This is a blog post about garments that aren’t quite right.  Incredibly close to right, but that teensy bit off!  In one case it’s due to my fabric choice.  In the other case, the size that I chose to sew.

I’ve actually seen the Rae tunic pop up quite a lot in my feed reader and on Instagram. As Style Arc say:  The curved hemline and the, so popular, split sleeve give this great tunic top an easy, casual look. Simple to make with an all in one sleeve and body, this tunic will become your go to top to wear for all occasions. FABRIC SUGGESTION: Crepe, Silk or even a Knit.

I chose to use a cotton/lycra knit.  It’s a beautiful quality fabric from Crafty Mamas Fabrics, and I adore the print.  Unfortunately, it really isn’t quite a drapey as I’d like.  A knit with some viscose in it would have been a much better choice.

I eliminated the centre back opening, cut the back piece on the fold, and used one strip of fabric as a neckline facing. This fabric was very easy to work with, and this really did come together incredibly quickly. I like that the upper arm openings are relatively subtle, and allow for wearing a regular bra. It’s a simple pattern, but as is usually the case with Style Arc, very well drafted.

I sewed straight size 12 without alteration. It’s definitely tunic length, with deeply rounded hemlines. I think that it would be wonderful lengthened to a dress. So this top wasn’t a fail for me, but wasn’t a woo-hoo make either. I’ve been wearing it, but it really deserves to be remade in one of the recommended fabrics.

So, to the jeans. I’ve been wanting a pair of white/cream denim jeans for ages. Back in the 1990s I had a pair of white Levi 501s. I wore them until they pretty much died – at which time I turned them into a skirt. Remember doing that? Unpicking the inseams, overlapping, adding a bit of extra from what you’d cut off the lower leg to the centre to fill in the gap? I’m sure that nowadays there are plenty of tutorials around to let you know what to do. Oh, I remember that skirt well – I trimmed the hemline with some amazing pink blue and white vintage jumbo ric rac. I wonder if it’s in landfill now or if someone is rocking a very retro look?

Style Arc describe the Georgie stretch woven jeans as follows: GEORGIE STRETCH WOVEN JEAN: Georgie has all the details of a traditional jean with the exception that its pulls on. This elastic waisted jean has the latest styling and shape along with comfort as it sits on the natural waist. FABRIC SUGGESTION: Stretch Bengaline or any stretch woven fabric.

Because I’ve put on so much weight I decided to go up a size from my usual Style Arc 10 to a 12. In retrospect, I could have stayed with the 10. These are that leetle bit too big.  Not enough to stop me wearing them – and I’ve been wearing them quite a bit – but just that little bit that means I need to hitch them up a bit from time to time.

There is also way more fabric in the back of the leg than I need. My weight gains tend to go straight to my belly and midriff. Although I still do get a little larger around the bum and hips, it’s proportionately much less, and from the thighs down I never seem to change all that much. This pair could have done with a short back waist length alteration and a flat bum adjustment.  The denim (from M.Recht) has plenty of stretch, as does the recommended bengaline fabric, so I could have stayed with the size 10 and just altered the waist elastic to suit and let the elastane in the fabric look after lots of the rest of the fit. I have another pair cut out in leather-look bengaline and will increase the size of the seam allowances when I sew it in order to make that pair a bit smaller overall.

I enjoyed sewing these, and did the topstitching with a triple stitch using regular thread. Lots of the rest of construction was on the overlocker. This pattern is basically the pants version of the Style Arc Charlie skirt, which I’ve blogged before here.  I’ll still get plenty of wear from these jeans, because they are comfortable, and I’ll always tops out over them.

The Love Notions Lotus Blossom Blouse comes in a very wide range of sizes.  I’ve made the kid size before for Clare (you can see it here) and thought at the time that I should sew it for myself.  Last November at Sewjourn I did exactly that!

From their website: Do the twist! This top is simple but packs a fun surprise. The dolman sleeved blouse is a flattering top meant for light weight drapey knits that are the same on front and back. The neckline features a gradual v-neck that is a breeze to sew. The back of the blouse can feature a special fabric such as stretch lace or a really cool scrap of knit you’ve been hoarding for years. The surprise in this blouse is the twist at the front. The shirt-tail hem really makes this top a great choice for just about any pants or skirt style. Available in girl’s sizes 2T-16 as well as ladies XS-XXXL.

