I'm A Finalist

This is the Gwen Top from the pattern designer See Kate Sew it is part of the collection of patterns I got from Pattern Anthology.  I actually made all four of the patterns in the collection twice so far.  And I was able to enter one of each pattern in the contest.  This is the top the made it to the final four finalist.  The judges picked one from each pattern.  The winner is voted on by the public.  To vote for my top vote here.

The details on my top:  I used a oatmeal and blue colored striped cotton knit from my Girl Charlee KnitFix.  And to trim it out I used some brown swede type fabric for the placket shoulders and elbow patches.  The changes I made to the pattern were to narrow the placket a bit and I added the elbow patches.  Elbow patches were not included in the pattern but I thought they finished off this look nicely.  

As I mentioned this is the second top I made with this pattern and the fit is much snugger than the first one I sewed up.  It is all because of the different degrees of stretch the fabric has.  The first top I made was made with the main body of the top in a very stretchy ribbed knit.  The knit on this top had very little stretch and while it does fit me and is wearable I would have preferred a bit larger sizing.  http://patternanthology.com/pages/unbiased-contest-rules

Please vote for me if you feel so inclined.

Patterns For Pirates

I recently discovered a new to me source for cute trendy patterns.  I had seen many people posting garments they made using Patterns For Pirates and it got me interested enough to check it out.  I ended up purchasing several of their patterns.  The first one I got was the Peg Legs.  This one is what really got me to check out their site.  On the Girl Charlee KnitFix group I kept seeing people posting picture of the many Peg Leg leggings they were making with their Girl Charlee knits. I just downloaded the PDF pattern yesterday and I haven't had a chance to sew up a pair yet.  I can't wait to try them.  I received a few fabrics in my latest KnitFix bag that are appropriate for this pattern.  So I have some ideas in my head.  And the pattern is very well written with several pictures of real people who actually sewed the pattern wearing their creations.  It is also a very quick sew so that is a plus in my book.

While the Peg Legs pattern is only $5.00 there is a code if you join the Facebook Group so it becomes even a better deal.  There are four options for length in the pattern, you have a choice of capri, bike, shorts, or ankle length.  And they give you many tips on how to choose the right fabric and how to sew the seams.  They really walk you through every step so even a very beginner should be able to sew up a pair of leggings to be proud of.  Another nice thing about this pattern is that it comes with so many sizes, from XXS to 3XL.  It would be easy to grade from one size to another if you happen to be between sizes.
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I also purchased a few other patterns The Men's Henley because I want to make my husband a few shirts.  A Cardigan Bundle that has several options for woman's cardigans and several options for children s cardigans.  I have been looking for a nice pattern for making a cardigan for my little grandson.  The last one I got was The Raglan Bundle .  Like the Peg Legs I was seeing a lot of cute Raglans being posted in the groups.  This one has many options for different collar and hoods.  And raglan's are a quick sew and you can color block the sleeves and front panels to get some fun looks.  I will be trying all of these patterns real soon.

Denver Dress

I decided to make another project using my Denver Dress Tunic pattern from The Unbiased Collection .  The Denver is a pattern from Blank Slate Patterns.  From the pictures on the pattern this one was my least favorite of the collection, but after sewing it up I liked it much more than I expected.  I first made the tunic length with the plain neckline.  This time I made the dress with a cowl neckline.  I used a combination of three fabrics for this look.  The plaid fabric is from my October KnitFix.  The black denim look jersey I picked up at JoAnn Fabric at one of the 50% off clearance sales.  And the grey ribbed knit is from one of the bargain bundles I bought from Fabric Mart .  I thought all these fabrics coordinated nicely together and they were all of similar weight.

I love this pattern and I love the way my dress turned out.  And I will have many opportunities to wear this dress and others in the month of December.  My daughter has formed a team called Hermits to raise funds and awareness for human trafficking and abuse of women.  The campaign is called Dressember and we will be required to wear a dress every day of December.  It is one of the things that The International Justice Mission does to bring peace and Justice to those who are being mistreated around the world.  My daughter joined this group when she was in college.  The name Hermits came from her college days as well.  So the team started out with friends from college and a few of the moms are joining too.  It will be challenging to wear a dress every day especially at work.  But this more casual knit dress should work well for that.  I guess I will get some more tights or maybe sew myself up some leggings to wear with my dresses.

Coordinates

I used Simplicity 1467 to sew up my new coordinates.  This is a great pattern and an easy sew for all pieces.  Included in the envelope is a top, an elastic waist skirt, an elastic waist pair of pants, and a jacket.  I made every piece.

