, except the pleats, and the side seams. Sew the shoulder seams together, then sew on the neckband and top stitch. Without overlapping the two front pieces, stitch the front and back bodice together at the sides, starting at the armscye, and stopping 2-1/4″ from the bottom. Stitch the bottom 1/4″ of the seam. Repeat with the other side seam. Cut four pieces of interfacing 2-1/2″ long by 1/4″ wide. Press the interfacing within the seam allowance of the bottom side seams of the bodice on the wrong side of the fabric. This will help stabilize the open slits on the side seams when the seams are pressed open. Press, then top stitch around the slits.

Insert the sleeves, being sure to put the back of the sleeve toward the back of your top. (The pattern piece is clearly marked.) Sew each peplum front and back together at the side seams, and attach the peplum to the bodice, leaving 1/4″ unsewn at either end of the seam. This will allow you to turn the peplum under 1/4″ at the ends for a clean finish. Now for the trickiest part of the top, the pleats. Basically, you need to accordion fold 1″ wide sections, leaving the band at the top free, and leaving an extra 1/4″ at the bottom to fold under. I kind of gently spread the folds a little bit, so that the folded section ends up two inches wide. Baste.

With right sides together, pin just one layer of the tie to the basted bodice pleat. You’ll have to carefully get your presser foot inside the end of the tie to stitch the tie to the bodice. Clip your threads and flip the tie out. Fold the raw edge of the tie under and pin it in place, being sure that it covers the seam line. Then stitch in the ditch to secure the back side of the tie. Repeat with the other tie. Hem your sleeves and the peplum and your top is done!

I love that the long ties allow a bigger bow for an extra bit of drama. I like that since it’s a true wrap, I can throw it on over a dress or top as a cardigan. The extra length in the back gives me a little more coverage and looks great with a slim skirt.

The high low look of the peplum just seems to dress it up a bit. But being made out of soft rayon spandex, it would look just as great worn with some joggers. No matter what I wear it with, it’s super comfortable, and is a great way to wrap up a holiday outfit.

In case you’re wondering, my skirt is the Shenanigans Skort by 5 out of 4 Patterns, made in Supplex. This simple style, that’s just long enough, made in a stretchy, smoothing, moisture-wicking fabric is a comfortable basic for your wardrobe.

Have you wrapped up your holiday outfit?

This post may contain affiliate links. This means that at no extra cost to you, I may receive a small commission if you purchase through my link. As always, I only give my honest opinion. After all, it is my blog, which represents me! 🙂 Thank you for reading and sharing my love of sewing, fabric, patterns, and pattern hacking. ❤

How I “Prettied Up” A Play Dress

I love sewing clothes for my granddaughter! First of all, since she’s a growing toddler, she always needs clothes. Secondly, since children’s clothes are small, they’re generally a pretty quick sew. 😉 And thirdly, they usually don’t take too much fabric. Sometimes I can get away with using the larger leftover scraps of fabric from previous sews, which is what I was able to do here.

I bought a yard of the Cozy French Terry from Phee Fabrics to make Lila some joggers and a cardigan. They turned out cute, and she wore them the day we flew up to visit. I had a bit of the French Terry left, and thought a sweatshirt dress with a woven skirt would make a cute, comfortable play dress. It turns out that I didn’t have enough French Terry for the sleeves, so I turned to my trusty rayon spandex for the sleeves and neck band. Remember my Made By Rae Washi Dress blogged here? There was just enough of the Art Gallery Fabrics 100% Premium Cotton left from my dress to make the skirt.

The Stitch Upon A Time Wendybird Dress (aff link) recently jumped into my cart the last time they had a pattern sale, so I couldn’t wait to print out the pattern. Since there was only enough of the Art Gallery cotton left to make an 11″ long by 45″ wide rectangular skirt, I lengthened the Wendybird bodice by 2″. Although the skirt fabric is a floral, it’s not in overly girly colors, so I decided to “pretty up” the dress by adding a ruffled placket.

To make the placket, I cut a 1-3/4″w x 4″h center base out of rayon spandex. The two inner rayon spandex ruffles are 1-3/4″w x 8″h. The two outer AGF cotton ruffles are 2-3/4″w x 8″h. The center French Terry ruffle is 3/4″w x 5″h.

To make the double ruffles, fold the outer cotton ruffles in half lengthwise, right sides together, and stitch along one short end. Fold the inner rayon spandex ruffles in half lengthwise, right sides together, and stitch along one short end. Clip the corners, being careful to not cut through the stitching line, turn the ruffles right sides out and press. Lay an inner ruffle on top of an outer ruffle with the cut sides and finished ends aligned. Sew a long basting stitch with a 1/4″ seam allowance, and pull the bobbin thread to gather the ruffles. Repeat with the other double ruffle.

Fold the bottom edge of the center base under 1/4″ and baste or use Wash Away Wonder tape to keep the fold in place. Lay a double ruffle on the center base right sides together, with the finished edge of the ruffle toward the bottom. Stitch along the side with a 3/8″ seam allowance. Press the ruffle to the outside and repeat with the other double ruffle.