The are right – this is a quick and easy sew!  It is super important that your fabric look pretty much the same on both sides, as one half of the front piece shows the reverse as a function of making the twist in the bottom.  I chose not to do a back inset on this version.

The fabric was a perfect choice – its a drapey viscose knit, not too thin, but not too thick. I think that it came from Darn Cheap Fabrics $2 table. The colour is very slightly marled in real life and has considerable depth.  It has just the right amount of drape for this top. I don’t think that a cotton/lycra would work half as nicely.

The front neckline is finished before the twist is done and the centre front seam sewn up. This looks much more complex than it actually is. It’s important to pay attention to markings though. I suspect that I sewed the size Medium. I really think that I do need to sew this top again. Maybe I can add some long sleeves for winter? I’ve worn this one a bit for work, as it pairs really nicely with a straight knit skirt and cardi/jacket.

So I think that they are right – this top IS “flattering”! It’s the right colour to bring out my skin tone, the V-neckline is a shape that I prefer, it doesn’t constrict or bind my pot gut and most importantly for me feels really comfortable on. Hooray!

These are both repeat pattern makes.  I first sewed the Hot Patterns Trilogy top for Mum here, and the Style Arc Peta pants here, so I knew that it would be pretty safe to sew both of them for her as a Christmas gift.

I’ll start with the top! I sewed size 14, as before, and used all the same techniques. The fabric was from the Darn Cheap Fabrics $2 table. It feels to be a viscose of some type, and it has just the right flow and drape to make this lovely to wear.  From the Hot Patterns website: Semi-fitted, pull-on styles have a gently shaped silhouette, with center front & back seams. ‘V’neckline and cut-on cap sleeves are finished with self fabric binding. Choose your perfect length; a midi-length dress, a mid-thigh tunic, or a lower-hiplength top. All versions feature a deep pleat folded into the front yoke for that essential bust shaping, plus a curved front and straight back hemline.

I apply the bindings to the wrong side, then wrap them around to the right side and topstitch them in place. It’s like binding a quilt, really! It means that the outside of the garment always looks neat, as you can ensure that the topstitching is just where you want it to be.

This is a lovely style on Mum, and I’ve noticed that she wears the other one that I made last year fairly often as well. The pants are also a terrific wardrobe staple.  From the Style Arc website: PETA PANT: This elastic waist pant is a great new staple – make it with or without drawstring bottoms, its easy to wear and you will find it a great young fit that is still comfortable. FABRIC SUGGESTION & DESCRIPTION: Washed linen, washed silk – any woven that has drape.

This beautiful black Italian linen comes from The Cloth Shop in Ivanhoe. As before, I sewed them in size 18, shortening the pattern around three inches in total with a fold out of the pattern both above and below the knee. I’d left that alteration on the pattern pieces the last time I sewed these, so didn’t even need to take the time to do it all again!

Mum is around my height nowadays – somewhere between 5’2″ and 5’3″ – so the same height alterations work for both of us. Interestingly, I measured Clare yesterday and she’s now only an inch and a half or so behind us – although her shoulders are lower than that – I think that she might end up taller than me after all!

Kwik Sew is a pattern company that I think some people overlook.  I assume it’s just a styling issue, because the patterns are terrific.  Always well drafted and always go together well.  Just focus on the line drawings!  Anyway, I gave Kwik Sew 3880 a go when I was at Sewjourn last November (yes, that’s how behind I am with blogging).

The website describes this pattern as follows: Pullover tops have dolman sleeves and scoop neckline finished with self-fabric binding, and sleeves and bottom edge are hemmed. A: Shoulder cut-outs finished with narrow hems. Pattern includes ¼” (6 mm) seam allowances.

There are usually patterns with shoulder cut outs in the pattern books, but at the moment they are especially on trend. I figured that this could be a good style to try as it provides shoulder/upper arm interest while being bra-friendly. The knit was a remnant from The Cloth Shop in Ivanhoe.  I love their remnant bin!