I made the top first and I used some silky polyester that I had in my stash.  I think I got it at Hancock Fabrics a few year ago.  I am not really sure why I was attracted to it at the time I bought it because it is very a very bright and very bold large print.  I don't usually wear green or the bright colors like this.  I decided to make the matching skirt as I had just enough fabric left for a skirt.  I pretty much made these pieces just as the pattern called for.  The only change I made was to add a lining to the skirt because I felt the fabric was a bit thin for a skirt. 

Next I made the jacket which was the most complicated of the pieces but still pretty quick and easy.  For the jacket I used a sage linen that I received in a bargain bundle from Fabric Mart.  I am actually not sure of the fabric content but it feels and handles like linen.  I thought it coordinated nicely with my bold skirt and top.  I first thought about using it to make the pants but it seemed to light weight for pants.  Also it was the end of summer going into fall so I wouldn't be able to wear them until next summer.  And I don't like how wrinkled linen gets as pants it would stay looking better as a jacket.  

For the pants I used some navy twill I got in the bargain bundle from Fabric Mart.  I didn't want the pants to be too tight so I went up a size and they ended up being huge on me.  So I altered them to fit better after sewing them together.  I actually wore them first to work one day and I was constantly pulling them up.  So I took in the sides and also lowered the waistband in the front by about an inch so it would sit at my waist and didn't have to keep pulling them up.  Now the fit much better.  I will probably make these pants again with these alterations to the pattern because they were quick and easy to sew.  they have an elastic waist so the are no zippers to deal with.  they have some nice details like the slant pockets the pleats and the mock drawstring waist.  The skirt has the same details.

To finish off my outfit I made a brooch using a bit of each fabric.  I didn't use a pattern for the brooch but just kind of made it up as I went along.  I used the silky for the center flower petals and  I used the salvage edge of the linen for the next layer.  The salvage had a fringe look at the edge.  The bottom layer was a circle cut with pinking shears out of the navy twill.  I think it pulls everything together and I like the accent on the jacket especially.

Laundry Day Tee

I found out from one of my Facebook groups that for a limited time you could get The Laundry Day Tee Pattern for free.  I had never used any patterns from Love Notions before or for that matter ever even heard of them.  A free patterns was a good way to try out a new company.

The pattern looked cute on all the models and it was a good basic t-shirt style with a bit of flare.  I had some time on my hands so I decided to give it a try.  

I made the first one to wear with my leggings I sewed from my not so desirable fabric that came in my most recent KnitFix.  I decided it would make a good fabric to try out a pattern I had never sewed before.

I choose to make the leggings from Go To Patterns.  I made view A.  I have had this pattern for a while and just never got around to sewing it up. The Ponte De Roma Knits are a good weight for pants as they are a more substantial knit.  I don't like see through pants especially leggings.  And since I really didn't like the fabric I thought I could at least wear them around the house and they would be comfortable.  As it turned out I kind of like the pants.  While I would never wear them without a tunic covering my posterior they are very wearable.

So the Laundry Day tunic to the rescue!  I had this drapey black knit in my stash I think it was leftover from another project.  I thought it would work well with this pattern and my ugly leggings.  The tunic sewed up quickly probably less than an hour.  I love they way it fits.  I love the loose flowey  bottom and the way the shoulders and sleeves fit. And the neckline fits as well.  These are areas I usually have to adjust.

 

So I made another Laundry Day Tee with some leopard print knit I had in my stash.  This time I inadvertently cut two fronts.  The pattern is a printout that the front and the back are the same piece and you are supposed to cut your neckline separately as you like.  I guess I was in such a hurry that I cut both together.  But as it turned out i like the results too. A happy mistake turned into a cute scoop neck back on my tunic.   

Pattern Anthology

I bought the Pattern Anthology Unbiased Collection last week.  It is a collection of four patterns available as PDF downloads.  Each pattern has various design elements that give many options for making it your own.  The collection comes in a wide range of sizes from XXS to XXXL so almost anyone can use these patterns.

The web site shows pictures of many of the different versions that pattern testers came up with as well as people who bout the patterns and sewed them up for their selves.  Which is nice because you can get a good idea of what the patterns look like on real people.

I was able to sew up my own version of each of the four looks.  The first one I made was the Gwen top.

 For this top I used some of the heather sage green ribbed knit for the body of the shirt.  I used the mock raglan version of the pattern.  For the sleeves I used  the green red and mustard plaid cotton jersey knit from my September KnitFix from Girl Charlee.  I think it has a very retro kind of look.  It looks like fall to me and I even made it on the first day of Fall.