Next we add the center ruffle. Because the French Terry won’t fray, the edges are left raw. Run a basting stitch down the middle of the center ruffle, and gather it to fit the placket base. Keeping the center ruffle 3/8″ away from the top, zig zag down the center of the ruffle to stitch it in place.

Mark the center front of the bodice with a pin. Use tailor’s chalk, or a washable fabric marker to mark the ruffle placket placement, which should be a rectangle 1″ wide by 4″ high.

Line the ruffle placket up at the top of the neckline and with the markings, and top-stitch around the center base to secure it to the bodice. Baste the unfinished edges of the double ruffles in place at the neckline. Sew on the neckband as per the pattern directions, being sure to catch the top of the double ruffles and placket in the band.

To make the skirt, cut two 11″h x 22-1/2″w (I would have preferred 12 or 13″ high, but that was all the fabric that I had!) panels out of the AGF cotton. Place the panels right sides together and stitch along the side seams. Press the bottom up 1/2″, and another 1/2″ and stitch the hem. You can run a long basting stitch around the top of the skirt to gather it, but since it’s being sewn onto a knit bodice, I like using cotton swim elastic to gather. Measure the bottom of the bodice, and cut the elastic to that length. Overlap the ends of the elastic 3/4″ and zigzag to form a loop. Use a pencil to mark the quarter points of the elastic. Mark the centers of the skirt front and back, and they and the side seams will be the quarter points of the skirt. Line up the quarter points of the elastic along the top of the skirt, and stretch the elastic to fit as you zigzag it in place. It should gather the skirt to fit the bodice perfectly.

With the skirt inside out, slide the bodice down inside the skirt, right sides together, matching side seams and center points. Sew the bodice to the skirt, then give everything a good press. Ta dah! A simple play dress turns into a pretty, party-worthy dress!

Since Lila only recently turned two, she doesn’t attend a lot of parties. But she is always ready to run and play outside, picking up sticks and leaves on her way to and from the park.

And I love that she is able to play outside in nature nearly every day. I hope that she never forgets the joy and wonder of exploring, learning new things, and playing every day.

When you’re done sewing, don’t forget to go for a walk, and enjoy the fresh air and sunshine. Maybe you’ll find some sticks to play with too! 🙂

Thank you for reading and sharing my love of sewing, fabric, patterns, designing, and creating. ❤

The Wonderful Woven Washi Dress

High quality fabric and quality finishes truly make the garment!

When Phee Fabrics started stocking Art Gallery Fabrics in 100% premium cotton OEKO-TEX certified fabric, I knew it was time to search for a new pattern. I have a couple of woven dress patterns that I like, (blogged here and here) but they are quite similar, and I wanted something with a little more detail to showcase the pretty fabric.

One of my sewing friends who also likes dresses, suggested a few pattern companies to me. She forewarned me that the patterns were not inexpensive, but felt that they were worth the money. I scrolled through a few companies, and kept coming back to the Made By Rae Washi Dress. The simple pleats, neck detail, and of course- pockets, spoke to me.

Whenever I get a new pattern (especially for wovens), I like to compare it to a pattern that I know fits me well, to see how similar or different the fit is. Since wovens don’t have any give, making sure that you’ve got a good fit is very important! Right away I could tell that this pattern was drafted for a much smaller cup size, so I knew I was going to have to do some work to get a perfect fit. I traced the bodice and taped the dart together, and held it against my body to see how far off the fit was. The dart ended up a couple of inches above my bust apex, and the bodice didn’t cover the bottom of my bust. Sigh!

Since this is kind of a common issue for me with woven patterns, it wasn’t exactly unexpected. I needed some length between the armscye and the dart, so the simple fix was slashing the bodice front and adding in a 1.5″ wide strip of waxed paper. I also added 1.5″ length to the pattern back.

I cut out a bodice front and the upper back of the pattern in some cheap fabric and basted it together to check my fit. I decided another half inch added to the front at the shoulder seam would give me that extra little bit I needed, and cut into my good fabric. I took some time with my pattern layout, because every sewist knows that if you’re working with a floral fabric, it’s nearly impossible to avoid having flowers on your bust. And I wanted an intentional placement versus an awkward one! 🙂

The pattern tutorial suggests using interfacing on the front around the U-notch to help keep the corners laying smoothly. Tracing around the stitch line gave me the perfect shape to iron on to the bodice front.

It also calls for facings at the front and back neckline, and bias trim along the armscyes. But a finished bodice lining is just so much nicer, and would also make it easy to stich a couple of lines 1/2″ apart across the back to make a casing for my elastic. To make a bodice lining, cut another bodice front, and cut a bodice back by folding the pattern back 1/2″ below the bottom shirring line marking. Sew the front and back linings together at the shoulder seams. Sew the bodice front and dress back pieces together at the shoulder seams. Place the lining over the dress, right sides together, and stitch around the neckline. Clip the curves, turn right side out and press.

Then you will need to “burrito roll” the bodice to sew the armscyes. If you’ve never done the “burrito roll” method, it’s almost magical how it works! Basically you are rolling the garment up from one side, then flipping the opposite sides over and around (enclosing the rolled portion in the shoulder strap area) and stitching the armscye, then pulling it through. There are plenty of video tutorials online if you are a visual learner. Again you will clip the curves, turn the bodice right side out and press carefully. Stitch the side seams and press. Turn the bottom edge of the lining under 1/4″ and press.