I sewed the Medium, even though my measurements suggest the Large. I find that in general Kwik Sew have plenty of ease, and often go down a size. I do always check the finished garment measurements for each size on the pattern pieces to determine which size allows for the amount of ease I prefer. This is something that I do no matter what the pattern brand. I think that the sizing is fine, but as is often the case I don’t feel especially comfortable in a garment that is relatively fitted through the midsection on me. It wouldn’t be if you had a more “conventional” shape with a narrower waist. As it is I spend all my time sucking my gut in and trying to stand taller. No body confidence if you’re doing that all the time!

I did deviate from the instructions to do the shoulder cutouts, and bound them in the same manner as the neckline after sewing together the shoulder seams. This reduced their size a little, which I think was a good thing. I prefer to not just turn and stitch on curved openings, even though it’s quite a feasible option in knits.

I think that these photos would have been better taken against a darker background – my arms blend in with the wall behind me, which makes the cutouts look weird! An interesting observation when I made this – my friend Kathryn tried it on as well. We both sew a similar size in tops, with tweaking for our different shapes. We’re also a similar height; she’s a few inches taller than me but not dramatically so. Anyway, this top was MUCH more low-cut on her than it was on me. Although I am short through the body in comparison to my legs, most of my short torso is from bust to waist, not from shoulders to bust. Whereas Kathryn is shorter from shoulders to bust, which meant that the neckline was lower on her than it was on me. There are SO many areas to consider when fitting clothing – it’s not as simple as bust, waist and hip measurement (plus height). It also made me feel better about my standard alterations – I do often remove length from garments between the bust and waist, but not above, despite having noticed others do so on their blogs. I think that for me I have been doing the right thing in that regard!

Overall I think this is a great pattern. I’m not sure that the cutout is a look for me (I prefer the more subtle arm openings in the Style Arm Rae tunic or Marilyn dress), and although I love the colours in the fabric, this top has gone into the cupboard in the spare room for someone else to enjoy. It was a worthwhile experiment, but it just doesn’t feel like “me”.

It popped up everywhere on Instagram over the (Australian) summer and I was not immune.  I bought the True Bias Ogden Cami pattern and sewed one up.  I wasn’t letting my kids have all the fun in the mini version of this pattern!

The fabric is a beautiful soft cotton that I bought on my first trip to Thailand. It’s one of those fabrics where I wish that I had more.

And as usual, the photo shows off my short back torso and reminds me that I really need to start doing the appropriate pattern adjustment on pretty much everything I sew! Anyway, back to the pattern itself. I think that there is a great deal to like about the Ogden Cami. The description from the True Bias website is as follows: The Ogden Cami is a simple blouse that can either be worn on its own or as a layering piece under blazers and cardigans. It has a soft V neck at both center front and center back necklines, and delicate spaghetti straps. The neckline and armholes are finished with a partial lining for a beautiful, high end finish. Suggested Fabrics: Light weight woven fabrics such as crepe, rayon challis, voile, and lightweight linen.

I was between sizes, and opted to size down to the 12 rather than sew the 14. I really like the shaping of this cami – the curves are just right! I would however prefer a full lining, and if I sewed it again I’d definitely extend the lining down to match the outer. This would be a great pattern to extend to dress length. It does require a strapless bra however (unless you are happy to go without). My cami has actually become a pyjama top, purely because I prefer to wear a normal bra. I will probably use this pattern again for summer nighties too.  Looking at these photos, and thinking of how it felt in wear, the straps are probably a little wide apart for my shoulders.  However, bringing them in would involve some redrafting to maintain the front and back shaping.  Hmmm.  Will think on that further.

So, to the pants! These were a straightforward garment to sew and are super comfortable to wear. They are the Lena pants from Designer Stitch. From the website: The Lena Silk Pants are a relaxed and easy wearing pant. Featuring side slant pockets, pleated front, back yoke and elastic waistband these pants can be made in a casual fabric for daytime wearing. They can then easily transition into evening when made in a more upmarket fabric for some glitz and glamour.