My second sew from this collection was the Adora Top.  I liked this one right away when I saw the pattern.  I liked the way it uses both woven fabrics and knit together.  I received the floral jersey knit in my September KnitFix and I had the coral eyelet fabric in my stash, I probably got it from JoAnn Fabrics clearance bin a few years ago.  I thought it looked really pretty with the floral.  I first cut out the XL because that is where my measurements fell on the size chart.  however I did need to alter the sides quite a bit after I sewed it together.  I probably could have cut out the Large and been fine.  Although I love the way this top looks after wearing it I realize I should have made the neckline in the front about an inch smaller and maybe even brought the shoulders up a bit too.  These are alterations I usually make on most patterns.  Next one I make I will do this before I cut out the fabric.

 Next I made the Diamond Dress with the flared skirt and short sleeves.  For the diamond panel in the front I used this stretch lace fabric I got at JoAnn Fabrics.  The skirt sleeves and the upper panels are made with my KnitFix yellow black and white jersey knit.  There is one more fabric I used that is hard to see in this picture.  It is the back panel that curves around to points in front at the bottom of the diamond panel. I had a 1/2 yard piece that I added to my Girl Charlee order so I could get free shipping a few months ago.  It is a black floral jersey with yellow and grey roses.  I also had just enough to make the side seam pockets which you can't see from the outside, but I know they are there.  I love how this dress turned out and I think the fit is great too.  I added the black belt that I had in my closet to finish off the look.















The final Pattern was the Denver Peplum Top.  I saved this one for last because I wasn't sure I like the look when I first saw the pattern.  I didn't think it would be a flattering look with those big pockets on my hips.  But to my surprise  I love the way this top turned out and I think it is very flattering on me.  I used three fabrics for this one.  For the front panel pockets and sleeves I used the same stretch lace I used for the front diamond panel on my dress.  This fabric though it is pretty and that is why I was attracted to it, is very easily snagged.  So I think I can only wear this on special occasions where I won't be rubbing up against anything.  I used a grey and black jersey print from my September KnitFix for the side panels and the back piece.  And then I used the black with silver pinstripe for the neckline sleeve edge and pocket edge.

I like all these Patterns and will definitely make more of each.  In fact I already have plans for the next Gwen.  I want to make one with the placket in the front.  And I love the way the Diamond fits and it is different than the usual top.  I want to make a few tops with this pattern.  I am tossing around some ideas for another Adora too.  And with the nice surprise of how well the Denver turned out I guess I will need to make more of these too.

Aztec Hooded Vest

 This is the Aztec Hooded Vest from See Kate Sew.  She has children patterns as well as adults, though not very many for boys.  But that is common for most pattern companies.  This pattern comes in sizes 18 months to a size 8.  It could also be a girls look depending on your choice of fabric.  I made the size 4 and it fits my two year old grandson pretty well. It may be a bit big but he will probably wear it more in the fall to winter so he can grow into it a bit.  I pretty much followed the pattern the way it was written.  The only change I made was to add zippers to the pocket openings.  I already had all the zippers in my stash.  The pattern used just a rectangle opening for the pockets.

For the fabric I used the heather green rib knit for the outside of the vest.  The vest is fully lined and it could actually be reversible if you used a reversible zipper.  I didn't have on in my stash but I did have this two way zipper.  Once it is zipped you can unzip the bottom for comfort while sitting.  It is really not necessary on a short jacket like this but it is what I had.  For the lining I used a cotton knit printed with woodland creatures I picked up at JoAnn Fabrics.  I think the vest turned out supper cute and Dustin loves it, he even loves wearing the hood.  I just entered it in the Queen Anne's County Fair maybe I will win a ribbon.

3 shirts 1 pattern

The Neptune Tee was one of the patterns I already had from See Kate Sew. I don't really remember if I actually bought it at some point (it may have been part of a bundle) or if it was acquired as a freebie.  Anyways I had it in my stash and decided to sew it up.  Some of my July KnitFix I thought would work well with this pattern.  The pattern has some cute design details that make it a bit more fun than just an ordinary T-Shirt. I used my Linear Black and White Chevron knit for my first top.  I added the turquoise cotton spandex kit as the trim and the little v cut-outs in the sleeves and the front and back of the neck.  I like the little pop of color this adds. Overall I really like this top.  It fits well and the neckline doesn't gap which is a typical problem I have with knit tops.  I like the weight of this fabric for a T-Shirt too, it has good recovery but is still stretchy enough to be comfortable.