You’re supposed to do 5 or 6 lines of shirring along the back, to give a nice fitted look. Since shirring didn’t really sound fun, and wasn’t the look I was going for, I opted to use elastic in a casing. Keeping your fabric smooth, stitch the bodice back lining to the dress back along the bottom two marked shirring lines. This will give you the casing for the back elastic. To determine the proper length of elastic, measure your body around the bottom of the bodice. Divide the measurement in two, and use 3/8″ wide cotton swimwear elastic, marked at that length. Thread the elastic through, stitching it in place at both ends. Then stitch the bodice front lining in place by stitching in the ditch along the front seam line.

The interior back bodice:

The interior front bodice:

Can you see why lining the bodice is worth the effort? There is just something so satisfying about a garment that is as nicely finished on the inside as it is on the outside! You can always feel proud about making a quality garment that will last!

I love my new dress! And it has pockets! It’s cool and comfortable, and can be layered under a jacket or cardigan for year round use.

Using a blind hem stitch on my sewing machine was the only way to do the hem. It’s a nice deep hem, folded under an inch, zigzagged and pressed, then folded under another two inches. It reminds me of the type of sewing my beloved grandmother used to do. ❤ High quality fabrics, quality finishes, and a nice deep hem.

Now that I’ve got my pattern perfected, I need to decide on some more Art Gallery Fabric so that I can make another dress!

This post may contain affiliate links. This means that at no extra cost to you, I may receive a small commission/credit if you purchase through my link. As always, I only give my honest opinion. After all, it is my blog, which represents me! 🙂 Thank you for reading and sharing my love of sewing, patterns, fabric, and pattern hacking. ❤

Water Faery Workout Top Version 2

Because One Hack Is Never Enough!

Don’t you love it when you feel like you really got your money’s worth out of a pattern? Fortunately there are quite a few patterns that have enough options, that fit so well, and are a great basis for a pattern hack or mash, and the Stitch Upon A Time Water Faery is one of them. I’ve used the Water Faery Twist & Swim Top pattern to make swim tops and hacked it into a workout top, blogged here. I’ve also made it into a dress, linked here.

As my first workout top used the twist front bodice, I decided to keep this top simple with the plain front. Since the Water Faery is designed as swimwear, the body is quite fitted. So you’ll want to use a well fitting tank pattern (like the Versa Cami) for the body of your workout top. To add a little pizazz (and because my charcoal Supplex scraps weren’t big enough to make a solid back body!) 😉 I added a triangular wedge at center back. I simply folded the back at an angle at the center back fold line from 1″ wide at the bottom, tapering up to nothing at the top.

Using a folded piece of white paper, I traced the line of the angle that was folded away while cutting the two back halves. The fold line is the center back, the pencil line is the “folded away” section, and then I drew a line 3/4″ further out to account for the 3/8″ seam allowances I used when sewing the purple triangular strip in between the two back body halves.

Other than narrowing the straps to end up 1-1/8″ wide, the bodice is sewn as per the pattern tutorial. Keep in mind that it is important to use a layer of high quality powernet in the bodice front and back, along with the suggested elastic, to provide support.

Once the bodice and tank body are constructed, slide the bodice inside the body, matching up the center front, back, and quarter points, and stitch with right sides together. While the body is still folded on top of the bodice, use a zigzag stitch to sew the recommended length of 1-1/4″ wide sport elastic onto the seam allowance. When your top is inside out, it will look like the photo below, with the elastic hanging down below the underbust seam.

All you’ve got left to do now is to hem the bottom, and you can wear your new workout top to yoga class, or for whatever your favorite exercise routine is!

Taking the time to press your seams as you sew, and changing your thread color to match the triangular insert when hemming that section really helps to give your garment a professional finish. I love that a few simple changes, and a little bit of extra time can turn some not-quite-big-enough scraps into a fun addition to your workout wardrobe!

I purchased all my fabric, the grape and charcoal Supplex, and the powernet from Phee Fabrics.

This post may contain affiliate links. This means that at no extra cost to you, I may receive a small commission/credit if you purchase through my links. As always, I only give my honest opinion. After all, it is my blog, which represents me! 🙂 Thank you for reading and sharing my love of sewing, patterns, fabric, and pattern hacking. ❤

Open Back Pullover

With A Simple Hack

Do you ever look at patterns and think, I really like that, except for…? That’s how I felt about the GreenStyle Open Back Pullover. I like the open back, I like that there’s a deeper scooped back, as well as a closed back option. I like that it can be sleeveless, or have long or short sleeves. I like that there is a crew neck, as well as a scoop neck, along with a hood option. Most people love “hoodies” and banded sweatshirts. I am not one of those people.

Banded bottom shirts are not a good look on me. I own one banded bottom shirt, and it hangs unworn in my closet. I’ve tried to wear it, it looked cute on the hanger when I bought it years ago, but on me, it looks like a maternity top. If I were an expectant Mama I would wear it and look adorable. But since I am a Grandma and long past the age of having babies, it’s just not the look I am going for!

