The Perfect Pull On Jeans

First let me say, Minerva Fabrics gave me the material for this. The material is a jeggings fabric that is soft and stretchy. Although I was concerned that the fabric had too much stretch, it ended up being perfect for these jeans. They are the perfect pull on jeans for comfort and just a fun thing to wear. Here is the post I wrote on the Minerva site.

There are real pockets in the back and faux pockets in the front of the jeans. This is a quick project to put together as well.

Construction Process for the Perfect Pull On Jeans

As far as actually sewing these, a serger with a 4-thread overlock stitch is probably the best and fastest. That gives the stretch and the strength needed for these pants. Otherwise, a zigzag stitch is good.

I did use a twin needle for the hems.

Because the waistband calls for 1″ elastic, they are very comfortable to wear. I used 3/4″ elastic for this particular pair. I used what I was able to find easily and they still sit comfortably at the waist. So I would not recommend using anything less that 3/4″ wide.

If you notice in the photo above, there was a flaw in the fabric. There was a white line on the back of the leg (something from the manufacturing of the fabric). While I had enough to re-cut another, I decided to leave it as is and use the remaining fabric to possibly make a sweater or something.

I have made this pattern before (here) using a stretch woven material, which is actually the recommended fabric.

The elastic for the waistband is two pieces. There is a front and back piece . Getting a good fit is much easier this way. And you don’t have to worry about the elastic twisting in a casing.

Although this is an older pattern, it is still available. I definitely think this is one worth having. The pattern was made without alterations. I was able to get a good fitting pair of jeans by choosing the right size.

Until next time…

McCall’s 6963 Sequined Top

This project was made with fabric gifted to me by Minerva Fabrics in exchange for a post on their site. You can check that post out here. I say all that first because that is the reason behind choosing the pattern I chose. For this McCall’s 6963 sequined top, I wanted something without a lot of details. This green sequined fabric has enough sparkle on its own!

For my McCall’s 6963 sequined top, I made View B with 3/4 sleeves (View C). In all honesty, the older I get, the more I appreciate 3/4 sleeves. I used to hate them when I was younger. But now I find myself making them more often.

One Change

Anyway, this is a pattern I’ve had for quite a while and never made. The only alteration I made to the pattern was to make a full bust adjustment (FBA). I only increased the size by 1″. In the future, I would increase it more. But it’s also important to note that this material doesn’t have a tremendous amount of stretch, although it has enough. It’s a stretch velvet. Something like an ITY knit with a four-way stretch would yield a different result.

The pattern is an easy make. I did use my serger and had no problems going through the sequins which are more like shiny dots. Here’s what happened the last time I sewed sequins. If you don’t have a serger, you could easily make this with a regular machine and a zigzag stitch.

One Issue With Pattern

The only issue I had with the pattern is that the instructions call for gathering the sleeve cap. For me with a knit fabric, I see it as unnecessary. So of course, I didn’t do it. I inserted the sleeve flat (as I always do). You do end up with some gathers which I just spaced evenly.

The style is simple. The cowl neckline adds a nice detail. This is a top that can be made in a couple of hours. Sometimes we need those projects that are a quick, easy make and this is one of those.

What I Made In June 2021

I usually don’t write a recap of what I made, but it’s something I want to start doing more regularly. I have a video recap on my YouTube channel here. But sometimes it’s easier to write about details than to speak them. So, here are the details of what I made in June 2021.

SHORTS

The first thing is (which I believe was actually done at the end of May) this pair of Colette Patterns Iris shorts. The pattern is actually shorter than this. I made these longer by about 3″. Otherwise, there were not changes made to the shorts. Also, here is the post I wrote about the first version of this top.

BRAS

The next group of items I made were bras. Being able to make my own bras has really been an awesome experience. The ones I make fit me better than many that I have bought. So the three grouped together are all Pin Up Girls Amanda T-shirt pattern. The one brown satin is Orange Lingerie Marlborough bra.

I have fabrics and findings for bra making, but I don’t really have kits. So I use what I have and try to coordinate to make what I want. But these Pin Up Girls bras are my favorites. They are full coverage bras that are comfortable and fit well. You purchase the foam cups, then cover them with fabric. I like the Orange Lingerie Marlborough bra too. It did take a bit more work to get this style to fit me.

TOPS

One of the tops I made was using Simplicity patterns 8920.

I used fabric from Minerva fabrics for this. I am a Minerva Maker. The blog post I wrote for their site is here. This fabric is fantastic! It’s bright and summery; great for the pattern I used.

Here’s a link to the fabric if you’d like to check it out for yourself.

The next tops were the Ogden cami from True Bias patterns. I had to make some changes to this to get a look and fit I wanted. But I’m very happy with how this final one (yellow & white) turned out.

This is a cool, comfortable top that can even be worn under a blazer when the weather transitions into fall. I can also see making this in different fabrics.

So that’s it for the month of June. I’m currently working on many things. Let me know in the comments what you’re up to.

Until next time…