I had this fish fabric from my June KnitFix that I was trying to decide what to make with it.  It is definitely a summer print so I wanted to use it before summer was over.  This time I used the same Neptune Tee Pattern with a few changes.  I eliminated the sleeves and made it more of a tank top. I used the option of just having a v cutout without the contrast fabric inserts.  I used the heather green rib knit from July for the bindings around the neckline and the arm holes.  This fabric wasn't that close of a match to the fish fabric but it looked okay.  I wanted to use the green heather so that I would have another entry into the KnitFix contest where you had to use a July fabric and a See Kate Sew pattern.  The pattern had two hemline options one was the standard straight hem and the other was slightly curved.  I actually curved my hem about an inch and a half up more toward the sides.  Another great shirt and another easy sew.


My third Neptune Tee was made with the stitched chevron jersey.  This one was inspired by a top I saw someone wearing at church the other day.  I never would have thought this bold chevron would look good as a top until I saw someone wearing it.  And her top had lace trim along the bottom edge and a little lace pocket.  I used the lace trim along the bottom edge and also added it to the sleeve edge.  I tried it out as a little lace pocket but my particular lace just didn't look right as a pocket.  This time I did not used the V cutouts at all.  I also narrowed the binding on the neck edge so that only about a 1/4 inch shows on the edge of the neckline.  I am pleased with my third Neptune Tee.  I am sure I will make more of these because of the easy sew and the great fit.

The Two Penelope's

 I wanted to enter the contest for a chance to win August KnitFix .  To enter you must use fabrics from the July KnitFix and also use patterns from See Kate Sew .  I liked the style of the Penelope Peplum and there was a coupon for $4.00 off  included in the bag.  I got this bitsy floral rayon jersey that has a really nice soft feel to it.  I thought it would make a nice top and others had already posted pictures of their Penelope Peplum made with the same fabric and the looked very cute.  I wanted to be a bit more creative than just making the whole top with the same fabric.  Well I actually got inspired by this top from Anthropology.

During one of my regular treks to JoAnn Fabrics I spotted the silk patchwork Georgette and I was pretty sure it would coordinate nicely with the tiny floral I was planning to use.  I actually adapted the pattern a little to fit more of what I had in mind.  The pattern called for the use of knit fabric in the entire top.  Since the peplum was a gathered piece I was sure my woven silk would work fine.  The pattern has facings to finish the neckline.  I don't really like facings on knit garments as I think bindings look better and also they are easier to apply.  I also wanted to tie the peplum fabric together with the top.  So I ended up making bias binding for the neckline and the edge of the sleeves.  I really like the way this top turned out and the fit is great too.  At first I thought the neckline was a bit too low but after wearing it I think it is fine.  

For another entry in the contest I decided to make one more Penelope.  The chevron fabric that I used for the peplum is the July fabric.  I had made another top with this fabric so I was trying to see if I could squeeze something else out of it. I didn't have enough to cut it out going in the suggested direction so I cut it in the lengthwise grain.  I actually like it that way too.  For the top part I had this 1/2 yard piece of turquoise cotton spandex knit that I thought went well with the chevrons.  I had used a bit of it to finish the little boy boxer briefs .  My fabric piece was not big enough to cut it in the suggested direction either but it was 4 way stretch so I thought it would be fine.  While I like the top and I cut the same size as the previous Penelope top I had made it did not fit the same at all.  I think it had more to do with the fabric than the wrong direction of cutting.  The little floral jersey was very soft and stretchy so it fit much looser.  The cotton spandex was much more stable with greater recovery and it just didn't stretch as much as the jersey.  I just think it is interesting how much difference the fabric makes in the fit.  The other changes I made to the pattern were to eliminate the sleeves because I didn't have enough of the turquoise fabric for sleeves.  I also cut the armholes in a little more to give it more of a tank top look.  And i bound the neckline and the armholes with fold over elastic.  I had some brown with little pink dots on it.  It matched the colors in the chevron and I think tied everything together well.


Both tops turned out well.  I like them both.  Even though they were made from the same pattern they look very different.  I like this pattern and will probably use it again.

Easy Tee With Collar

I got this very easy T-Shirt pattern from Its Always Autumn.  She actually has several free patterns and variations of this basic T-Shirt.  Most of them are in a size Large, but they would be easy enough to make slightly smaller or larger. I think I saw a tutorial on her site about how to change the size.  Since I wear a large it fit me just fine.  I choose this black and silver stripe for the main fabric and I had a little scrap of the floral on black background for the collar.  I think it made a cute easy sew easy wear shirt.  I can see myself making many more versions of this shirt.

