The End Of Summer-Thinking Of Fall

This post, The End of Summer-Thinking of Fall is about some plans I have and some recent pattern purchases. It’s that time of year where before you know it, the weather will be changing and leaves will be falling off the trees. In fact, I’ve already heard some of the (very small) acorns hitting the deck in the back yard.

Wardrobe Planning

Because it can be so hot and humid in the summer where I live, I don’t really wear pants very often during the summer months. I’ll wear dresses and skirts, shorts and skorts – that’s basically my summer “uniform”.

Once things start to cool down, I have a lot of different items I’d like to sew. I’ll show you some of those in this post. If you’d like to follow along with a more formal “class”, Seamwork offers a free for subscribers process for the Fall (and in the Spring). Here’s an affiliate link to become a Seamwork member or check them out if you’re interested. I’ve been a member for years and I enjoy making many of the patterns they offer.

Recent Pattern Purchases

One of the projects I’d like to tackle is using KnowMe 2052.

I have saved three pairs of jeans that either don’t fit or that I just don’t wear anymore. I’d like to try to repurpose them into this pattern, or something similar. I also have some denim that I can add to the pattern as well. In fact, one of the jeans I want to repurpose is in a picture in this post I wrote years ago. Looking at this, I see it’s been a VERY long time since I’ve written about this topic. But, I can also see that my process is basically the same –

Clean out the closet and figure out what’s needed!

Have you gone through this process (or something similar)? I find that it’s helpful, especially since I sew so much. I’ll donate as many things as I can.

Another project I’d like to try is a cropped jacket. I haven’t really made anything like this before, but I purchased this pattern recently.

KnowMe 2089 pattern envelope for end of summer

Blazers are another things that’s lacking in my closet. I have some patterns that I tend to use for a basic lined blazer that are really good.

The Plans

Basically, I want to use as much fabric stash as I can. There are lots of patterns that I have that are suitable to make all the things I’m thinking of. I hope this will inspire you to go through your fabric and patten stash and see what you can use for your own seasonal sewing.

Currently, I’m about to start this pattern from Seamwork – the Iggy pants.

Usually I don’t try a new style by making it myself, but this time I decided to challenge myself. These are a slightly barrel shaped pant with a fly front and elastic at the back. I’ll do a later post to show you how they turned out.

That’s all for now. I’ll keep you readers updated on how my ambitious plans are going.

Another Skort With Minerva Fabric

Indeed I made another skort with Minerva fabric that was gifted to me by them. I’m a Minerva brand ambassador, so when I saw this fabric, I knew I wanted it, and I knew what I would make with it. So here are the details about this project.

The Pattern

Sadly, this pattern is OOP (out-of-print) and may be hard to find. I really hope Simplicity brings it back, because it’s so easy and quick to make. And there isn’t another new pattern that’s similar to this at all. Skorts have been in the stores for the past couple of summers, so they have regained popularity. In any case, this is the pattern I used, but with alterations.

Previously, I had given the skirt an A-line look. I’ve also added about 3 inches to the length of the skirt portion as well as adding inseam pockets. Much to my surprise, the shorts fit perfectly, so there was no need to change anything with those.

The Fabric

The name of this fabric is called “Minerva Exclusive Beauty Box Glossy Activewear Lycra Stretch Knit Fabric”.

This is a stretchy knit athletic wear fabric. It wicks away moisture so it’s great for things like leotards, leggings and all kinds of sportswear. According to the Minerva website, this can also be used for swimwear.

The only “issue” with the fabric for me was making sure to cut out the skort with all the pattern pieces facing the same direction. So, that was really no issue at all, just something to be aware of.

My Skort

this is so comfortable and easy to wear. I like these skorts because they are a great thing to put on when you want to look to put together, but you want to be really comfortable. The wide waistband on the pattern also adds to the comfort of the garment.

For the construction of this garment, I used my serger for almost everything but the hem. Using the 4-thread overlock ensures that the seams will stretch when you want them to, but not pop. That would be a disaster! Otherwise, this is a quick and easy project to make. Although this pattern isn’t available, here is a free pattern from Mood Fabrics that is very similar and seems easy to make.

So tell me, would you make and wear a skort? I hope you do because it’s such a fun thing to have in your wardrobe.

Here’s A Quick Easy Project

Here’s a quick, easy project that’s also fun and great for stash busting. I’ve wanted to make a hat for a couple of years now, but I never bothered to take the time to do it. Once I made the first one, I couldn’t wait to make another.

McCall’s 8212

When you see this pattern, you’ll notice that it’s a dress pattern. You may not realize that the hat the model is wearing on the pattern envelope is also included.

While I haven’t made any of the dresses, I did use this for the first hat. I refer to this one as my floppy hat because it has a very wide brim. There’s interfacing in the brim, but I don’t recall there being any particular type mentioned in the instructions. So, I used fusible, regular weight interfacing that I would use on a garment. That works fine, but if you want more structure, I would recommend using a heavier weight or craft interfacing.

My fabric choice was also part of the fun. I had bought this “Girl Power” fabric at JoAnn Fabrics a couple of years ago during Women’s History Month. It’s bright and colorful, so it’s right up my alley. Sewing a hat is a great way to use up some fabric that you may have leftover from a previous project.

The crown of the hat is lined, so for that I just used another leftover piece of broadcloth. There is supposed to be binding inside the crown (between the crown and brim). I believe the point of this is to prevent the crown from stretching. I used fold over elastic in mine, simply because I like the way it looks.

And the finished product…

Woman wearing wide brimmed, colorful hat

Simplicity 9368

The hat that I have wanted to make for a while now is the bucket hat. These are still very popular and can range in price from $50-$250.

I made View B which is shown on the envelope made in what looks like wool. There was another fun fabric I had for this one too.

This one is made with fabric I purchased for Black History Month. The great thing about this patten is that it is reversible. And, it was a bit of a surprise because the pattern doesn’t say that.

For the inside (or reverse side – lining) I used more of the “Girl Power” fabric from the previous hat. Each one of these projects came together in an afternoon. The bucket hat in particular was the fastest to make. There are fewer pieces. The only measurement needed for either is the head circumference.

Basically, that’s it! Two quick and easy projects that can help with your stash-busting too.

If you’d like to see the YouTube video I made about these projects, you can check that out here… And please consider subscribing to my channel!