It’s Been A Skort Summer

If you follow me on social media or on YouTube (and you should), you’ve seen the skorts I’ve made so far this summer. I’ve been using Simplicity 9336, with some alterations. I’ve had this pattern for a while, and I can’t believe that it’s taken me so long to try it. These are so comfortable to wear. So for me, it’s been a skort summer!

Pattern Alterations

Like I said, I did make some changes to the pattern, but not until after I had made it mostly as is.

The first thing was to add about 3″ to the length. As you can see from the pattern envelope, the skirt portion is pretty short (at least for me). After making the first one, I made additional changes and plan to do one more alteration. Because the skirt is more straight-line/pencil skirt style, I also made the additional skirts more A-line in style. It works much better for me and the look is smoother.

Pink skort S9336 — First skort of the summer

My Results

The great thing about this pattern is that the shorts fit me perfectly. I made no alterations to that part of the pattern. There is a pocket on the shorts that’s sewn into the side seam. It’s big enough for my phone, but it’s a bit awkward to access.

I guess if you are left-handed, you’d be better off putting the pocket on the left side.

Next, was this green skort made from fabric I purchased locally (this is a similar fabric).

For this particular make, I made the shorts from the same color as the skirt. It is very comfortable and something that’s very easy to wear. The pattern has a separate waistband. Wide can be used which also makes it very comfortable at the waist.

The latest one I made was with this Minerva scuba knit in beige.

The A-line style and the in-seam pockets have made this one a favorite of mine. I eliminated the pocket on the shorts but think I may add it back for the next one. That’ll give me three pockets which is just fine with me! With the alterations, this is similar in style to the Kate skirt I made last year from a ponte knit. Here is my original post about the first one I made (from a non-knit fabric).

It's been a skort summer back view S9336

Sadly, this pattern is out of print, but if you can get you hands on it (or if you already have it in your pattern stash), I highly recommend it. With or without the changes I made, it is cool and super comfortable to wear. I have fabric for one more of these and it’s still hot enough to get some wear out of it.

The Style Arc Avery Tunic

The Style Arc Avery tunic was part of a pattern haul I did last year. I chose this because it is for both woven and knit fabrics. It’s an interesting (and unusual) combination to have in one pattern, so I wanted to give it a try. The top also features an exposed zipper which is something else I’ve never done. So, here are my thoughts on the Style Arc Avery tunic.

Pattern Features

As mentioned, the Avery features an exposed zipper. It also has a high-low hem with hem facings, and can be made using a combination of woven and knit fabrics. Or, it can be made using all knit fabric without the zipper.

The Process

Because I hadn’t done the exposed zipper before, that was what I was most looking forward to. It’s also what gave me the most trouble. I actually wasn’t even sure what it was supposed to look like when done. Once I figured that out, it was still a process to install. The instructions for this task I felt were not clear. After some research, I was able to get some ideas on how to install it. It wasn’t perfect, but it was done.

As far as the rest of the top, It came together easily. The facings for the hem is a nice touch because it gives a neat, clean finish.

The pattern I used for this is multi-sized, so I traced off the one I needed. You can purchase one size or multi-sized PDF patterns, or a paper pattern.

My fabrics are black cotton interlock knit and cotton blend lemon print. Both of these are really easy to work with. This patten would be great for color-blocking with solid fabrics as well. There are also different pattern pieces for the back, if you choose not to insert the zipper. In that case, you are making this from all knit fabric.

The Results

With all the challenges putting this together, I’m very happy with the results. Once I got the zipper installed, It took hardly any time to put the rest of the Style Arc Avery tunic together. I really do like their patterns and have made other tops and pants from Style Arc and haven’t had any issues.

I might try one from all knit fabric next time with some color-blocking. That could be something really cute (and much easier to make)!

Until next time…

Twin Needle Stitching Tips

Not too long ago, I did a YouTube video on this process, but I also wanted to write a blog post. I want to give you readers some twin needle stitching tips. These are things I do myself that really help. Using a twin needle in your regular sewing machine can give a nice professional looking finish. I don’t have a coverstitch machine, so that is the reason I like this technique.

Twin Needles I Use

More often than not, I use the first twin needle pictured. I like the spacing of the needles and how the finish looks. I also get less tunneling (I’ll explain later).

When To Use Twin Needles

I use the twin needles for hemming knits and for stitching around necklines on knit tops. These tops were finished with a twin needle at the sleeve hems, bottom hem and around the neckline. It’s something I do for t-shirts especially. This is a way to get a nice looking finish on your knit projects.

Machine Settings

Some sewing machines will have special setting for using a twin needle. I have a Brother sewing machine that you must make sure to choose the twin needle, rather than single needle. If your sewing machine is like this (you can check your manual if you aren’t sure), be sure to make that change. You will also need to make sure that your stitch plate is not for a straight stitch only (it usually has only one narrow hole). Most regular needle plates have a wide opening that is good for straight, zigzag and twin needle stitching.

Stitching

Once everything is set, it’s time to sew! This is the fun part. You’ll need two spools of thread to thread the needles. If you don’t have two spools of the same color and you are trying to match your fabric, you can wind an extra bobbin. That bobbin can be your second spool. It’s important to note that all stitching is done from the right side of the fabric.

Here is an example I made using the two twin needles showing how the widths look compared to one another.

For most of my sewing, I prefer the narrower needle. It’s just a personal preference but I think it looks good for most fabrics and projects. The tunneling I mentioned earlier is when a raised area (ridge) forms in between the two needles.

Trimming

After you’ve sewn your hem, there may be excess fabric on the wrong side. I usually fold up my hem and sew within that in order to make sure I’ve caught all the fabric (remember, stitching from the right side). I trim off the excess fabric using either duckbill scissors or curved scissors.

Here is a link to my YouTube video where I show the processI use for sewing and trimming when I use a twin needle.

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This is a process that will give you some really nice, professional looking results. It may take a bit of time and practice, but it’s an easy process.