Sunday 17 August 2014

EYMM Think Fall Pattern Tour: the Off the Shoulder Top

Let me start by saying it feels a little weird participating in an Autumn pattern tour when is the dead of winter here in Australia! I just couldn't resist the opportunity to participate in my first pattern tour.  Besides, this pattern will be as good for spring as it is for Autumn.

The XL before hemming
I have sewn Everything Your Mama Made patterns before and have found them a great.  The Dolman top is one of my wardrobe staples in the warmer months.  I love the longer length you find on Kymy's tops because I never have to worry about them riding up!  As a mother, with two small boys this is very important!




I was a bit torn over which fabric to use, but with a little help from my friends, chose this lovely soft hot pink knit.  After cutting most of it I realised I didn't have enough fabric for the cowl.  I frantically pulled out all the knit in my stash and came up with this fabulous contrast - a rayon burnout knit.

 








I initially made the size XL in top length (my measurements fell in between the L and XL) however it was a looser fit than I am used to so I reduced it down to L.  The finished product is awesome and a comfy and practical addition to my wardrobe.  





The size range for this pattern is great! Not only is it available in women’s sizing XS to 5XL, but there is a girl’s version ranging from newborn to 18!  The girls, women’s and the bargain bundle are all available on the EYMM website.  Use the code "falliscoming" for 25% off until 20 August 2014 at 11.59pm PST!


Happy sewing! xxx

Friday 15 August 2014

Testing for the Pattern Revolution boy bundle


 
GreenStyle Scarf Neck
This week I have been lucky enough to test two of the patterns in the Pattern Revolution boy bundle. One from GreenStyle Creations because I have tested for them before, (see my previous post on the Taylor Shorts) and one from the new designer Winter Wear designs.  I was really pleased to make something for Mr 7.  He is much harder to sew for as he as at school.  My colour choices were influenced by this.  Red and Navy are his school colours and as an extra bonus, he looks fabulous in them. :-)

Aviator Pants Draft 1
Aviator Pants Draft 1
I started with the Winter Wear Aviator pants. I loved the options, but chose to keep it simple first time around and did the contrast ankles and slash pockets.  I used sweatshirt fleece for the legs and contrast panel and navy ribbing for the waistband and cuffs. (blue-grey and navy) was a big hit and he insisted on wearing them before I had finished them. Hooray for fleece, because there was no fraying!

I added elastic all the way through the waist, because my boys are very active and quite lean. I always feel better with some extra protection - you don't want your pants falling down in the school yard!  They do look a bit strange from behind as he has a tendancy to pull his pants up as high as they can go and I didn't notice at the time. He is occasionally called "Harry High Pants" as a result (No, Harry is not his real name!). The rise on these was a bit low, this was fixed on a revised draft.

Aviator pants draft 1
Aviator pants draft 2
The second pair - the ones for school were made with polar fleece with red broadcloth for the double welt pockets.  Let me say I was really pleased at how well the pockets turned out for my first attempt. I did watch a YouTube video to assist but the pictures in the final pattern are really helpful.  I love how much you can learn on YouTube when sewing classes for clothing are  hard to come by in my area.
Aviator pants draft 2

As you can see the rise in these pants is higher so there is not as much bunching around the bottom.  Overall, this is a good pattern with great instructions.  I hope that I contribute in some part to the success of the pattern.

After the pants, I moved on to the GreenStyle Scarf Neck Pullover.  I actually made one for each of my boys starting with Mr 2.  For his I used some black sweater knit from the stash - an op-shop bargain - and some matching ribbing for the cuffs and bottom band.  I made a size 3 as he is a big boy and is the same size as an average 3 year old - measurements and all.  It went together very quickly and it looked so good finished that my sister thought it was a designer label!  Her jaw hit the floor when I told her I made it!  As you can see in the pictures, he was impressed too.  The only variation on the pattern was that I topstitched the collar, as i was concerned about ironing the fabric enough to get a smooth line.

Scarf neck pullover
For Mr 7 I went with a size 8 because he prefers a slouchier fit. In line with choosing fabrics for school, I selected a red polar fleece for the body, red ribbing for the arms and a contrasting blue collar - I am pretty pleased with the effect. I used the length for the size 8 as I wasn't planning to add a bottom band to his.  If I did forget to take up the sleeves and as a result they are a bit long.

Overall it is a great sweater that has held up well to playground (and back yard... and living room) rough and tumble.

I highly recommend these patterns! The Winter Wear Aviator Pants and the GreenStyle Scarf Neck Pullover will be available as part of the Pattern Revolution Boy Bundle on 22 to 29 August 2014.

Happy sewing :-)

Saturday 9 August 2014

Jocole Skinny Pants


 I purchased the Jocole Skinny Pants as part of the Pattern Revolution Womens Bundle Up Sale.  I was pretty excited about this pattern because I am a  bit of a fan of skinny pants.  I love wearing them and as a mother, I find that skinny pants, a tunic top and ballet flats are a classic yet comfortable look.  Add that to a yoga waist band... what more could I ask for?

After asking a friend of mine who was involved in testing the pattern, I decided that in this case I really needed to do a muslin.  I often do new patterns in cheap or reclaimed fabric the first time I make them. This time I chose a bright peach cotton drill I picked up at a market for $4 for 5m, which I would never expect to wear.  Just the ticket! As you can see from the pictures I am glad I took the time to make a muslin.

I wanted to make sure these fitted me just right, so I measured myself again.  The measurement chart had a thigh measurement - Hang on! I have never done that before! - I had to go and check out WHERE on the thigh I was supposed to measure. The answer was pretty simple, on the widest part.

I compared the waist, hip and thigh measurements, to the measurement chart of the pattern and found that I crossed over 3 different sizes.  It is times like these I am glad to have nested patterns.   When tracing the pattern, I used the measurements for the waist, hips and thighs and customised the fit by blending the sizes. 

First muslin front view
First muslin rear view
The first thing I noticed with the muslin is that it was only "skinny" to my knees.  I am not really surprised by this as I have endless problems buying boots - my ankles are too skinny. Too bad I don't have that problem in other areas! A couple of centremetres off the side of each leg from the knee down took care of that problem. 



The other obvious problem was a gape just above my bum.  The sway back strikes again. A great cheat sheet for adjusting for fit is located here.

 I went for the simplest method of fixing this and essentially made a dart on the centre seam of the muslin and cut that amount off the pattern piece.  The result was a pretty flattering fit. 


Now on to the 'real' pairs.  The first pair I made with some teal cord - basically because it's COLD here and it was in my stash.  The stretch was a bit more than I expected because I haven't worn cord since I was a kid and didn't have a feel for the fabric.  That is not all bad because they are sooooo comfy.  Please excuse the slightly dodgy selfies!


















The other pair I made with denim look fabric and top stitched to look like jeans.

I have had lots complements on the finished pants so I am very pleased I invested in this pattern.

Happy sewing! :-)