Chasing Coco

 I liked M7574 so much I accidentally bought two copies. Whoops! I got around to making it around Thanksgiving for a Christmas shirt. I made length C with sleeves B for a long sleeve shirt. I had looked around for a holiday print knit for weeks and couldn't find anything I liked when by chance I hit the jackpot on the Joann's clearance table! This was a red llama fabric cotton knit with a small amount of spandex, I think 3%. The black sleeves are double brushed poly that I had in my stash, which I think was from LA Finch Fabrics. Pros I didn't realize it until I made the pattern but the raglan sleeve is curved on the front. I really like this and it adds some nice interest to the top. It has a two piece sleeve, which I love! You don't usually see this on a knit pattern and I really like the contour that it adds. The back seam is also contoured nicely. If it's going to be cut in two pieces it shouldn't be straight! That is a pattern pet peeve of mine, it's n...

I have been way behind in my posting my fall sewing. I have been sewing a lot, just not blogging about it apparently. I think the COVID blues finally set in for me in late summer/fall which might account for my failure to keep up with my posts; there were a few points when the sewing was more minimal too if I am being honest. One of my recent initiatives has been v-neck tees. I sewed for literally years  before I really noticed how few v-neck patterns there were for knits. They are a little harder to sew than a crew or scoop neck but it's a little surprising to me that there are so few vees out there, it's not impossible to learn! Early on in the pandemic, I bought a couple of a patterns from the Makerist site. I think they were having a $2 pattern sale, and you know I cannot pass that up! One of the ones which found it's way into my cart was the Dandelion tee from Millicent Joy patterns. I have now made this pattern 5 times! I have refined the fit so it's the perfect ...

 This was the first pattern I made from Made for Mermaids! When the Oaklynn was released, I kept seeing makes of it and they were all so cute I had to buy it and make it for myself! Pros I don't have many comments on the fit or construction as it was pretty straight forward so I am keeping my comments to positives and negatives. Here are good things about this pattern: I LOVE that the pattern gives an arm measurement. I often have a an issue with patterns not fitting around my arm and this made it really easy to know what size would fit my arm. I will have to check if they do this for all of their patterns because that would be amazing. It could be it was just because this was a dolman style top. The pattern includes directions for how to mash sizes. This is great for newbies that haven't mashed before, so you can get better fit. There are a million options included with this pattern! There is a v-neck, crew, hood, color-blocking, cuffs, curved hem and probably more things. It ...

Disclosure: I received this pattern for free as part of a call for testers of an updated size range; the original Heat Wave Hot Pants pattern was already available. As of July 2020 George and Ginger decided the pattern needed a little more work before it could be released. My size fit in the original size range, however, which goes up to 2XL. I do not have any relationship with the pattern company nor was I asked to write this post. The tester call was open to anyone. So I was not super sure about this pattern when I saw it on other people. Don't get me wrong it's really cute but these shorts are well, short and that's just not my preference these days. Now in my 20's I wore like .5" inseam shorts but now I wear 3.5" inseam shorts. Since it was COVID era, I had plenty of time and frankly I needed some shorts, I joined the test anyway! Really, they aren't as short as I thought they'd be! Probably, they look different on different people's bodies or ...

Well somehow we have made it to summer and while a lot of the pools are closed, I know two little girls who are living their best summer life right now. Quarantining with their grandparents, who live next to a river, where there are plenty of swimming opportunities. Meanwhile my neighborhood pool is closed and my husband offered to spray me with the hose as I run around the yard. So, plenty of swimwear needs all around! So this cute lobster print seemed destined to become Cape Cod swimsuit  from Ellie and Mac for both of them (affiliate link). The fabric came from LA Finch Fabrics and I have a lot of it, so you'll be seeing something else made from it in the future! These were supposed to be 4 of July gifts...that's not a thing but I am a gifting Aunt and it was around the 4th of July. However, due to some COVID related complications, I haven't had a chance to hand these suits off yet! Which means, I don't know how well they will fit them yet. Lately they have been fitt...

The Sweetie Pie  is a super simple dress pattern, you can easily sew this up in a few hours including cutting it out! I have made both the women's and kid's version of this pattern (pattern links are affiliate links). It's really simple and twirly. The silhouette is classic, it's basically a circle skirt cut right on the bodice. Since it's cut on and has the full skirt, it's a little bit of a fabric hog, there will be a big shape next to the bodice that isn't used - but it will be a big scrap so you can use it for something else! Maybe a color blocked tee? Panties? Lots of options. The pattern even has some cute patch pockets, however, neither of my fabrics lended well to these so I didn't use them. Next time! For my niece, she measures right on the edge of 4T/5T so I made her a 6T. It fit her pretty good and is just a smidgen too big in the bodice. Just what I'm looking for in a kid's dress, so she can wear it as long as possible. One of the dr...

As my sewing efforts have evolved, I have aimed to sew what I need to wear more and less to learn new things about sewing and garment construction (though it still sometimes happens). This has led me to sew things like underwear and cardigans which I used to always buy. I am a person who is cold 90% of the time, so I am a person who needs cardigans! I have made a couple of M6996 this year and the Chapman cardigan from Ellie & Mac is somewhat similar but it doesn't have a fold down neck and it has pockets❣❣❣ Otherwise and for the construction, they are not that different. I used an animal print rayon spandex from Olga's closet for the main fabric and the black is a lovely thick double brushed poly from LA Finch Fabrics. Changes I made As normal, I graded from a large bust to an XL waist/hip. I made the longer tunic length cardigan with long-sleeves for this first version. Of course, I also used the optional pockets. The only thing I really changed was, I ...

A maxi skirt is one of the easiest garments to make to your measurements, no pattern needed! In this tutorial, I will explain how to make a make a maxi skirt with two side slits based on your measurements! Supplies needed Knit fabric with good recovery, I recommend something with at least 5% spandex or Lycra content (see below for how much) Matching thread Clear elastic Sewing machine with stretch stitch, a serger is optional Measuring tape Large clear grid ruler is optional but suggested Stretch needles , stretch double needle is optional For my example, I am using adult measurements but you could easily follow the same instructions to make one in a child or tween size. I would only suggest to make the waist band less tall, how much less would depend on the height of the child. I am using a 10oz rayon spandex fabric from Made of Love Fabrics . Measurements To determine how much fabric you need, we need to first see what size you need to make your skirt. For t...

I have been obsessed with the George and Ginger Lovesick Bralette {now called the Little Black Bra} for the last few weeks. I have made 3   5  a million of them in these past few weeks! I've been sewing up a storm during the Shelter-in-Place orders from COVID-19 and thee bralettes have been perfect to wear when lounging around or working from home. This is the first and at this point, the only bra I have ever made. This pattern was really attractive to me because I didn't need any special supplies, I could make it from fabric I already had. I actually made all of these from swim/athletic knit scraps I had left over. Also, it's a free pattern! If you go the the George and Ginger Facebook group , you can download the pattern for free. It's available in sizes 29AA-48E. Since I used swim fabric, I could also wear these as swimsuit tops. I might make some solid black swim bottoms so I can wear whatever tops I feel like wearing. Pattern tips I never print my patterns...