Jalie 3350 - One Piece Swimsuit!

I love this swimsuit. I need to make one for me. In the meantime, a little person’s swimsuit has almost dissolved in the pool chlorine. This was a bathing suit emergency. Thank goodness Jalie just produced this latest pattern!

 

Does someone look happy? It’s because she is. Hot pink and shiny black? Sign her up! I made the swimsuit with the contrast strip (obviously). She loves it and says it looks “just like a Monster High swimsuit.”

 

This is the size L (for 8 year olds), but with an inch added in the torso. They are long-torsoed, these little people.

 

There is really good coverage all over.

 

This fabric did not come from the Swap Meet, gasp. I bought it in a real fabric store in San Diego.

 

How cute is it?? I love it! Another Jalie winner!!!!!!

The contrast stripe is cute and serves a purpose.

 

See? It hides the topstitching that holds down all the inside seams.

 

The inside is fully lined.

 

Here’s that topstitching from the inside.

 

I left the straps a bit long in the back in case I need an inch or so of growing room later.

 

Here you can see my CB reinforcement. I always add some zigzagging in case little people put their foot through the CB seam and pull really hard. I always reinforce the crotch panel too.

 

Another winner for Jalie. This, people, is why they are my favorite pattern company.

Jalie 3352 - Dolman-Sleeved Knit Top

So, maybe you didn’t know that Jalie just released a bunch of new pattern. Anyway, they did, and I got them yesterday. And yes, I made one up already. I know I’m always so *fangirl* about Jalie but what other company makes pattern like this? #1 Their clothes fit and fit well, #2 many are fantastic basics that you can make over and over and over again, and #3 one pattern includes sizes 2T (as in a toddler) to Women’s sizes! I make a lot of Burda patterns because they seem to fit my frame well, I rarely make something from one of the big patterns companies because of inconsistent sizing, amount of ease, etc. When I want a quick fix or need some that I know will fit, it’s always Jalie. And no, they are not my sponsor nor do they give me any kick-backs. I just really appreciate good drafting and cost-savings.

Anyhoo, back to the pattern. Simple dolman top (I can already hear little girls asking for it with embroidery and iron-on sparkles).

 

I made my typical Jalie size R, which is the smallest woman’s size. I lengthened the hem to size S though. I loved their version in the middle, I decided to, ahem, borrow their idea with my own fabric. The black fabric is a silky black knit and the print is an ITY knit.

 

It has a high-low hem.

 

Here you can see how much it covers on your bootyliscious-ness.

 

I really like it and will have to make some more for summer. Like I said, little girls will be wanting some with sparkles. Or sheer lace arms, or longer for a summer dress. Uh-oh.

 

It’s interesting to me that it’s so shapeless on the floor, but shape-hugging on the body. I still like their fabric better, but I think this is nice too. You may remember seeing this fabric on this dress last week.

 

You can bind the neck or fold it down and stitch. I chose the second option obviously.

 

Tonight I’ll be working on the 3350 Swimsuit for one of the girls. Last time I they went swimming, I noticed that the fabric was almost translucent in places. I assume it’s the chlorine or something. Yikes!

Burda 6919 - Knit Dress (1-hour!)

I don’t often buy envelope pattern, but Burda was on sale at JoAnn’s and I thought the little black number on the right was cute. Hopefully this wasn’t in a recent magazine. I don’t remember seeing it, if it was!

 

Look pretty easy, right?

 

It’s totally easy. I didn’t have to trace this out or add seam allowances. That made it super fast. It’s only four pieces too. I rather like the way it looks too. Not too shabby for an hour’s worth of work.

 

I think the arm cutouts are super cute too.

 

I made my own belt out of self-fabric. Where is this fabric from? None other than my favorite Swap Meet in National City.

 

This is without any belt. Meh. It definitely needs something. I had a hard time making the pleats in this slippery fabric. Here, the pleats just kind of look like a hot mess.

 

This is with a purchased belt, but it gives you an idea of what it might look like with something else. It needs a much short belt because it is truly at waist level. Most of my belts fit me at hip level. I love the purple color of this dress.

 

The arm slits are super easy to do. I used a strip of fusible web to told the “hem” in place while I coverstitched it.

 

When I make this again (and yes I will), I’ll do a better top with the pleats and the waistband treatment. This is one of those that you sew the tops and bottom together at the waist and then sew them together with elastic. The elastic makes the waist cinch in. I’ve never had luck with this kind of waist treatment. I think it’s fine here because you can’t see it anyway with the belt I made. Next time, maybe a casing for the elastic?