Striped Maxi Skirt

I got this purple striped fabric in my very first KnitFix bag.  I thought I would try a maxi skirt.  I wasn't sure if I would look like I was trying to fit in with the 20 something crowd but I was starting to see many woman my age and older wearing them.  They looked great in their maxi skirts too.  One friend of mine had one made with navy and white stripes with three different panels of stripes cut on the diagonal.  So that was the inspiration for my skirt.   The pattern I had called for 3 1/2 yards of fabric and the KnitFix pieces are only 2 yards.  I am pretty short and I usually have to shorten most dress patterns by at least 4 inches.  But even with shortening the pattern pieces before cutting I was quite sure I could not squeeze it into a 2 yard piece especially with all the diagonal placement.  Bias cutting always uses more fabric.  But I noticed on the Facebook page that people were selling or trading some of the fabrics they didn't care for.  So I was able to buy another 2 yard piece so I would have enough for the skirt I wanted to make.

Even though this was an easy pattern the view I picked was not easy.  First of all it was very challenging to cut out because the pieces were quite large and they were cut on the bias.  I was trying to match up the stripes as best I could and my table was really to small for the task.  I was doing it at work so I had to use what I had.  The fabric kept stretching out of place.  I had to cut one layer at a time because the pieces were so wide and the front and back of the skirt are the same.  Even sewing it together was a bit frustrating.  My notches were not lining up right and I am not sure why.  It may be because I shortened each panel before cutting the fabric out because I didn't want the bottom panel to be disproportionately shorter than the rest. The bottom pattern piece was the only one that had lengthen or shorten lines on it.  I created my own shorten lines on the middle and top panels.  Then I had this crazy idea that I could match up all those stripes which is impossible.   I guess I have been reading to many Facebook sewing group post where people get all uptight about unmatched stripes.  I knew I wanted to post a picture of my skirt on there.  I realized it is impossible to match stripes when they are cut going in every direction. And even when I posted it on The Girl Charlee KnitFix group someone commented on how well my stripes matched.  So in the end it really doesn't matter.

I actually like this skirt once I finished it.  I don't have any purple clothes so I did not have any tops to wear with this skirt.  I did try it one with the white top I already had in the first picture and I think it looked OK.  But I wanted to wear it to a wedding on the beach so I thought it needed a bit of dressing up.  I bought the purple tank top and the purple sweater to wear with it.  I have three different shades of purple going on here but I think it works.  I needed a sweater because I though the reception was going to be inside and I always get cold with air conditioning.  I think I could have made the skirt a size smaller too, but I will leave it as is for now.  Next time I will just make the plain one.

More Border Print Tops

I couldn't believe I could get four projects out of my two yard cut of  Black Baroque Border Print Jersey Rayon Blend Knit.  But I made the most of this fabric and was left with only tiny scraps.  I think I may have enough to make a headband or scrunchy.  So the second top I made was this tunic which was a very easy sew in the pillowcase style top.  Even though this is an easy top to just cut out freehand without a pattern I choose to use a pattern.  I used _________ for this top.  And for the bow shoulder strap scarf I used the black chiffon I used on the tank top I made.  For the most part I like this top but I think I could have made it a few inches shorter.  I think it is a bit long on me for a tunic but a bit too short for a dress.  I will wear it as a tunic anyways.  I seem to always forget that patterns are made for very tall people.

The third top I made with this fabric was this contrast shoulder T-Shirt which is a free pattern from Icandy.  I seemed to be the most popular pattern for the June KnitFix post.  I thought it was a cute easy style and I wanted to try it too.  It only comes in a size medium but I just enlarged the sides a bit so it would fit me.  U used the baroque border for the back panel and for the front I used some of the pink and coral floral I had leftover from another project.  This top was so easy to sew I think it only took me about an hour and a half to put together and that included taping together the PDF pattern and printing it out.  This pattern is a good way to use small pieces of fabric for a really cute top.










I had a small piece of this border print left and I looked through my patterns to see if I could find something it would work for. This top had this panel in the front that just fit my fabric piece.  And I had enough of the floral left so I could use that for the cross over back panel.  I just had to find something to coordinate for the rest of the top.

