Pattern description: Patchwork shorts and pants with contour waistband features a fly front zipper, back darts, topstitched hem and pockets.
Pattern rating by simplicity: Average
Pattern rating by me: intermediate
I am looking forward to Fall Sewing this year, as I am planning projects that are out of my comfort zone. I have a few coats/jackets on my list that I have not sewn before and I want to add denim, mainly jeans to the list, which I just completed my first pair. I used McCall’s 8408 for this project. I am absolutely in love with these jeans.
McCall’s 8408
I used a fabric that I saw at my local Joann’s, it is also available online, today, but not sure how long supplies will last.
This fabric is called blue patchwork denim fabric. It’s in a dark denim. It is 57 inches wide, 88% cotton, 8%, polyester, and 4% rayon. I fell in love with this fabric when I first saw it in the store of course it was not on sale so I waited to purchase it. Glad I did. The original price is $20.99 a yard. I was able to get it on sale for $11.99 a yard. It was worth every penny.
For the contrasting color in the middle I used a denim, but I’ve had this denim in my stash for a while. I actually purchased it at Cali fabrics in San Francisco California. They have a lot of great choices in fabric. It’s one of my fabric shops that I go to when I visit. I was able to get the pockets on the back and they are lined up perfectly so I was proud of that. I was also able to get in the fly zipper. I did not put the front fly flap on it. I wanted the zipper exposed to give it a more vintage look so I kept the front flap off.
I made sure to keep the insides as clean as the outside. So what I did was once I attached each piece front and back to the to the leg pieces, I used my serger to clean up the seam lines. It gives it a nice clean finish, and my fabric was fraying.
Now that I have somewhat a “NORMAL” schedule, whatever that means, I am sewing more. July I made a few pieces, shorts, pants, tops, and currently on the sewing table is a kimono. I need to install the facing, but not sure I want the facing on, due to the print on the fabric to me it takes away from the print. I will pin and see how it looks. I may even do a poll on Instagram for some feedback. Here is the kimono in its unfinished state. I am using McCall’s 7790 View C and the sleeve variation from View B. I love a dramatic sleeve. I know some of my sew sisters have their eyes on my lining, but it hasn’t been pressed yet, get your eyeballs out of there, I know it’s showing.
For the next few weeks, I have my work cutout for me, yes pun intended. I have matched fabric and cut out several patterns to make for the few weeks. Hoping to have a small get away with the husband for our anniversary. Fingers crossed that COVID cases don’t shut us down again.
Any-who enough of that talk, you want to see what I have up next? Well here goes…
Simplicity 8177 – The Coat
I am making the coat version for our mini trip, this way I only need one coat to wear with every outfit. I picked a black ponte knit fabric for this one.
2. Simplicity 8790 The Hoodie in View D. The fabric selected is a gray sweatshirt fabric for cooler mornings as I like to walk in the morning to start the day.
3. Simplicity 1167 The Tank Top. Black Knit Fabric for the win. I can wear this with the pants that are number 4 and the coat from number 1.
4. Simplicity 8605 The Pants View E. I choose view to see if I will need to take of the usual 5″ of the bottom due to the pattern being 5″ longer than what I need. Once it’s cut I will measure it to see what, if any, alterations I will need to make. This fabric is a leftover piece from another project I made.
5. Simplicity 9268 Top and Pants
This one is not for our trip, but I love this outfit and I found this pretty pale pink . I think this a gauze. I will have to find the label for it, for details when it is completed. For now I am making a muslin of the top for fitting. Although is not a close to body fit, the size I think I need is really big, so I am making a muslin and will alter from there if needed.
I will need a few other pieces to go along with the ones posted here, but for now, so I am not overwhelmed this is all I have set out. I will add additional items when these are completed. Have a great week!!!!
Christmas is my favorite time of the year. All the love you feel, the joy it brings, the decorations, the lights, the food, family (social distance style of course), and most important of all JESUS is the reason for the season.
I love everything about this jumpsuit. The color, the ease of the pattern, the fit on my body with one alteration to the length.
Pattern Description: McCall’s 7910 Misses’ Jumpsuit Close-fitting, pull-on knit jumpsuits with lined bodice and leg variations. I choose the one shoulder bodice (pattern piece # 3) and wide leg pant leg variation (pattern piece #5).
Pattern Sizing: 6-14, I cut a size 14.
Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you were done sewing with it? Yes, it looks like the photo on the pattern envelope.
Were the instructions easy to follow? The instructions were easy to follow.
What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern? I loved the look of all the bodice’s, but didn’t like the exposed waistline, line. I made a belt to match the embellished shoulder, with a faux diamond studded trim and a bracelet that I found at Michael’s.
Fabric Used: Red Luxury Stretched Velvet from Califabrics. There are a few other colors available.
Pattern alterations or any design changes you made: Like all jumpsuits, pants, or maxi dresses, I needed to remove 2 7/8″ from the length of the pants. The luxury of being able to create pants that fit me due to my height.
Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others? Yes I would sew this again, using either of the other bodice options and possibly the pant (pattern piece #6) that has the side slit on the pants leg. There isn’t anything wrong with the straight leg pants, it is just a personal preference for me on a jumpsuit to have a wider leg.
Conclusion: I loved how this turned out, the fit was perfect, no other alterations needed outside of the alteration for the length.
Merry Christmas everyone and thanks for following my blog!!!!
I love when my sewing plans fall into place and I am able to make something or in this case, finish up some things I started. May was a busy month and I ABSOLUTELY love it. I always look forward to Me Made May every year, seems that’s when I am most productive.