Luckily, it is super easy to hack the Open Back Pullover to not need a band. You are going to want to pay attention to your hip measurement. Make sure you measure the widest/largest part of your hips and booty. If it falls within the measurements for the size you are making, you’re good to go. But if it’s at the upper end or bigger than the size for your bust and waist, you will want to grade your pattern out to a larger size, starting at the waist. Then use a ruler to add 4″ of length at the bottom of the front and back pattern pieces.

Follow the pattern tutorial, (it’s a pretty easy pattern) and instead of sewing on a band at the bottom, simply pin and press the hem up 3/4″ and zigzag or coverstitch to finish the hem.

I like that I can wear a regular bra with the high scoop back, and wear it like any other top. The low scoop back would really show off a cute Power Sports Bra and be fun for yoga class or working out. I thought about using powernet in the scoop opening, (there is a pattern piece for that), but the open back is just the right amount of sexy. It would also be fun to use powernet as the upper back pattern piece for an even airier feel.

I made my top out of Circular Knit, and would totally consider a long sleeved, closed back version in Rayon Spandex or Ribbing for cooler days. If you’re looking for a more traditional hoodie feel, Cozy French Terry would be so soft and plush! Supplex would give a more athletic feel, and would coordinate nicely with Super G’s or Stride Athletic Tights. I’m glad I gave the Open Back Pullover a shot. It’s a simple, slightly sexy 😉 , comfortable look.

My shorts are the Brassie Joggers, made out of Supplex. I purchased all my fabric from Phee Fabrics.

Super Fun Super G’s

And A Simple Pocket Hack

GreenStyle Super G Tights are my “go-to” workout pants pattern. I’ve sewn more than a half dozen pairs for myself and a pair for my daughter. I’ve perfected the pattern to suit me, and decided to really have fun with this pair. Since it’s hot year round in Florida, I prefer capri length (or an inch or two shorter). It’s easy to fit capri length on one yard of fabric, with enough left over to make a workout top. The G in Super G stands for the gusset. It’s one long piece that stretches from calf to calf, and gives your workout tights lots of stretch and movement.

Since the gusset pattern piece is longer than 36″, simply fold up the ends on the gusset pattern, and cut the ends (adding in seam allowances) out of the same or an accent fabric. It’s a fun way to add another little bit of accent to the inside of your leg.

Supplex is literally the best fabric for workout tights. I’ve used Tricot as the accent fabric on the side pocket panels of my Super G’s, but my favorite accent fabric is Powernet. It gives a little more ventilation, and adds a little bit of sexy sheerness.

On the teal and navy pairs in the photo above, I used Powernet for the upper and lower pocket pieces. That makes the panels sheer all the way to the waistband. This doesn’t bother me, but if you’re looking for more coverage, use Supplex or Tricot for your upper pocket piece.

Normally, the lower pocket panel of the Super G’s gets stitched to the upper pocket, and the lower panel fabric gets folded under to form a pocket, effectively hiding the seam. Since I’ve made so many pairs of Super G’s, I thought it would be fun to give the pocket on this pair a different look. (It also means that you can use shorter pieces of powernet, 😉 in case you only bought a half yard.) The pocket can be moved down about an inch or so, and still be wide enough to hold a large iPhone. You may have noticed this hack on my Super G’s in this post, where the pocket is Supplex and the upper and lower panels are powernet.

The fold in the lower pocket panel piece on the left shows where the pocket seam will be. I cut 3/8″ above that (where I am pointing) to give a seam allowance. I added an inch to the bottom of the upper pocket panel piece, (on the right in the photo above.) Now I just need a pocket piece which was made by tracing the folded over pocket section (the top portion of that left pattern piece.) And then the real fun began!

I placed several long strips of plastic wrap on my glass dining table to protect it, and laid the powernet pattern pieces I had cut out on it. The little bit showing at the top left corner was used for a workout top. The small triangular pieces are the gusset end pieces. The pockets are on the lower left, and the lower pocket side panels are on the right. (I used Supplex for the upper pocket panels.)

Art is often an experiment, no matter what media you choose. It is a wonderful way to play and express yourself. And you get to play with color, yay! Since the grape Supplex I was using for my Super G’s was such a fun color, I knew I wanted to do something fun on the side panels. Michaels Arts & Crafts stores often have 50% off coupons in their weekly email ads. Which I greatly appreciate, since the Marvy Uchida Fabri-Ink kit I wanted to try was $25.

I chose the fluorescent set since the purple, turquoise, and green fit solidly in my little wedge of the color wheel. The set includes refillable brushes, but that didn’t sound as fun as randomly dropping splotches of diluted fabric ink with an eye dropper! The darker splotches were diluted 50/50 with water, and the lighter ones are about 25% ink and 75% water.

Things to keep in mind: I always pre-wash my fabric before it gets folded and put in my stash for use. Never, ever, ever skip this step. This removes any dust, dirt, or chemicals that may have gotten on your fabric from the manufacturing process or during freight. You do not want that on your skin, cutting mat, or machine. It also gets any possible shrinkage out of the way. Ink is permanent, so protect your work surface, hands, and clothes. I let the ink dry overnight (although it dries in a matter of minutes) then pressed it with an iron to heat set it.

