Skinny B**ch Curvy Chic Tonic T Shirt

Well it's been a very long time between posts!! Added to my usual health issues last February I got some nasty skin condition and I have spent the past 11 months dealing with that and whilst I have been sewing photographing them was just a chore. 

I had been reading everywhere of people sewing up the free T-shirt pattern from Skinny B**ch Curvy Chic. This independent pattern company is drafting for the petite (short) lady and as the pattern comes in plus sizes I was excited to give it a go.

Debbie Cook has done a great blog post on this pattern and I referred to her  instructions as well as others that have done reviews on PatternReview.com

I always use my high bust measurement as a starting point and on this pattern I was a 1x. So I traced a 1x at the neck, then went out to a 2x at the bust (a cheaters FBA) and then out to a 3x at the hips. When I compared this to my other T-shirt pattern  New Look 6735 it was very close. I wanted to see how this pattern came out without any of my normal alterations, but I did add an inch to the CF hem for insurance purposes. 

I thought the instructions were great. I followed Debbie's hints for the neckband and the whole thing sewed up very easily. Now, the fabric was some cotton knit that has been in my stash for years and probably something I would just wear around the house so I wasn't bothered if it was a wadder. Also, I don't think horizontal stripes do my body any favours!!! (

(I wouldn't wear this stripey t-shirt with this skirt, it's just what I had on at the time I took the photo- just so you know I do have some styling sense :-)  )

Let me say that for straight out of the envelope this pattern is amazing. The fit isn't perfect but definitely wearable!!  I usually do a lot of adjustments and if I wanted to I could sew this pattern as is and wear it happily.  On my next version  there are a couple of things I will change just to make it even better. Firstly, I need to shave a little bit off the shoulder as it is a little bit wide and with that do a sloping shoulder adjustment. Secondly, I need to take a small dart out of the front neckline but this is only small compared to what I normally do with the Big 4. I was so happy not to have to do an FBA!!

I am excited to have a look at their other patterns based on this free pattern.

Kwik Sew 3463

Wow, it's been a long time since I posted on here. Life just sometimes gets in the way!!!

I have been sewing but just never remembering to take photo etc.....

The last week or so the weather has turned cold here and it's then I was reminded by my nearly 13 year old that she has very few pairs of leggings that fit. So out came Kwik Sew 3463 to fix that little problem.

I love everything about this pattern. Firstly, being a Kwik Sew the instructions are really good and secondly from start to finish it takes way less than an hour to complete and only a metre of cotton lycra which was 50% off at Textile Traders.

I managed to sew up three pairs pretty darn quick and completed it all on my sewing machine. My daughter has very sensitive skin so when I sew for her I try not to use the serger if I can.

The only pattern adjustment I did was to lower the front as my daughter has a very tilted waist. For the elastic I simply sewed the ends together to form a ring, quartered it and attached it to the top of the leggings with a zigzag stitch and then folded it over and straight stitched it in place. I hemmed them with a double row of topstitching....easy peasy and super fast!!

So now she has a black, purple and blue pair to match up with most of her tops and to wear under skirts if she wishes.

My plan is now to try and make a pair for myself to wear with a tunic or under a knee length skirt.

Simplicity 2475 -The Amazing Fit skirt

 

I have always loved the look of a pencil skirt but as a large woman I wondered if I could carry it off. I purchased the Amazing Fit skirt pattern in a sale and had some left over fabric from an outfit I had made for my sister-in-law so it was time to give it a go. 

 

 

 

There have been many reviews on PR for this skirt and I have to agree with most that whilst it is great to have the fit options of slim, average  and curvy it does not tell you what is classified as each. Now I am very curvy in a very small space but have a flat butt so I didn't know what to use. I decided to go with the average fit and just do my own fitting.

 

 

 

 

I had to petite it quite a lot so that it fit just below my knee. I  started with the 24, took some off at the waist and added a few cm's at the hips, the only other alteration for fit was a tilted waist adjustment which is usual for me.

 

On the pattern the zipper is located at the side which I moved to the back. I have too much curve at the hipline for it to sit straight and find I can get a better fit by having the side seams free for adjustment.

 

I have worn this skirt and it did wear well and was very comfortable. I am not sure how often I will wear it as I am not in the corporate world but I think it is a handy piece to have in the wardrobe. I may make it again in a solid black as I would get more wear out of that.

 

I am still in two minds about whether it is dowdy or not, I have flat shoes on in this picture so it may look better with heels.

 

This is a very good pattern that went together easily. The instuctions are good and I really liked the contoured waistband as opposed to darts which I always have trouble getting to look nice. The invisible zipper went in a treat following this tutorial from colette patterns. I would highly recommend this pattern if you have a need for pencil skirts in your wardrobe.

McCalls 5145

I have had this pattern for some time and finally got around to sewing it up. It has been sewn and sitting on my Millie for a number of weeks just waiting for some buttons and buttonholes.

I chose to sew the sleeveless version for our hot summer/autumns here. It is now Easter weekend and we still have the air con running some days!!

Please excuse the wrinkles but I had been wearing it all day, plus it is 100% cotton and so there will be wrinkles. This was a cheap fabric basically to do a wearable muslin. Next time round I will use something nicer in a poly/cotton. The colour hasn't photographed right either, it is more of a pinky colour than it is shown.

