Athleisure 2021

I did not expect 2021 to start with an athleisure challenge. The Oh Sew Active Challenge from the National Sewing Circle and Mood Fabrics caught my attention. Athleisure sewing has not ever been a draw for me. I certainly wear my fair share of athleisure but sewing it seems a bit intimidating. I don't have a serger. I have a basic machine with basic stitches. Elastic has frequently bested me. All this adds up to a my enjoying structured clothing with buttons & zippers.

After considering many of the projects, I was reminded of a couple of weeks in the fall searching for camo bottoms. I'd hoped for maybe a pair of leggings or something that would fill a hole in my wardrobe. No such luck. This was my opportunity to make something that I really wanted and needed in my wardrobe. Intentional and purposeful sewing feels like turning a corner in my hobby.

I was challenged in finding the perfect camo with spandex content for leggings. While searching jersey fabrics for another project, I stumbled upon the perfect camo. Opaque enough to cover my modesty. This made me think of some of the other options in the challenge. Joggers weren't originally on my list but there wasn't any elastic in that supply list and they had pockets. The leggings didn't have pockets. The Brya Pants were a clearly the project for me. I decided to give it a go.

The result is better than I hoped. They've become my go-to comfortable clothes. They are super versatile. Best of all, they whipped up in an afternoon. Here's my details:

Pattern: Mood's The Brya Pants

Fabric: cotton jersey.

Process: The pattern calls for stretch thread and a stretch stitch if it is not sewn on a serger. I considered this. I promptly decided this was optional. Instead I selected a cotton thread and seamed it all with a zig zag stitch. While I am not a huge fan of elastic, a little extra security around the waist band was a desire. A knit drawstring was put in place by putting button holes inside the facing. This was a great addition. I'm glad I did it. I have a bit of a high waist. The drawstring allows me to secure the pants a little higher at my natural waist instead of at the top of my hips. This is where the jersey band has them rest. Big win for me.

Project review: The pattern was easy to follow and construct. The pattern is drafted to be very roomie. I fell between sizes and could have easily sized down. I wish I would have put the button holes on the outside of the waist band instead of the inside. The drawstring pattern is a chevron and cutie patootie. The pockets were very easy to place. The zig zag stitch with regular thread worked just fine.

First Time Formal Tips

Last January my girl came home from school and announced that she wanted to make her own prom dress. This was quite the declaration from a young lady who previously completed a pair of leggings, some pillows, and scrunchies for her friends.

My formal sewing experience is decades past. I have current sewing experience includes casual daily wear. I thought that provided the right parameters and moderate expectations, we could make something. We needed to manage the project mindfully.

Our goals were:

1. Start early. We needed enough time to do it two or three times. Let’s face it. Tearing out seams takes way longer than sewing them together. I needed enough time to tear out some seams.

2. Select a simple classic design that highlights her. She needed to wear the dress rather than the other way around. But the dress also needed to be something she’d be proud to wear to prom. It couldn’t be so simple that it would be more appropriate for church than prom.

3. Be mindful of techniques. We knew that we were competent at inserting zippers, adding buttons & holes, and setting darts.

4. Select a fabric for success. For me, this meant forgiving. I needed to know that any seam ripping could be an option without ruining that fabric piece. I also wanted something that wouldn’t show every imperfection. I find that thin and shiny fabrics show every fabric pull or mis-stitch. Right or wrong, I marked shiny thin fabric off limits.

We started with a trip to the local fabric store to peruse the patterns. The first trip was a bit overwhelming. We elected to take photos of the pattern options. She spent a week with all the choices. I’m sure consulting friends. Ultimately, she selected two patterns.

Patterns: Both patterns were Simplicity: 8598 AA and 8597 AA. The patterns provided separates for formal attire. 8598 provided 4 top options. 8597 provided 4 bottom options. I saw this as our first major win. My girl is tall and thin. She’s never been able to wear a one piece bathing suit because the proportions just don’t work. The separates will save us from having to lengthen the torso or significantly take in any pattern.

Fabric: The fabric selected was a thick sateen. It had stretch which supported a great fit and large monochrome flowers which we hoped would hide any potential imperfections.

Process: After spending an afternoon cutting out the pattern pieces and then dress pieces, she was about over the project. This is when I learned that when she said ‘she wanted to make a prom dress’, she really meant that I would make a prom dress. I was happy to take on the challenge. She could focus on her senior year, sports, and wrapping up this chapter. I also felt prepared because of all the parameters I put in place for her benefit. Had I thought this project was really my project, I might have stressed myself out with an overly ambitious project.

Project review: The construction of the top and skirt were both simple. The top fastened with buttons. I aligned the buttons while she was wearing the top instead of according to the pattern markings. When laid flat the buttons looked a little misaligned. I placed the bottom buttons about 1/2 inch more snug than the pattern marked. But when she’s wearing the top, they helped to fit the top to her body better than any zipper would have been able to do. This felt like an opportunity to avoid complex alterations. I’m not sure that they recommend this, though.