Mark the back edge of each side pocket panel pattern piece with a clip to avoid confusion later. To assemble the panels, fold the top edge of the pocket under 1″, press, and topstitch with a decorative stitch. Lay the pockets on the upper pocket panels, right sides up, aligning the bottom edges, and baste along the sides. Then lay the lower panel on top of the pockets, right sides together, and stitch. Press the seam up (so it won’t be visible through the lower panel), and topstitch with a decorative stitch.

With the side pocket panels done, you can simply follow the pattern tutorial to finish up your super fun Super G’s.

I’ll tell you a funny story about taking these photos. This pretty foliage is along a rather busy road. It can be kind of awkward posing for photos with cars driving by. While posing so my husband could take a photo of the back of my Super G’s, I asked him if my booty looked good. Right then a truck drove by and the young man in the passenger seat leaned out the window and whistled at me. Straight-faced, my husband answered, “I think you have your answer!” 🙂 Hahahahahahaha!

I love these early morning photos because the colorful sky is a pretty backdrop for my super fun and colorful Super G’s. And who doesn’t love the sound of the ocean as background music?

Sewing is an art, so don’t be afraid to experiment with it, and with other forms of art to make your own fun projects.

All fabric was purchased from Phee Fabrics. The white Supplex workout top is the GreenStyle Jillian I hacked to have powernet inserts and a pocket, blogged here. The teal and grape Supplex workout top is another fun hack I’ll be posting soon.

Mashing Patterns To Suit Your Body And Style

People sometimes comment in Facebook sewing groups that they can’t find a pattern that they like, or they want a certain style for the top, but a different look for the bottom. Do you have patterns with certain elements that you absolutely love, and wish that you could mix and match them with elements from a different pattern? Have you ever tried mashing those patterns together to give you a new look? I find myself mashing and hacking patterns all the time. It’s generally a good idea to make the pattern as designed at least once, to judge how it fits and looks on you. Once you know how it fits, it’s easier to start playing with your patterns.

A pattern mash can be something as simple as using the contour waistband you love from your favorite workout pants on a different pants or shorts pattern. I use a modified version of the Patterns for Pirates Peg Legs contoured waistband on P4P SOS Pants and it works great, blogged here. Mixing and mashing sports bras with workout tanks can really personalize your gym wardrobe. Like using the GreenStyle Power Sports Bra and mashing it with the body of the GS Lille or Jillian Tank to make a workout top. It’s always fun to turn a top into a dress, like using the Stitch Upon A Time Aushui Tank and mashing it with the skirt of the Calista Bra, Top, Tunic & Dress.

Sometimes your mash will require a little bit of adjustment in order to work. Like tracing the armscye from a pattern onto another pattern to ensure that the sleeves you want to use will fit the jacket, top, or dress. Sometimes it’s a matter of making your best guess as to what will work, then trying it on and adjusting from there.

That was my experience with last week’s pattern mash. I wanted another new dress, and loved the flared skirt from the Sinclair Yasmin Dress. Temperatures are still in the 90’s here, so a strappy dress seemed in order. The Stitch Upon A Time Water Faery Twist & Swim Top (blogged here) fits well, so I figured that mashing the plain front version with the Yasmin skirt would make a super cute dress. And I think it does. But it took a little bit of basting and trying on to perfect my fit. I knew that the V-shaped waistband from the Yasmin wasn’t going to line up with the bodice of the Water Faery, so I cut out the crop length Water Faery body to use as a waistband. Since it’s technically designed as a swim top, the body is quite fitted, so that it won’t float or ride up when you go in the water. Since I don’t plan to swim in my dress, I want the waistband fitted, but not too form-fitted. Since I’ve been known to bake (and thoroughly enjoy indulging in) apple crisp this time of year, I decided to size up one on the “waistband”. 😉

Knowing how a pattern fits, and taking note of any changes you make to the pattern really helps the next time you make it. When I made the Water Faery into a workout top, I narrowed and lengthened the straps and liked it, so this time I knew that cutting out strips 3″ wide & 14″ long would give me the perfect finished size. Sewing up the bodice (which is an inner and outer layer of Phee Fabrics Tricot, with a layer of powernet sandwiched between) and straps was pretty quick and easy, and the fit was spot on. Since I hate seam ripping, I just basted the “waistband” pieces together, and tried it on. It was too loose under the bust. So I graded the front waistband piece from my measured size at the top, and somewhat straight down, rather than angling in which gave me more of a rectangular rather than tapered shape. With the width figured out, I stitched the side seams together and basted the outer waistband to the bodice, right sides together. Then I pinned the inner waistband to the inside, effectively making an enclosed waistband. It’s easier for me to keep all of the layers perfectly lined up by basting one layer on before pinning on the other layer and stitching everything together. Before folding the waistband pieces down into place, I zigzagged 1″ wide elastic to the seam allowance, using the length recommended for my size in the Water Faery pattern. This ensures that the waistband and skirt will stay down under the bust.

