Yes, I’ve done it again.  I’ve used the same two patterns in combination within a couple of months of sewing them the first time.

This time around I’ve sewn the Cashmerette Concord tee in a solid cotton/spandex, and the Helen’s Closet York pinafore in a print from stash. I’ll start off talking about the tee.

I didn’t have photos of the last tee on it’s own, and thought that some of you would be interested to see how it fits me. I chose to sew size 12 C/D, grading out to size 14 at the waist, then back to size 12 at the hips. This is the cuffed, long-sleeved version of the tee, with the scoop neckline option and the ‘cropped’ length.

This is fabulous for a layering tee. It goes nicely underneath things, and is closely fitted to the body without being as close as a sausage casing. I would happily wear this tee without anything over it; it’s not too tight for that in my opinion, although I generally would wear it with a pinafore or cardi over the top.  From the Cashmerette website: Meet the Concord, your new favorite tee! Fully customizable, this knit T-Shirt is a classic wardrobe staple that’s designed for curves. Choose from three hem lengths (cropped, mid-length or long curved), three necklines (high, V-neck, or scoop), three sleeve lengths (short, medium, or long), two sleeve finishes (cuffed or hemmed), and optional sleeve tabs. Whether you layer them over jeans on Friday night, or pair them with floral skirts at the office, you’ll want a closet of Concords!

I have a feeling that this could be my new go-to tee pattern.  Mind you, I’ve said that before…so, back to the pinafore!

The pinafore is the York pinafore, by Helen’s Closet. From the website:  The York Pinafore is a playful addition to your handmade wardrobe. It is easy to layer over tank tops for summer or turtlenecks and leggings for colder weather. The York Pinafore is a modern take on a classic pinafore dress with a cocoon shape and two views. View A features large scoop pockets, a dipped neckline, and comes to the knee. View B is a shorter length with a high neckline and a kangaroo pocket. Recommended Fabrics: Medium to heavy weight woven fabrics such as cotton twill, denim, wool, linen, corduroy, and canvas. Crisp lightweight fabrics such as cotton and lightweight linen can also be used for a warm-weather pinafore. Drapier fabrics such as tencel twill, wool crepe, rayon crepe, or viscose poplin work well if you prefer a softer, less structured look.

I feel as though that fabric has been in stash forever.  It’s got a barkcloth appearance, and I think it’s probably curtain or upholstery fabric.  I was working with a very limited quantity, so made the shorter version of the pinafore and took a fold from the bodice depth and from the straps in order to fit it on the fabric.  This has raised the neckline a little – which is okay – but has also raised the armholes.  I think that I prefer the armhole depth in the previous pinafore I sewed.  In this one it makes the whole thing feel a bit more constricting and I don’t think that they’re in as ‘flattering’ a position. But sometimes you’ve just got to work with what you’ve got!

You can see in the above photo that the armholes are quite a bit above my waist – which is actually difficult because I am really short-waisted anyway! However, it’s not a deal breaker. And I think that it’s more than made up for by the colourway and print of the fabric.  I’m not going back to unpick that binding and recut the armholes.

Instead of making my own bias binding I found some beige commercial binding in stash. I generally make my own, but had a great match in stash so it made sense to use it! I was pleased that I had just enough of the fabric to eke out the curved pockets. They don’t stand out as much on this fabric, but I know that they’re there!

I don’t think that I’ve finished with this pattern quite yet. Next time I’d sew this length again, and would shorten the shoulder straps a little again (which works well for my height), but would make sure that I didn’t take any length out of the bodice. I can tell that this is one of those instant gratification patterns for me – something that I can sew when I’m pressed for time, but will work nicely in my wardrobe. A trans-seasonal version in linen might be nice, with a short-sleeved tee underneath.  Watch this space!