I first tried to use The black and silver stripe for the sides that I used on the bottom of the back panel, but after sewing it together I didn't like the way it looked on the front.  So I changed it to this white and black lacy stripe fabric.  I liked that much better.  The pattern was sized for woven fabrics and I used knits that were not very stretchy.  I still wasn't really happy with the fit on me.  Mostly the neckline was very big and loose fitting and I knew it would annoy me because it would keep falling off my shoulders.  Also I am not a big fan of dolman type sleeves they always seem baggy and ill fitting.  I was going to think about what I was going to do with this top.  I showed it to Jessica when she stopped by and she thought it was pretty cute.  She tried it on and I think it looked good on her she liked it too.  She also had the problem of the shoulders falling off mostly because of the back crossover panel needed to be adjusted differently.  She wanted to wear it to work right away so I did a quick alteration to the back with a few safety pins.  She was delighted with her new top.

How many shirts?

This is what I received for my June KnitFix.  I really liked everything.  The Black and white border print on the bottom is one that a lot of people on the facebook group talked about.  The problem was that the border was orientated along the salvage edge which was the side with the least stretch.  I thought it would be fine to use it anyway.  I was going to use it in whatever direction I wanted and I encouraged others to do the same.  Go ahead and be a sewing rebel.  So this fabric is the first one from June that I decided to work with.  I thought it was pretty.  And I was surprised by how many projects I could get out of just two yards of fabric.

My first project was this tank top.  It is a free pattern called the Flutter-bye Tank from Hot Patterns.  I downloaded it several years ago and it has just been sitting on my computer waiting for me to use it.  I love this pattern it has a good fit and a few extra details that make it stand out from just an ordinary tank top.  While the body of this tank is made with a knit fabric, the neck ruffle and the bottom flounce called for a woven fabric.  I wanted a lightweight  chiffon for the flounce and the neck ruffle.

I went to JoAnn Fabric to find something suitable.  I found two fabrics that were kind of what I had in mind.  The one I liked best was lightweight and had the feel I was after, but the end of the bolt said it needed to be dry cleaned only.  It said the fabric could crock.  I had never heard of that in reference to fabric and I really wanted to be able to wash my finished top.  The second choice fabric was washable but had a slightly heavier feel to it and it was also a bit cheaper.  So I asked the clerk at the cutting counter what "fabric could crock" meant and to my surprise she actually had an answer.  She said it meant that the color could rub off onto your skin or other fabric next to it.  I goggled it when I got home and she was right.  I bought the fabric that could crock because I liked it better and I felt if I washed it first and it didn't bleed I would be safe to wash my garment when finished.  It was after all 100% polyester which I have never had any color transfer of any kind with over the years.  So I went ahead and used it never intending to have it dry cleaned.

I love this tank top pattern I have made it twice now and will probably make it again.  I like using the knits and woven fabrics in the same project.  I think the reason I hadn't sewed this up before is because it was a PDF pattern and I was intimidated by having to tape all the pages together.  Now that all the taping is done I can use the pattern over again.  However I have plenty of this fabric left for another project.

Toddler Underwear

When I ordered my first Girl Charlee KnitFix I added some extras to my order so I wouldn't have to pay for shipping.  I would much rather spend that $12 on some more fabric.  Some of the fabric I bought were these half yard knits.  I thought it would be enough to make something for my grandson so I picked out some fabrics he would like not really knowing what I would make with them.  A half yard would be enough to make a t-shirt with.  I decided to make a t-shirt with a Stretch & Sew Pattern from the 70's that I got at the auction several months ago.  I was pleased to discover that there was enough fabric left to make a pair of briefs to match.  The brief pattern came from The Little One Yard Wonder Book.  The first pair I make was the olive with the fawns and I made the size 4/5 thinking that would be plenty big enough for a 2 year old to grow into.  He is not quite potty trained yet.  Even though I could get the briefs on him they were a bit tight.  I think I should have chose a bigger size partly because the fabric I used was not very stretchy.  And little man has pretty hefty thighs.  But he liked his Deer Underwear and T-Shirt.

 

The olive set turned out so cute and sewed up so easily I decided to make some more.  This time I used this triangle print that also had some deer in the print.  I made the briefs in the next bigger size and I used the pattern for the tank top from the Little One Yard Wonder Book.  I think these turned out even cuter than the first set.  I like the way the buck ended up on the front of the briefs.  I couldn't really plan it that way because I was working with only a half yard of fabric so I had to fit the pieces on there wherever they would fit.  

 I had an idea this tank top would make a nice summer set of PJ's if I added a pair of boxers with it.  I got this pattern for free from Shwin and Shwin. I is a size 5/6 slim. They turned out much larger that the 6/7 briefs, but I think that will be fine as a pair of PJ shorts that he will wear over a diaper.  I had just enough of this fabric to cut out the sides of this boxer brief pattern.  I used some aqua cotton spandex for the accents on the boxers and white cotton spandex to trim the tank and the briefs.  Both of the solid fabric were half yard pieces as extras on my order.