Then it was time to determine how long the waistband needed to be. I wanted the flared skirt to start right at the natural waist. Starting the flare at the narrowest part of the body gives the illusion of an hourglass shape. My natural waist is quite high, pretty much right at the bottom of my ribs, well above my belly button. It was surprisingly easy to find the perfect spot. Since the waistband also had powernet sandwiched between the layers, it was definitely going to find the narrowest point for me! Literally just bending side to side, forward and back, caused the waistband to roll up to the height of my natural waist. I used my hem gauge to take note of the fact that the waist seam needed to be 1″ up from the bottom of the waistband in the back and on the sides, tapering to 1-3/4″ up in the center front. Since I prefer using 3/8″ seam allowances, I trimmed 5/8″ off the back waistband pattern piece. I used a ruler to taper from 5/8″ at the sides to 1-3/8″ at center front on the front waistband pattern piece. Then I very carefully matched up the side seams of my bodice, lined up the bottom edges, pinned the bodice together so that the center front and center back were on the two outside edges, and used my rotary cutter to trim off the excess fabric.

Adding the skirt was super simple, sew up the two side seams, match center points and side seams, pin all around, and stitch. The most time consuming part was pinning up the hem. I finished the hem with a simple zigzag stitch. And Ta Dah! I have a brand new fun and flowy dress! Because I used powernet in the bodice, waistband, and straps, and elastic under the bust, I didn’t need to add swim cups or wear a bra with this dress. And I’ve already had two random strangers ask me where I found such a cute dress.

See how the seam where the skirt is attached runs perfectly parallel across the back?

Laughing while modelling your makes is half the fun!

And of course I had to twirl! Whenever you make a twirly skirt, you can’t help but twirl!

This pattern mash was a complete success, and something I’m bound to make again. After sewing it, I realize it’s probably pretty close to the Water Faery Retro One Piece dress option, and that’s ok, because it looks like a great pattern. Since I already own the Twist & Swim Top, and would never wear a one piece, I don’t feel like I have to buy the pattern just for the dress option. (Although if you’re not yet comfortable with pattern mashing or hacking, it is a great option).

One of the best things about sewing is being able to personalize patterns, mixing and mashing, and hacking them to suit your body, and your style. Are you ready to try a pattern mash?

This post may contain affiliate links. This means that at no extra cost to you, I may receive a small commission if you purchase through my links. As always, I only give my honest opinion. After all, it is my blog, which represents me! 😉 Thank you for reading and sharing my love of sewing, patterns, fabric, and pattern mashing and hacking. ❤

Sinclair Yasmin Dress

A Few Tips For Simpler Sewing & A Peplum Hack

I was super excited when I was chosen to be one of the testers for the Sinclair Patterns Yasmin V-neck Dress with pleated accents. I love dresses, and wear them all the time. And let’s just say that the pleating and detail in this dress spoke to me. When I saw the line drawing and tester call I immediately filled out the tester application!

Sinclair Patterns are rather unique in that their patterns come in petite, regular, and tall. No more having to add a couple of inches to a skirt or dress so that it is long enough to wear without worrying about showing more leg than I want when bending, or climbing in and out of a vehicle. Armscyes that are actually deep enough. All the things that a tall sewist has to constantly adjust on a pattern are already figured out for you!

When you sign up for a pattern test, you’d better have some fabric on hand. Testing obviously moves along quickly, so you need to be prepared to print and tape your pattern together, trace your size, cut your fabric, and get sewing. Luckily, I had ordered some of the new rayon spandex ribbing from Phee Fabrics, and was smart enough to have ordered 3 yards. I have a bad habit of usually only ordering 2 yards or less of a fabric, and when you are tall, that is not enough for a dress with a full skirt! The ribbing has a luxurious feel, a pretty ribbed texture, and beautiful drape. I knew it would look great sewn into a Yasmin Dress!

Call me brave, call me crazy, but I am not one for using cheap fabric for muslins. Cheap fabric is generally a polyester blend, ewww! I don’t like the feel of it, it’s unlikely to lay as nicely as quality fabric, it’s generally a pain to sew with, and it’s probably not going to be substantial enough or have adequate recovery for the type of clothing I like to sew, so I just don’t bother with cheap fabric. That being said, you do run the risk of wasting nice fabric when you test.

This is the first time I’ve tested for Sinclair Patterns, and I have to say that I am very impressed with how thorough Oxana is. She asked for our thoughts about the pattern before we even started. I mentioned that I was interested in a sleeveless dress, since Florida is warm most of the year. Other testers also commented that they would wear a sleeveless dress. She added a sleeveless cut line to the pattern. She asked for honest input and made changes as needed as tester photos and feedback came in. Another thing you’ll notice about Sinclair Patterns is the way the garments are finished. Just look at how pretty the inside of the bodice and waistband look. The shoulder seams and waistband are enclosed, and the neck has a neat interior banded finish.

The pattern itself isn’t hard, but the pleats are a bit time consuming. Don’t worry- the tutorial is thorough, and I’ve got some tips to make the pleats a little easier. Here’s my first tip: print the bodice front in just the size that you need. I generally don’t print in layers, preferring to print all sizes of a pattern in case I want to grade sizes, or make the pattern for my daughter who is a much smaller size than me. You need the pleat markings to be precise in order to get even pleats. And when you’ve got lots of markings in 12 different sizes all in one general area on a pattern, you need to narrow things down! So trust me when I say to print the bodice front in just one or two sizes if needed.