 

See? Not pretty.

Burda 05/2014 #106 Ruched Dress (Again!)

 

I had to do it again. In another crazy print. This one is crazier than the last one.

 

This is a great dress and it goes together super fast. I put this together in less than an hour. Although, remember it was already traced off because I made it last week too.

 

Is this fabric not crazy? It’s again from my favorite place in National City! This one seems to make me look super curvy. I think it’s the bright white stripes.

 

Oh look, here I am posing like a Burda model and hiding all the details!

 

 

I thought I’d share my ITY coverstitch hemming trick with you guys. You know when your coverstitch machine is eating your knit fabric, or when it makes those annoying folds because it is pulling on the fabric? This seems to solve the problem. I cut my Sulky Water Soluble Stabilizer into strips about an inch wide. Then I just feed it under the foot when I’m hemming. It seems to give it enough body that it won’t pull and tug on your poor knit. I use this trick on most of my fine knits.
 

 

Here’s what is looks like before I trim it off. Then I stick it in a bowl of hot water and it disappears. The coverstitching never skips, pulls, or breaks.

 

If you follow Burda’s directions, they have you fold the cowl-neck first and then put on the arms which means you have this weird finish on the edges when they meet the cowl. I tried it another way. First, I finished the raglan-arm pieces and CB with a fold-over strip of self-fabric. Next, I sandwiched the cowl around the side fabric. I made one stitch on each side and voila, the seam is encased in the cowl and no weird seam between the cowl and the raglan-sleeves.

 

I drew a diagram, but maybe it just makes it more confusing.

 

Next up: a one-hour dress beginning to end.

New Jalies

Oh, how I love thee Jalie. I adore this swimsuit pattern. I can see the girls in both versions. I love the twist-front one the most, I think. I need a one-piece suit too!

 

I also bought this shorts pattern. I will make these over and over again as running shorts, bathing suit shorts, and casual summer shorts. LOVE THEM.

 

I love the simplicity of this top. Jalie always has the best fit for me, so I’m guessing this will be fantastic too. I also love their mini-dress version (on Facebook). And I want that middle version with the black sleeves and print front.

 

Ahem, I may have a leotard addiction. Blink. Blink.

 

Yes, I have other sweatshirt patterns. But nothing fits like Jalie. Plus, I will have one pattern for a hoodie, sweatshirt, and sweatpants. Forever. One pattern, people. I will make this 1300 times before my kids even graduate high school. I betcha!

 

There is another cardigan pattern that looks cute, and two more dance/gymnastics patterns. I didn’t want to buy them all, that might mean I have a problem. Blink. Blink.

Jalie 3241- More leotards and some fun circle skirts!

These two little people just got into a dance class and they NEEDED a leotard. Like NEEDED one now. So, of course, mom obliged. I used size L, which is the size I made for their cousin. I knew from when they modeled that leotard that it was a bit snug in the torso length. I added a 1/2” to the front and back, and it’s still tight! After they were all made, I measured the girls. The bust, waist, and hip measurements are in the H range (size 4!!!), but their girth is in the N range (size 10!). I think next time, I will keep the size L and add another inch to the torso. The width is fine and may be a tiny bit too loose when the length issue is solved. Smile girl!

 

My absolute favorite of the leotard is the cross-back. Here you can see they are pretty stretched and there is a gap at CB where the straps meet the leotard. That’s all from the stretch that is caused by the too short leotard.

 

Because they are Girlie-Girls (notice the capitals), they also NEEDED twirly skirts. Yes, ma'am (imagine me saluting them and then running off to my sewing room, because that’s about how it happened). Here is the result.

 

This girl was cold, but here is what they look like when they aren’t spinning.

 

And here’s the spin.

 

SPIN! We also got our faces painted today.

 

This was everyone’s favorite skirt.

 

Hearts, mesh, poofy, what’s not to love?

 

These are extremely easy to make. Circle of fabric, elastic, sew.

 

I just zig-zagged them on with matching thread. This is 1-inch elastic.

 

I didn’t even bother to finish the inside fabric or hem it, gasp.

 

This is the other favorite. Pink, leopard-print mesh. Yikes.

 

I made another Burda 05/20014 #106 and I love this one more than the last one! I just need to find some time to photograph it!