 These little underwear were so fun to make.  I think they are just adorable if that is possible for underwear.  They only take tiny amounts of fabric so you can easily use scraps leftover from other projects.  I think they would be a great project for someone new to sewing with knits because they use very little fabric.  And if you make a few mistakes hey they are underwear and most people will never see them.  But these are so cute you may want to show everyone.

Floral Garden Top

I was able to sew up another top from my Floral Garden Jersey that I got in my May KnitFix.  I used a pattern from my currently most used book The Magic Pattern Book.  This time I used the Avery top pattern.  I did make a few modifications to the pattern.  First thing was to go down a size from a large to a medium.  I did this because the pattern was sized for a woven fabric and I wanted to use this very stretchy knit. And I had previously used a knit for another top from the same book without going down a size and I felt it was a bit large for me.  Since I usually find that the neckline is too low for me I made the shoulder seam at the small size.  I also eliminated the darts because i felt they were not really needed with this slinky knit.  The pattern called for an exposed zipper in the center of the upper back panel, I didn't use that either.  Instead I just used the seam line as the fold of the fabric.  I didn't need a zipper in the top and I believe it was just decorative.  And my fabric was pretty lightweight so I thought a zipper would only add unnecessary bulk.  Instead of the bias binding the pattern called for I used knit fabric strips that I cut from the same fabric as the back panel. One last change was to make the length a inch and a half shorter because the pattern pieces would not fit on the fabric I had.  I probably would have done that anyways because I am short so I usually shorten everything.  Wow after writing all the changes I made it sounds like I didn't like anything about this top, but I still have the basic style which I do like a lot.

It is hard to see in the pictures but there are some gathers at the center front neckline that I think give the top a bit more flair than just a basic tank top.  And I like the contrast back panel, it gives you a chance to use a small piece of fabric in a fun way.  I only had a half yard of this stripe fabric so it was not enough for a whole adult top.  This is the second project using this 2 yard piece of fabric and I think I have enough for one more project too.  I think this fabric is so pretty and I love the style of this top and the fit is good too.  I will definitely be making this again.  Actually I have plans for a woven version with the exposed zipper.  

Flutter-Bye-Tank

I really loved this fabric from my second KnitFix.  It is a light weight Jersey knit with a floral print, very soft and stretchy.  I used a pattern that I had downloaded for free several years ago.  It has been saved on my computer for a while now.  I discovered that you can still get the Flutter-Bye Tank  as a free download.  It comes with sizes 6 to 26 so a wide range of sizes.  The pattern uses a mix of knit fabric and woven fabric.  The main tank is made with knits and the flounce and ruffle at the neckline are made with woven.  Also the pattern calls for the neckline edging and the arm hole edging to be done in a bias woven fabric.  Since the dimensional chiffon fabric that I used for the flounce didn't really work for bias edging I just used strips of the same knit I used for the body of the tank.  I got the flounce fabric in the remnant bin at Joann Fabric and I thought it went well with the flowers in the knit fabric.  It was something I already had and I was trying to not make another trip to Joann's.  Love this top it is comfortable and it fits well and it is a bit different than just a plain tank.

Skirt and Cardi

I wasn't really fond of this Brown Pink Stamped Floral Cotton Spandex Knit that I received in my 2nd KnitFix but I was determined to try and make something with it.  I decided on the Bridget Skirt from The Magic Pattern Book.  The skirt is a mock wrap style with elastic in the back waist band.  A very easy sew and easy to wear skirt.  I like the skirt overall and even got some compliments on it when I wore it to work the other day.  However I think this bold large print may not have been the best choice for this style skirt.  I tried to match up the design for the most part but it doesn't always work with such a large print.  You can't really see it in the picture but the skirt has a yolk which I have covered with my pink top because that is the part I am not that happy with.  I think it would have looked better with a smaller scale print or maybe a solid fabric for the yolk. And even though the skirt feels nice and comfy I could have made it one size smaller.  I will wear the skirt but it is not my favorite although I do like the pattern and will probably make that again.


To bring out the brown in the skirt print I picked up a Brown Hacci Knit with a bit of sparkle from Hancock Fabrics.  I made the same cardigan as the Coral Hacci from the previous post.  I like this brown much better for this pattern because it is much more stable and easier to work with.  This is a more wearable sweater too.  The Coral was so loopy that I was afraid it would get snagged on everything.  But the first time I wore the brown it got snagged on my car seat belt.  I was able to fix it so it doesn't show to much.  I guess you have to be careful with all of those Hacci Sweater Knits.  I have another striped Hacci Sweater knit that came in my June bag I will have to find a different pattern for that.  I am thinking something other than a cardigan.