Tip number two: Wash Away Wonder Tape is your friend. You still need pins to mark your pleats, but putting a tiny piece of Wonder Tape for your pleat to fold over and stick to, makes things easier.

Tip number three: Scotch tape is surprisingly helpful. Of course I didn’t figure this out until I sewed my second bodice and thought, “Hmmmm….I wonder if a piece of Scotch tape will hold the pleats better than the pins did so that I can keep the pleats even while sewing?” The answer is YES! It (and the Wonder Tape) definitely kept the pleats perfectly spaced and even while I sewed the bodice to the waistband.

Tip number four: Powernet is an awesome fabric. If you follow my blog, or read my posts or comments on the Facebook sewing groups I belong to, you know that my love for Phee Fabrics powernet is strong. It is supportive in bras, workout, and swim tops, makes a great accent on workout tops and tights, and has magical tummy smoothing powers in waistbands and swim bottoms. It is recommended to use an athletic fabric for the inner waistband pieces of the Yasmin to help support the weight of the skirt, and lend stability to the waistband. Since the Supplex I have on hand is destined for workout wear, I decided to baste some powernet to my waistband to give it the necessary support.

Use plenty of pins to keep everything aligned, and sew with the powernet facing up. I don’t know if I’ve mentioned that before, but when helping someone who was struggling a bit with powernet, I realized that some people may not even consider fabric stretch when they sew. Generally speaking, you want anything smaller, or with less stretch on top while sewing, such as powernet, elastic, bands, or when easing pattern pieces together. If your larger piece or stretchier fabric is on top, your presser foot will tend to stretch it out even more.

Summer in Florida is the rainy season. But it will usually rain for a short time, and the sun comes right back out. Not this week! It rained for two days straight as I sewed, and rained all the next day as I waited to take photos of my dress. Finally, the rain slowed down to a slight mist, and the sun started to peek out from the clouds. My dress was all pressed and ready to go, so we quickly drove to the beach for some photos.

The rain may have stopped, but there was plenty of wind to whip my skirt around! I love the pleats at the shoulders and under the bust, and how the V-shaped waistband gives nice definition. I used the gathered version skirt on my dress, and love the drape and comfortable ease of this dress.

Since I still had some time before the pattern released, I decided to make the other skirt option. Apparently I need to order some fabric, (says every sewist and fabric hoarder 🙂 ) because I didn’t have enough fabric for a knee length skirt, let alone a midi length. So I decided to try a peplum. I NEVER wear peplums. But the flare of the skirt really spoke to me, so I had to try it. I dug through my fabric and found scraps of floral that sort of matched the bit of rayon spandex and ribbing I used for the bodice and waistband. I marked and cut the skirt at 13-1/2″ from the waist, and used a 1″ hem. A smaller hem would be easier on a curved skirt, but I was just guessing at the length when I hacked the skirt into a peplum. If I were short, I’d probably make the peplum 8-9″ long, and would probably cut it at 12″, no more than 13″ for my tall self next time.

It’s such a fun look that I couldn’t help but twirl! And I’m branching out and trying a new style of top. That’s one of the fun things about sewing, sometimes you end up with a surprising, unexpected new style in your wardrobe. Although the skirt I’m wearing is RTW, using a pencil skirt along with a peplum overlay would be another cute hack for this dress!

There are options for knee length, midi and maxi length in the gathered skirt version. The elegant look of this pattern would look so beautiful as a maxi dress. Since I also love the flared skirt, I guess I need to make another Yasmin Dress (or two)! Once I order more fabric, of course. 😉

*Note: I recieved the pattern for free as part of the testing process. I always participate fully when I test by submitting fit photos and commentary, offering constructive feedback on the fit, process, etc., comment on other testers posts, noting any fit issues, and applauding beautiful work, and filling out the survey to try and help ensure that the pattern fits well, and the tutorial is easy to understand and follow.

This post may contain affiliate links. This means that at no extra cost to you, I may receive a small commission if you purchase through my links. As always, I only give my honest opinion. After all, it is my blog, which represents me! Thank you for reading and sharing my love of sewing, patterns, fabric, and pattern hacking. 😉

Titania Tunic Workout Top Hack

From Dressy Tunic To Workout Ready

Whenever I make a cute top, I can’t help but think about how I could make it into a cute workout top! The Stitch Upon A Time Titania Top & Tunic was the perfect base for a workout top hack. Since dresses are a year round staple for me, it’s also going to end up as a dress once I add 8 or 9 inches to the tunic length. The tunic itself turned out quite cute. I like the flowy body, especially in this silky soft circular knit. It has the perfect drape for this pattern. Can you imagine the twirl in a dress length?