Now to the actual pattern..... I spent a lot of time on this top trying to get the fit sorted. It took a long time to get the princess seams correct and it still needs some work to get it better. I started with a size 18 and then did a FBA following FFRP instructions. I also added a CB seam which I do to all my garments to fit my narrow upper back. Originally I had made the version with the non curved hem but I found it hit me at my widest part and looked boxy on me. At this point I was ready to throw it in the bin because it just wasn't right. I don't know what made me think to change the hemline shape but I'm glad I did because I like it a whole lot better.

On my next go round I will make it a tad longer and definitely in a nicer fabric that drapes a lot better.

I finally picked up some buttons yesterday and sat to do the buttonholes. Well, on my test run they were great but when it came to the garment they were giving me fits!!! The first one was great and then I had two dud ones which I needed to unpick and redo a few times. I eventually got there but I was baffled as to why they were so temperamental. I was so frustrated !!!

All in all, I think this is a great pattern and wardrobe builder. I can see me sewing this up a lot in the future. I would really love it in a basic white that could be worn with both skirts and pants under a jacket in winter and by itself in summer.

Kwik Sew 3891

I have been sewing but mainly muslins and not a lot to show unfortunately. A few weeks back I had the opportunity to visit Knitwit in Nedlands whilst at my daughters orthodontic appointment. I have wanted to go for a while but just never got round to it. I was so excited to see all the wonderful fabrics and could have spent a fortune. I did not this time but seen as my daughter will be having regular appointments for the next few years I will be visiting every month or so. YAY......

I loved how they had lots of garments made up out of Kwik Sew patterns and so I couldn't resist buying something. The pattern that called out to me was 3891.

I loved how it looked so easy to wear and make. Due to my disability I am finding it harder and harder to deal with doing up zippers etc and am looking for quick,easy and comfortable clothing. I could have bought so much fabric and it was hard to choose. I ended up getting this lovely knit that I thought would be great for Autumn/Winter, it feels lovely and drapes beautifully.

It has a lovely raised vein running through  it.

Now the pattern called for 2.55m which sounded a lot but I went with it and at $20/metre it added up.

When I got home I thought I would use some cheap rayon/knit in my stash to do a muslin before I cut into my lovely fabric. After pattern alterations the pattern ended up only needing 2 metres. After mulling it over I decided to use my fabric to make a dress as I would have wasted over half a metre if I had made this top.

This is the pattern made into my cheap rayon knit. I really liked how it turned out. I started with a size L and did a 2.5cm FBA. I rotated the dart into the gathers at the front. I lowered the gather at the front but next time round I will raise it back to it's original position as I feel it's a bit too low. In the photo you can see there is pulling across my bust, this goes away if I pin out a dart from the front neckline down towards my bust. The neckline is just a tad wide on me which I am finding is a common issue on nearly everything I make. I must remember to add this to my regular adjustment list.

This pattern is wonderful in my opinion. Like all Kwik Sew patterns the instructions are easy to follow and it is a very quick sew. I am really happy that I didn't have to make too many adjustments and I will definitely be sewing it again out of something delicious from Knitwit. The skirt is just a simple elasticated waist but goes well with the top and super comfy.

I paid $16.95 for this pattern at Knitwit (yes patterns are super expensive in Australia) and a few days later the Spotlight catalogue had them for half price so I went and picked up a few more. I keep buying patterns but just don't have the time to sew in school term.

3489

3659

3880 

3463

I am looking forward to buying some nice knits and making some of these for my winter wardrobe. Another plus of these patterns is that the sizing goes from xs to xl so the patterns can be used for both me and my daughters.

Lutterloh 203

I have made this skirt a couple of times in a stretch cotton and worn it a lot. It is VERY basic and sews up really quickly. It is a two piece skirt with a side zipper, back darts and a waistband facing. I purchased this brown fabric which I liked the colour/pattern of but once made I realized it did not match anything in my closet as brown is not one of my colours.

So this skirt has sat unworn for over a year as I could never find the right fabric in which to make a top to go with it. That is until recently when I came across this rayon knit for $2/metre. I immediately thought of the Sorbetto top which is such a quick sew and now I have a casual outfit to wear for the rest of our extremely hot summer.

I must remember to wear a t-shirt bra with it though as the fabric is quite thin. I am glad the skirt finally gets to come out and play as it is so comfortable.

The next thing I have on my sewing table is a McCalls woven shirt pattern. I have never made a shirt before so I am looking forward to the fitting challenge.

Christmas Day Dress

As our xmas days are always very hot here I wanted some cool to wear that didn't have any sleeves. I decided to try New Look 6810  ( the brown version ) and make it into a dress.

I have made this before in a woven review here and also in a knit. I really liked it in the knit and thought it would look summery in a fabric that I picked up at Textile Traders. I am really happy with how it turned out and it was so comfortable to wear on Xmas day with all the eating!!

I think the hem length is a little long and may go ahead and shorten it a couple of inches to my knees.

My little Lucy who is eleven always likes a new xmas dress too so I just draped this on her and sewed a back seam. It has a second layer of fabric at the bust which goes around the back forms hanging ties. For something so simple it looked so pretty on her.