Some KnitFix Sewing

I know these are not the best pictures Mary but I couldn't find my camera and I wanted to post them on the https://www.facebook.com/groups/GirlCharleeKnitFix/?fref=nf site which is a closed group.  It is really fun to see what everyone is making with their KnitFix fabrics.  This is my first project with my KnitFix fabrics.  I used McCall's 7122 and made the tunic which is view A on the pattern, except I made the cap sleeves as shown in the view B dress.  I used the lovely Pink Coral Floral on Black Cotton Spandex Knit from my very first Knit Fix bag.  This was one of my favorite fabrics from the bag.  The fit of the tunic is great and I love the way it looks.

The pattern has a pair of basic leggings included in the envelope so I decided to make a pair of those too.  I purchased some black dancewear knit from JoAnn Fabrics to use.  This fabric is nice and thick as I don't like the look of thin see through leggings.  Actually I am not a big fan of leggings at all except that they are very comfortable.  They definitely need to have a longer top to cover up the rear in my opinion.  Or be worn only in the privacy of your own home.  These legging were super easy to sew because there are no side seams.  But they are very basic as the front and back are the same size rise.  I had to cut off about 2 inches in the front to make them fall at the right place on my waistline. And I had to taper off several inches in the legs from the bottom all the way to the top of the thighs because they were quite huge there not at all like leggings should fit.  But that was an easy fix.  The pattern was a super easy and quick sew great for beginers or anyone who wants quick results.  It also has several tips to help those learning to sew.

In the same bag I received a Coral White Boucle Hacci Sweater Knit.  It was really soft and pretty but I had never sewn with this kind of fabric before so I was excited about using it.  I made the Diana Cardigan from The Magic Pattern Book.  I shortened the pattern 2 inches in the sleeves and the body so that it would fit on my 2 yards of fabric. Since I am pretty short it worked well and I could have probably shortened it a bit more and it would have been fine.  The pattern only has 3 pieces so it is a really quick sew.  However working with that loopy fabric was a bit challenging, it was very stretchy and kept getting caught in my feed dogs.  I was sewing it at work so I didn't have access to my coverstitch machine or my serger which would have made it much easier.  But still you can sew knits on a regular straight stitch machine you just have to be patient and know how to hold your fabric.  and when to stretch and when to not stretch.  The cardigan came out fine I think I will make a few alterations to it after wearing it once.  The sleeves need to be tapered a bit and I need to do something to stabilize the back neck that seemed to have stretched out quite a bit while sewing.  I think I will like the cardigan much better in a more stable fabric.

Overall I love my new outfit and I am going to wear it this weekend at a Woman's  Retreat I am attending.  I think I will use this pattern again because I love how the top fits and I think I may try a dress next.  It is a good basic pattern for a raglan style dress/top.

Girl Charlee Fabrics

Last month I discovered Girl Charlee KnitFix.  It happens on the second Tuesday of each month.  You can buy a surprise bag of knit fabrics that come packaged in a canvas bag.  The surprise is you don't know what you are getting and the fabrics are not available anywhere else on their site.  You get 6 different 2 yard pieces of various knit fabrics.

This is the first KnitFix I received and I love all the fabrics except the middle one on the right.  It is  a Rainbow Tie Dye Ethnic Jersey Rayon Spandex Knit.  It is kind of thin and very stretchy.  I am determined to make something cute out of it.  I have plans for all the others though.  When I get some better pictures I will show you what I made with two of the knits already.  The coral and white knit on the top right is one I have never dealt with before.  It is a Boucle Hacci Sweater Knit and it is very stretchy and loopy and light weight.

 So just a week or so after I got my first KnitFix I decided to order another one.  It was so much fun receiving a surprise and deciding what i could make with the 2 yard pieces.  I really like the small floral on a white background in this bag.  I will probably make some kind of top with it.  It is very light weight and flowy.  I also like the grey and white stripe a lot.  The one I wasn't to fond of is on the far left a Brown and Pink Stamped Floral Cotton Spandex Knit.  It is a pretty bold large print and because it is a stamped  fabric is is a bit stiff.  I washed and dried  it and it did soften up a bit but I am still not so sure about the print.  As I said before I am determined to make something cute out of it too.

I am liking this KnitFix and I have already received my June bag too.