Can you see my elastic error in these photos? Instead of following the elastic length cut chart for the armscye, I thought the elastic should be more taught. Making it 2 inches shorter than recommended gave me puckering and a bit of rolling at the armpits. I should know by now to trust Jennifer of Stitch Upon A Time’s design and testing and use the recommended length! The neckband was easy to sew, and despite being a higher neckline than I normally wear, the rounded shape doesn’t cut into my neck or shoulders. Using the built in shelf bra means not having to worry about wearing a strapless bra, or trying to find a bra with straps that don’t show. The stylish tunic would look great with skinny jeans or fitted pants like the Goldilegs Jeans, and of course with a slim skirt or shorts.

Hacking the shelf bra pieces into a workout top is easier than you think. Cut two bra fronts out of Supplex. Rather than cutting the back out on the fold of the fabric, I folded my pattern piece under 5/8″ from the center back, and cut out two left back and two right back pieces. You’ll also cut a bra front and a right and left back out of powernet or techsheen for support. For design purposes, I wanted the bra back to have a 2″ strip of powernet down the center, with a little opening between the bra top and the tank body. I used my favorite tank pattern to make the bodice. If you don’t have a tank pattern, trace any well fitting tank in your closet. Don’t forget to add seam allowances!

The trickiest part of this workout top is the V-cutout on the center front. Lay your clear ruler on an angle, starting 1″ from center front at the top, and down 5-1/2″. Do the same thing to the second bra front piece, then trim the 3/8″ seam allowance off the second triangle cutout opening. The trimmed version will become your front lining piece.

Lay the triangle you cut out of the bra front on your powernet. Add 3/4″ width to each of the long sides of the triangle as seam allowances. This gives you the front triangle insert. Cut a rectangular piece of powernet 2-3/4″ wide, by 2″ shorter than the length of your bra back at center back. This gives you the back insert.

Baste your powernet/techsheen bra front and backs to the wrong side of your bra lining front and back pieces. You will treat them as one layer from this point on. Right sides facing, sew one long side of your triangle insert to the cutout section of your bra front, using a 3/8″ seam allowance. Snip the center front of the bra down to, but not through the stitching line. And here’s where I’m going to make it easy to get a perfect V. With your bra top right side up on a flat surface, fold the seam allowance of the unstitched side of the opening under 3/8″. Apply Washaway Wonder Tape to the seam allowance. Making sure that your powernet insert triangle is laying smooth and flat, peel off the backing paper and press the folded under edge of your opening onto the powernet. You can baste that side into place, or just trust the Wonder Tape to do it’s job. (Although I am a big believer in basting, I trusted the Wonder Tape and it held fine until I was ready to topstitch all my layers.)

Right sides together, and lined up at the top edge, sew the rectangular powernet insert to one side of the bra back. Line the insert up with the top of other side of the bra back and stitch, using 3/8″ seam allowances.

Sew the front and back bra pieces together at the side seams. Sew the lining front and back bra pieces together at the side seams. Note: the pattern calls for 1/2″ seam allowances, so be sure to use this seam allowance on the side seams, even though I use 3/8″ seam allowances on the rest of this hack. Fold the center back edges of the bra lining under 3/8″ and baste.

With the bra right side out, and the lining wrong side out, place the bra lining over the bra. Line up the neck and arm openings, and pin in place. With right sides together, stitch along the armscyes and add the elastic in the seam allowances as per the pattern tutorial. Stitch the front and back necklines leaving openings at the shoulders to add straps. Cut two pieces of bra strapping 6″ long. Slide a strap down inside each shoulder opening at the back, and with the end of the strap flush with the opening, stitch the straps in place. You may want to go over the stitch line twice to ensure that the straps are secure. Turn the bra right side out. Ensuring that the triangle insert and cutout opening are properly aligned, top stitch around the triangle.

Lining up the edges of the back and back lining so that they are even with the rectangle insert, top stitch along the edges.

Now you can try on the bra, and adjust the length of the straps to fit. You may end up cutting a couple of inches off, but you need long enough peices to work with! Slide the ends of the straps down into the openings at the front shoulders, turn the top wrong sides out, and stitch the straps in place at the front shoulders.

Sew your tank front and back bodice pieces together. Then slide the bra down inside the tank with right sides together, and matching center points on the front and back, stitch. Using the measurement in the cut chart, wrap a piece of elastic around your underbust to check for fit. I used 1-1/4″ wide sport elastic, rather than the recommended width. Use whatever width of elastic that works for you, or that you happen to have on hand. The elastic should fit snugly, but not uncomfortably. Overlap the ends and stitch together. Mark quarter points on your elastic, and at the seam allowance, and pin together at those 4 points. Stretching the elastic to fit, zig zag it in place. Turn the hem of your workout top under 3/4″ and use a zig zag, twin needle or coverstitch machine to finish.

Smile, and go for a walk or run, or hit the gym or yoga studio in your fun new workout top!

I bought all of my fabric, the Circular Knit, Supplex, Powernet, and Techsheen from Phee Fabrics, along with the clear elastic and bra strapping. The consistently high quality makes and keeps me a repeat shopper!

*This post may contain affiliate links. This means that at no extra cost to you, I may receive a small commission if you purchase through my links. As always, I only give my honest opinion. After all, it is my blog, which represents me! Thank you for reading and sharing my love of sewing, patterns, fabric, and pattern hacking. 😉