Ann from Designer Stitch has been a freelance designer to industry and a teacher in Australia for many years, and also runs her own sewing school.  It is nice to see another experienced and well qualified fashion designer releasing pdf patterns that have been extensively tested and are in a wide range of sizes.  These pants are a bit of fun, and definitely fit into current trends.

The drop crotch, in combination with my relatively flat rear and narrow hits, definitely results in baggy bum, but that’s always a function of this style! I shortened the legs before cutting out, knowing that I wouldn’t be able to make adjustments to the hem after the fact as the lower leg is a shaped,self-faced “cuff” piece.

As is usual for me, I left out the drawstring, and used fairly wide elastic through the waist. I love those deep front pleats, and the slanted pockets. The fabric is a drapey rayon woven with a self-spot that was in deep stash, which gives them a little texture. Another of those fabrics that I wish I had more of! I wore these quite a lot while we were overseas, and always felt good in them. I think they’d be lovely in a patterned silk, which is one of the fabric suggestions.

I initially hoped to get the top from Vogue 1515 sewn up in time to participate in Jungle January.  After all, I cut it out in December, before we went away on holiday!  But that wasn’t destined to happen.  It was sewn in February.

Every now and then I feel like using up small pieces of fabric from my stash, so pull them out in an effort to find just the right pattern.  This jacquard from Darn Cheap Fabrics was left over from the sleeves of the vintage coat I wore to Frocktails a year or so ago.  There was just enough to squeeze out this top.  I sewed size D.

From the Vogue website: Loose-fitting pullover top has elasticized collar forming ruffle, contrast facings at armhole and lower edges, French darts, and topstitching. Below-waist skirts have wide yoke, piping, cargo pocket, hidden pocket on front yoke facing, and shaped hem. C: Side zipper.B: For moderate stretch knits only.

Obviously, the biggest drawcard for this top is the collar.  It’s definitely unusual!  I have discovered that I fiddle with it a fair bit in wear, but it isn’t uncomfortable.  I think that I am trying to get it just right!

I added around two inches in length to the pattern by slashing at the lengthen lines and inserting paper to fill the gap.  I cut the armhole and hem facings on the straight grain, rather than the bias as instructed, and didn’t interface them.  This jacquard is relatively sculptural and also has a bit of stretch in it.  I rather like the high-low hemline, with the straight front and gently curved back.

I did construct the neck ruffle differently to the instructions.  After joining the short ends into a loop, I folded it wrong sides together than sewed a channel through the two layers at the same position as the elastic markings on the pattern piece.  This allowed me to then thread elastic through from the inside and adjust it to a length that seemed to work best for me.  I also sewed the two raw edges of the neck ruffle directly to the neckline, overlocked, then topstitched to hold the overlocked seam allowance to the body of the top.  No hand-stitching here!

The armhole and hem facings were also topstitched in place.  This was actually surprisingly fast to sew.

So, the verdict?  It’s a bit unusual.  I think that I rather like it.  And I liked it enough to sew a dress version.

I drafted a new front and back pattern piece from the existing ones, raising the armholes around a centimetre at the side seam and then extending the side seams to add length.  I retained the same shaping at the bottom of both the front and back pieces.  This added a little bit of width as well, because of the gentle outward flare of the pattern pieces.  Because I’d altered the armholes and had added length to the body I had to draft new facings.  That wasn’t hard – I just traced around the edges of the new front and back pieces and drew and cut facings from that.  I used plain brown linen for the facings, but once again I chose not to interface them.

Despite having raised the armholes, I have discovered that the same size pattern feels much larger on the body this time around.  I’m pretty sure that it’s because this time I used a stretch cotton sateen, also from Darn Cheap Fabrics.  Although the jacquard also contained some stretch, it was a heavier fabric overall so held its shape and size better.

Someone asked if I’d tried it belted.  I never wear belts, but think that there are a couple in the depths of the wardrobe, so I might give it a go.  I think it would be good with a simple jacket for work.

I sewed this one exactly the same way as the top.  I rather think I’d like to try the top again in a dramatic, sculptural fabric to wear as a vest over long sleeved tops in winter.  In the meantime, I also fancy giving the skirt that comes in the pattern a try.