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.

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…

Style Arc Preston Knit Sweater

This was one of those patterns that as soon as I saw it, I knew I wanted to make it. This Style Arc Preston sweater is made from a heather gray knit blend (I cannot, for the life of me, remember what it is). But the fabric is most likely a ponte knit. It doesn’t have a tremendous amount of stretch, but it has enough and it keeps its shape.

The Pattern

I was intrigued by this Style Arc Preston knit sweater because it has a sweatshirt look but with pockets. The raglan sleeve design makes it an easy wearing and comfy top. I see this as being something that’s very versatile.

Heather gray Style Arc Preston knit sweater front

Because I’m at home most of the time, it’s important to have something comfortable to wear.

As far as sewing this, it went together fairly easily. The only thing that I did have some issues with was the pocket construction. The pockets seem to be a bit smaller than they’re supposed to be. You can read about the pattern here. If you’ve ever used Style Arc patterns, they don’t have a lot of explanations/instructions with their patterns. But, the illustrations are very clear.

The comfort and style of the pattern reminds me of the toaster sweater I made a while back. I definitely see this as a pattern to make again. One thing that I really like about Style Arc is that I don’t have many if any fitting issues. I can base my pattern size off of the sizing chart.

Also, what I have is a PDF pattern. I think there may have been shipping issues for paper patterns due to the pandemic. I put the pattern pieces together in less than 30 minutes. Because I wanted this as a weekend project, I didn’t care about it being a PDF.

Relaxing in my Style Arc Preston knit sweater

This is a great weekend project and great to wear on the weekend (or any other day)!

I hope you all are well. I appreciate you.

Let me know in the comments what projects you’re working on.

I have many more Fall sewing projects to make!