Day: 16 January 2016

children's clothing, kids clothing, sewing, tween

Simplicity 1625 top

Okay, back to a garment sewn at Sewjourn in November last year (there will be quite a few 2015 finishes coming up).  I have used Simplicity 1625 for Clare quite a few times now.  You can see the first dress version here and a top here.  There is also another dress still to be blogged.

Simplicity 1625 top in cotton jersey from Darn Cheap Fabrics

This top was a special request.  She really loved the pineapple fabric I’d used for my Aeolian tee, and wanted something using the same fabric.  We chose to sew the top with short sleeves.

Simplicity 1625 top in cotton jersey from Darn Cheap Fabrics

This pattern isn’t designed for knits, but for wovens. However, a stable cotton jersey knit like this one from Darn Cheap Fabrics behaves in a fairly similar way to a woven. I chose to face the neckline with an inch wide strip of the same fabric, applied to the right side then turned to the inside and stitched down with a zig-zag about half an inch or so from the neckline edge. I then trimmed off the excess. This gives a nice flat finish with minimal bulk, and as the strip is from a knit, it doesn’t fray.

Simplicity 1625 top in cotton jersey from Darn Cheap Fabrics

The back is one of the nicest parts of this tee. The neckline is finished, then the strap across it attached. It’s not hard. I used the overlocker for garment construction, and finished all the hems by turning once then zig-zagging. I’m quite keen on the zig zag for finishing knits at the moment instead of the twin needle. It often gives a flatter finish, and is certainly easy to do.

Simplicity 1625 top in cotton jersey from Darn Cheap Fabrics

I possibly sewed this as size 10 girls with size 8 width; it’s hard to remember considering that was back in November! It’s a swingy shape that is easy to wear. Clare has actually grown quite a bit over the past few months, so I’ve been busy sewing her a number of summer garments. Stella is pretty happy to see them all coming out from the machine too, as eventually everything that was Clare’s will be hers!  There are a few challenges in sewing for a thirteen year old as short and still as slight as Clare, in that she wants clothes that express her personality (she wears a lot more colour and print than many of her friends) and are current teen styles, but that fit and flatter her shape.  We have had a lot of success with the Simplicity and New Look tween range of patterns, and Lekala is also proving to be a great source of styles that fit.  I know that many of you read my blog more for the adult garments than the ones I sew for my girls, so be prepared that there are lots of tween garments to come over the next few posts!

Simplicity 1625 top in cotton jersey from Darn Cheap Fabrics

planned projects

Winter work wardrobe planning

After a day where the temperature was 42 degrees celsius, we have had two days where we needed to dress in winter clothes.  Summer in Melbourne continues to confuse us all!  However, this sudden drop in temperature has prompted me to consider my winter work wardrobe, particularly in regards to separates.

I have discovered that in summer I prefer to wear dresses.  In in-between weather I prefer to wear loose woven pants (like the Style Arc Lola or Ethel) with woven or knit tops.  In winter I prefer separates and layers, generally in knits.  For work I often wear dresses, but sometimes in winter I really just want to wear pants.  However, this requires a coordinated wardrobe.

In my last wardrobe purge I got rid of many items that I just didn’t feel the love for.  This has left me with a few wardrobe orphans, that no longer have anything that goes with them.  The thought of an entirely planned wardrobe stupefies me a little, but I think that a planned winter work wardrobe would be beneficial.

So at this stage I am planning to:

  • Go through the wardrobe again and get rid of more garments – especially those that really don’t fit me at my current weight and in reality are not likely to ever again
  • Identify what clothing combinations I like best for work
  • Keep aside the wardrobe orphans that I like and that fit me and are good to wear for work
  • Start planning complete outfits.

I do already have a few things in mind.  I recently received some tobacco brown and olive green stretch bengaline from Style Arc – they will become Barb pants.  There are some Barb and Linda pants already in my wardrobe – they just need to be coordinated with tops and jackets better.

Upon inspection of my current work wardrobe, there is a definite focus on plain bottoms and jackets.  I’m really in need of knit print tops that will work with both.  I have realised that I’m best keeping print fabrics to dresses or tops, and solids for pants, skirts and jackets.  Not all the time of course, but certainly for much of it.

Over the next couple of weeks I’ll pull out some fabrics and patterns from stash and see how they work with the garments that I already have.

I’ve been especially inspired by Jean‘s work clothes – many of which are sewn from patterns that I already own.  These styles, sewn from my colour palette, will definitely be a starting point.