Besides my me made garments I was also able to make over 500 face covers for local veteran’s, local hospitals, and family and friends that were in need.I was happy to be able to make and provide them, it was tough making them knowing that this may be the new normal for a while. I just hope and pray that will be a vaccine to help with the virus.
One thing that I did that I am so proud of, is that I went through my stack of Unfinished Outfits (UFO’s) and started finishing those off. I found some of the garments I could wear and others were just way too big, I am a good 12-15 pounds lighter than when I started some of these projects. So with that comes the good and the bad.
Simplicity 8638
So let’s start with the bad….it’s not a bad pattern, but was a bad fabric choice, wondering if that’s how it ended up in the UFO stack. The fabric as you can see is completely see through and it is really, cheaply made if that’s a word. It wouldn’t hold up for a everyday summer dress.
McCall’s 7741
This one I absolutely love, the fabric is fun, the dress is cute, but…it’s way too big. So big that I wouldn’t feel comfortable taking a photo of myself and posting it, as the whole left side of my girlie parts (boob) is completely out of the dress. I would love to take it apart and size it down to fit, but not sure if that will happen. I may take the fabric and make something else out of what I can salvage. This dress was the dress I was going to wear to my daughter’s college graduation 2 years ago. I ended up wearing a store bought dress instead.
Vogue 9112
If you know me, you know I love a good jumpsuit and this one was no different. I started making this one 2 years ago, I must have had a lot going on in 2018 to have so many UFO’s. This one fits, I did have to seam rip the bodice and shorten the elastic a bit, but other than that it works perfect. I can’t remember where I purchased this fabric from, but I definitely need some more.
Butterick 6330
This one fits also. I used a border print on this on this one. Fabric was purchased from Michael Levine’s about 3 years ago. I did make a rookie mistake on this one. I should have cut the back on the fold, to not interrupt the pattern on the back. It’s okay, I usually wear a cardigan over my dresses when working in the office, so it wouldn’t be seen and if I wear it at home, no one really cares. LOL!!!
Still in the stack…
Here are a few that are still in the stack.
Style Sew Me – Bree
I do plan on completing this one, just haven’t gotten to it. This is a great dress and the fabric I have chosen is super soft and great for the heat we are already getting here. Today it is a high of 104 degrees, that’s okay as I am currently working from home.
Simplicity 8334
This one I am going to have to work some magic on. I don’t know what I did to the area on the front of the dress for the front facing goes, but it is definitely cut the wrong way. I am going to get creative with it, I can’t just let some good camo fabric go to waste. Like a good jumpsuit, I love camo.
Simplicity 8601
This one is coming soon. I started it and the pattern didn’t line up and I took it apart, did it again and the same thing. I need to get the walking foot out and get started. I made this one and love it. I need tops in my wardrobe. I feel as though I wear the same ones all the time.
There are also a few coats, which I won’t post on this blog post, as they will not see the light of day, it’s too hot for that. Look for a blog post next week, with all the new garments and a few collaborations that I have done in May. I will also be re-taking pictures of me in the UFO garments, my lighting was horrible on the ones I took and now I have access to more lighting.
This McCall’s 8035, Misses’ Dresses, and the Sew Your View Instagram pick for April. I decided to save it as my Mother’s Day Dress. This dress is also going along with my May theme to make Me Made Maxi dresses, I love a cute Maxi and this one was easy to make.
I purchased this Cotton Shirting Fabric from Joann Fabric the link is here. It is selling fast so it may not be available anymore.
With the whole Quarantine thing still going on and a lot of us Sewist still practicing Social Distancing, my Sew Sister, Nola and I have been doing “virtual” sew alongs. This has been fun. We pick a pattern that we like and we make it. We have tons of messages going back and forth about what we are doing. We change our minds a lot, LOL, about pattern selection, fabric choice, what order we want to sew the patterns, and we even scrap some patterns, because the pattern says easy and there is way too many steps. It is working out as if we were face to face, we laugh at each other and have the best time. I think this quarantine thing has made us closer. Love that. I plan to visit SoCal, once we are able to travel again and hopefully we can get a full photo shoot going with us together, for now it’s the photo collages we put together and that works for us. Love my sew sister.
Here we are, same dress, different pattern. Check out @alohafornow on Instagram.
Pattern Description:Â Misses’ Dresses
Pattern Sizing: XS-M, I cut the Medium
Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you were done sewing with it?
Yes it looked just like the pattern envelope photo.
Were the instructions easy to follow? Yes the instructions were easy to follow.
What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern? I loved everything about this pattern, from the look of the dress on the envelope to the ease of the instructions.
Fabric Used:Â I used this Cotton Shirting Fabric Blue Tropical Leaves & Hibiscuses on Ivory from Joann Fabric. It is no longer available online. I actually bought this in store before the whole stay at home orders were in place.Â
Pattern alterations or any design changes you made: I needed to cut off 4 1/2 inches on the bottom to meet my height. I could have cut off 5 inches, but my plan is to wear it with high heel shoes.
Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others? I would sew it again, but in a solid fabric color, and maybe a fabric with a little bit more movement to it like a Gerogette or Challis. I would recommend this to others, it’s a great dress for summer and it is easy to sew.
Conclusion: I am happy with the outcome of the dress and loved that I was able to complete it for my Mother’s Day look. Although we stayed inside for dinner it still made me feel beautiful.
The Sew Life: Fashion, Fabrics, and Fun 