Top 3 – Classic Polka Dots

As you know, I spent the last two weeks of April making tops, specifically using woven (not knit) fabric. The last one that I made during that time period was using Simplicity 8602.

I made View A. Because the shirt is a little bit cropped in length, I added about 2″ to the length of the top. I also made this using a FBA (full bust adjustment). I have started doing these more often and I find that I’m getting a better fit. I had been just going up a pattern size but I was never very happy with the overall fit of the garment. So now, I’m back to using a smaller size, but including the FBA.

Simplicity 8602

I like this with the longer length and I LOVE the look of the polka dots, especially for summer. The jeans I’m wearing in the pictures are a previous make. These are the Closet Case Patterns “Morgan” boyfriend jeans ( that post is here).

The material used is rayon challis, which is perfect for something like this. It is lightweight but with enough body for the garment to flow. This particular one I bought from fabric.com. This is a quick and easy make with different sleeve options.

I’m very happy with this and would definitely say that this is a great summer top pattern with options that will give you a lot of use.

That’s all for now. I have one more top that I’m currently working on and then I’ll be on to other projects.

Here is the fabric I used: *affiliate links

red & white challis

But there are many other options (solids, prints, floral, etc.) fabric.com

Third Piece of My Mini Collection

My last pieces for the collection are another pair of Ginger jeans and a Style Arc T-shirt (“Alannah”). I used a jean kit I bought from Closet Case Patterns that has black stretch denim. I figured that since the main theme for this was black and white, black jeans would be a good addition. I also wanted something colorful to add to this. I chose to use the Aloha fabric I bought that I featured in my haul video here. Here are the posts for the first two pieces in the collection (one and two).

This was an interesting process. Sewing with the idea of making a “collection” or coordinating pieces requires more thought than I had imagined. I was sure of what pieces I wanted to create, but staying on track and making sure I had the materials was key. I wasn’t overwhelmed with trying to decide what to make next since the next piece was predetermined. But, I’m so used to my free-flowing style of making whatever, that I did feel more restrained in my options.

I also realized that while I definitely need to be more selective in my choice of what I make, I love color so sticking to a plan of only a couple of colors was difficult. This won’t be the last time I do this (definitely!), but I will do it differently next time (maybe spring/summer dresses, woven tops, coordinates, etc.). The possibilities are endless after all…

I’ve written about this Style Arc T a while ago (here) but it’s one of my favorites. It’s a basic, well-fitting T-shirt that has a great length. It only takes about an hour to put together. It’s a PDF pattern and as far as I know, it’s still available.

The jeans are the Ginger jeans (skinny jeans). As stated above, I made these using a kit which included everything except the pattern. If Closet Case offers these again, I highly recommend purchasing. I did not use the rivets that came with the kit, but you get those and the jeans button(s), top stitch thread, needles, zipper and fabric. If you don’t have jeans top stitching thread, you can use a triple stitch on your machine. I did use the jeans thread this time, but I’ve had less trouble (jamming) with the triple stitch so I’ll probably go back to that. The triple stitch generally has the same look as the thicker jeans thread and is very secure.

As far as planning my next project, I’ll be taking some of the lessons learned from this process into consideration. I know I need and want more woven (non-knit) tops/blouses. There’s a list of items I could really find useful that I don’t have. I’m often looking in my closet and not finding coordinating pieces or things that I really want. So my sewing emphasis this year is in filling those gaps.

Let me know if you have sewn your own collections and how you found that experience.

Ginger Jeans The Second Time Around…

I can be very determined at times. After I made one pair of Ginger jeans (Closet Case Patterns), I thought that maybe “skinny jeans” weren’t for me. But, after seeing so many other people successfully complete them, I thought it would be worth the time and effort to make whatever adjustments were necessary to make them fit my body the way I wanted. Well, I’ve (almost) done it. I only say almost because there are a few small additional tweaks that I have already made to the pattern for the next pair. But these are really good. And there were quite a few changes I made based on the fit of the last pair I made (here ).

Ginger jeans

For this pair I:

widened the pant leg from the knee down to relieve tightness in the calf
put in a center back wedge to give more room in the seat
lengthened the center back seam
added a wedge to the top of the center back seam to lengthen it at the top so that the front and back seams would meet
and re-made the waistband and back yokes to give more curve for a better fit

This pair is the best yet that I’ve made. But, I have already decided that for the next pair I will shorten the crotch length just a bit (or make some adjustment to it) and trim a little off of the side hip area. The adjustments I made seem like a lot, but actually didn’t take much time. I used the resources I have and the information provided by Closet Case Patterns on making pant adjustments. I’m always looking to improve my skills and my outcomes so learning new ways is an ongoing process.

I’m really looking forward to making another pair!

By the way, the top in the photos is V9205 that I made here.

*This denim is similar to what I used, but lighter in color. What I used is sold out. HERE this is an affiliate link.