I loved sharing this time with her throughout the winter/spring. The frequent fittings required that we regularly made time to come together. My girl sewed some seams so she could legitimately claim that she helped make the dress. It was a great bonding experience during what is a hectic time.

The disappointment of the project: COVID-19 canceled prom. After all the work and build up, it was incredibly difficult to lose the opportunity to show it off at the big dance. Not to be discouraged, we all donned our fanciest duds and held a family prom in our living room.

I think the early goals and defined expectations made project both enjoyable and successful. We achieved formal level.

Upcycle Challenge

I'm so super excited about how this project turned out! Pattern Review hosted an upcycling challenge. The challenge was to transform an item (or more) into something new. I always need new blouses for work.

Pattern: Ruffled Blouse from Indie Pattern purchased on Etsy

Fabric: 2 animal print skirts purchased at Goodwill for a total of $10!

Project review: The pattern was super easy to use with illustrations and clear instructions. I did alter the shoulder to better align the ruffle with my shoulder cap. I am starting to believe that I have narrow shoulders based upon the number of times I need to make this adjustment.

I love pattern and blouse. The fabric is absolutely perfect for the blouse. It's flowy with just enough structure to hold the shape of the shoulder ruffles. One challenge was that the skirts were cut on the bias. I didn't think of that when I left the blouse to hang on the mannequin overnight. I should have put in a basting stitch to hold the neckline. I did need to make some adjustments to the collar to accommodate that mistake.

Final result, I love it. Here's the skirts that I started with:

Free & fabulous basic T

 

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Plantain T-shirt

I absolutely LOVE the free plantain t-shirt pattern. You can find it over at Deer and Doe. This pattern was my introduction to their shop. I now covet all of them. Since this first creation, I have since also made a long sleeve one in black and another 3/4 sleeve in a thin knit for sleepwear.

I am learning to love the value of basic pieces. I used to just make special occasion attire. I have learned that making more versatile items allows me to show off my handiwork more frequently.

Pattern: Plantain t-shirt from Deer and Doe. The pattern comes with 3 sleeve variations and the option for elbow patches. For this first version I made a 3/4 sleeve with elbow patches. The pattern was incredibly easy to follow.

Fabric: A thick double knit in yellow stripe. It's definitely fall/winter wear. The elbows are an olive green textured woven. I really should have turned the edges under. It continues to shed threads which seems to be irritating to everyone except me.

Project review: I am in love with this first shirt. I found it easy to make and very versatile in my wardrobe. For the next few I raised the scoop collar a bit and tried some sleeve variations. I love the comfortable fit.

I hope you will consider making more basic items for a wardrobe capsule.

Skills used: knits, stripe matching, applique

Shift Dress with Peter Pan Collar

 Pattern: Shift Dress from Gertie Sews Vintage Casual

Fabric: Synthetic suiting from my stash. Cotton for the collar.

Pattern review: The pattern is a great classic shift. It was easy to follow and modify. I made some modifications. My fabric was a lighter weight than required to maintain my dignity in certain light. I elected to line the entire dress instead of the facing in the pattern. This was the first pattern that I made from the book when I had it checked out from my local library. I bought the book immediately following.

Project review: I'm pleased with the project as a whole. I love a shift dress as a wardrobe staple. The Peter Pan collar gets appropriate positive attention. I absolutely love the technique of laying the lining in the fabric and sewing them as though it's one solid piece of cloth. It gives the feel of a special occasion dress when worn. I think this was technique that motivated me to stop trying to duplicate fast fashion in my home sewing and instead focus on creating a high quality garment that might usually be outside of my price range. Fit and sewing technique are the keys.

Skills learned: darts, lining

Legging Love

Pattern: Loveland Leggings worked through with the Sew News Sewalong

Fabric: 1.5 yds of cotton blend with 5% or more spandex from JoAnn's

Project Notes: I love these leggings for a quick make. I learned how incredibly important 5% or more of spandex is necessary to avoid saggy knees. I've also used this pattern to make pajama shorts. The biggest challenge that I had was in fabric selection. Our local store has limited ready to wear style apparel fabric selection. There was maybe 5 fabrics to select from that met my content needs. I would have preferred a non-athletic solid. The great news is that the fabric is thick enough to defend against over sharing.

Project review: The pattern is fantastic. Just after this, I listened to Love to Sew Episode 15: Capsule Wardrobe. They talk about how home sewers can sometimes fill their closets with prints and fun fabrics. Which is great! But if you are trying to build a wardrobe, black or basic is something that is needed to some degree in most wardrobes. I thought instantly that I am guilty as charged!

It was an absolute win for my daughter's solar system leggings. Which were for a special event at school. She made them herself and used the scraps to make scrunchies for her crew.

Skills: elastic, knits, fabric selection