Style Arc Sally Jean Skirt

Here’s a garment I made last summer. It’s the Style Arc Sally Jean Skirt pattern and it is really nice! I’m always a fan of denim skirts in the summer because they are so comfortable, easy to wear and can go with so many different things.

The Pattern

The pattern is described as being slightly A-line, which it is. That’s one of the things I like about it. A-line skirts tend to be flattering on just about every body.

This is available in both PDF and paper formats. And as you can see, it’s rated “Medium” for skill level (intermediate).

How I Made It

I used some leftover white denim fabric I had from this jean jacket project. Having had quite a lot of experience sewing my own jeans, I knew that that’s the approach I would take with the construction of this skirt.

I really like the results I got. But getting there was challenging.

Style Arc Sally Jean Skirt Pros & Cons

There are no cons in terms of the style, sewability or wearability of the pattern. I think the pattern is great for the style and I will definitely be making more. It’s a classic that is just MY style!

My cons all have to do with the pattern instructions. They are more than a little lacking in instruction. There are patten parts that are labeled differently than what’s mentioned in the instructions. There are some terms that are different, but I chock that up to the pattern company being located in Australia (I think). Those things are figureoutable.

Front view of woman wearing Style Arc Sally jean skirt

I used a regular jean construction method for making the fly front because I couldn’t for the life of me figure out what they were saying -LOL!

I did not use a twin needle for making the two rows of stitching (as they say in the instructions). Personally, I don’t recommend it because denim can be thick and there will be several layers of fabric to go through. That’s an easy way to break a (twin) needle. I just sew two rows with a denim needle.

All that being said, the pattern is great and I will make this again, maybe this summer! Just be prepared to either use other instructions or have enough experience sewing so that you know what to do.

If you’d like to see the video review of the pattern, here it is.

Sewing Cargo Pants With New Look 6745

Sewing cargo pants with New Look 6745 is easy and I’m so glad I did it! Combining views A & B gave me the unique look I wanted. Here’s how the process went.

The Pattern

New Look 6745 is a unisex pants pattern that features two views with style options. There’s decorative webbing, gusseted pockets, elastic, buttons and twill tape for the drawstring.

The waistband is a separate piece that has three rows of stitching. the top and bottom rows are for elastic while the middle row is for the drawstring.

My Process

One of the first things I did was to use my croquis notebook to sketch the look I wanted to achieve. This is a good way to try out different looks you might be considering before you’ve started your project. For example, I was thinking of making the front patch pockets a solid color, but changed that with the actual pants.

Next, I made sure to make a muslin of the pattern which included some fit adjustments. Since this is a unisex pattern, I went with a Medium based on the measurements on the pattern envelope.

woman wearing muslin of New Look 6745 — *Muslin*

While it might seem like making the muslin will make the whole process take longer, that’s really not the case (at least for me). Once the muslin is done and I know the pants fit, I can be much more confident about cutting out my fabric and actually sewing the garment.

But just to be sure, I always do a fit check before the pants are completed.

woman wearing cargo pants with New Look 6745 — *Fit check*

Sewing Cargo Pants With New Look 6745

The fabric I used was purchased from Fabric Wholesale Direct. It’s a camo printed broadcloth that is a woven, lightweight fabric. It’s a terrific fabric that washes and dries well (meaning it doesn’t need ironing). Because it’s lightweight, the pants will be comfortable during spring and summer.

The pockets on the front are gusseted, so it does take a little bit more time than just sewing on regular patch pockets. Once that is done, it’s a quick process to stitch up the rest of the pants.

Conclusion

I LOVE how these fit! Most likely it’s because of the time taken in the beginning to ensure the changes made to the pattern would be sufficient.

I can definitely recommend this pattern. I used snaps for the closures on the pockets, but buttons or Velcro can also be used.

If you’d like to see the video I made about making these pants, you can check it out here.

Simplicity 9886 Color-Blocked Dress

I decided to make this Simplicity 9886 color-blocked dress using some fabrics I had in my fabric stash. It wasn’t hard to find three fabrics to go together. It was more difficult to actually choose which ones of many to use .

The Fabric

The pattern calls for the use of three woven fabrics. All of the ones I used are light to medium weight cotton blends. The blue that is the main fabric is a linen-like blend that I had bought at JoAnn Fabrics some years ago. The floral is from Hobby Lobby, purchased a few years ago. The yellow is a basic quilting cotton in a solid color. It’s a thin fabric which is one of the reasons it’s the smallest section.

The Pattern

In order to make things easier on myself, I chose to sketch out the design first. This was so important because I didn’t have to constantly think about how the pieces were going together. Mind you, I am not an artist so sketching is not my thing – LOL. But, it is so helpful to have this to refer to during the sewing process.

Sketch of the line drawing for the dress

This is a sketch of the line drawing for both front and back. Colored pencils make the sketch come to life and help in the visualization process. I’m not sure if you can tell from the sketch, but there are inseam pockets in the dress.

My Dress

woman wearing Simplicity 9886 color-blocked dress

Simplicity 9886 is not a difficult pattern to make. I think that all the preparations I did ahead of time helped a lot! The dress is View C, with the length of View A. The midi length is one of my favorites.

Because there is lots of stay stitching (which I recommend you do), you may find that you’ll use a lot of thread. But those stitches are important since they help to keep the pattern pieces from stretching out of shape.

It’s important to give yourself as little room for confusion as possible when making a color blocked garment. That’s especially important if you don’t do many projects like this. I used a very similar process when I made this color-blocked top.

Conclusion

Overall, I can recommend Simplicity 9886 color-blocked dress. It can be made for bold and bright colors, or you can choose something more subtle. I believe that with a bit of preplanning, you can have a successful garment completed in a short amount of time. The dress is comfortable to wear and I think it’s a good addition to my spring/summer wardrobe.