Scrap Bin Busting!

Don’t you love using up scraps? My scrap bin was overflowing so I took the opportunity to use some of the scraps to whip up two Jalie Marie-Claude shirts for my twins. They are almost 11, but measure more in the eight or nine size range. I typically make them a smaller size and add length. For this pattern, I made the size N and added an inch to the torso and the arm length. For both patterns, I made the slouchy neckline and the arms with thumbholes. The black and white fabric is from this Jalie dress. The tie-dye blue fabric is from this modified Jalie top.

I love that the back neckline piece is pieced. You could add some fun color back there.

The crazy print is from this Jalie Bella dress. The solid-ish (it is actually flecked with bright orange) blue is just in my bin. I don’t remember ever using it before so I have no idea where it came from. It matches the crazy print perfectly though.

Here you can just barely see the flecks in the blue fabric.

They are in love with their kitty.

So much happiness with pets!

The shirt in action at the park.

Jalie 3130–Fitted Blouse

I’ve been wanting to make this top for a while. I’ve also been wanting to make the perfect shirt dress for a long time too. I think this will make a perfect base for that. Before I committed to the dress version, I wanted to check the overall fit and construction. This top is semi-fitted with front and back darts. It has a collar and separate collar stand. The sleeves are about 3/4 length with an optional sleeve cuff to keep them up. It also has small pockets with flaps. I left the flaps off mine.

And here is my version. I think it’s pretty dang cute. I do think it’s just a bit big overall. Although the shoulders look like they are just about right. This is totally my work uniform. Often I’m wearing a knit top instead of a woven but very similar styling. I usually wear something like this or a knit dress to work.

This is a cotton shirting that has been lingering in my stash for a while. I can’t seem to get some of the wrinkles out of it, like this horizontal crease below the yoke. Any tips or ideas about that??

Next time I make this as a shirt, I’ll take a little more out of the waist so it is slightly more fitted.

You can see it’s a pretty long top too. This would look good with a belt too, I think. 

I still seem to have that pesky swayback. Some day I will attack that.

I used snaps instead of buttons.

This is by far the best collar I have ever done.

Here’s the cute little pocket. I matched the stripes like a boss. Well, mostly.

Here’s the optional sleeve cuff. When you don’t want it, you just unroll the sleeves and it is short enough to stay inside undetected.

Overall, I think it’s a WIN!! I know, right? Shocker. I’m definitely going to make this as a dress. I think I won’t change it at all except the length, and maybe make it just a bit wider at the hem for walking. I’m trying to decide if I want to go truly button-down denim shirt with thick gold topstitching thread or if I just want to go more neutral.

Hot Patterns–Metropolitan Good Times Dress/Tunic/Tee

So, let’s refresh ourselves shall we? Back in May, I bought three Hot Patterns to try them out and to see if they would fit me well. I had never tried Hot Patterns before but I have long admired their sassy line drawings. (Note to self: never, ever, ever rely on line drawings for informative consumer prices. Not that these drawings are misrepresentations of the patterns, but line drawn women always look so perfect with their wind-blown hair and sassy poses.)

Anyway, here is my dress version. Let’s see. I think it’s . . . okay. Initially, I was going for all purple, but then, obviously, I ran out of fabric. I chose the striped fabric because I knew I wouldn’t find anything to match it exactly. And I’ve learned that if you are going to mismatch, mismatch like a boss, meaning do it loud and proud. Here’s what I like. I like the yoke and overall shape. Yes, I think it would have been better in all one color. But I don’t think that’s the main issue.

Here’s what I really don’t like. I really don’t like the sleeve shape. This is a very soft fabric and the sleeve just kind of collapses. In a stiffer fabric, I’m afraid this would stick out like wings. If I make this again, I’ll have to re-draft them to make them sit like they should. The sleeves on this are rectangles, with no shape. Literally rectangles. And the longer 3/4 length sleeves are the same but just longer. I think they would have the same issues.

This is not the look I am going for but this is what I would get if the fabric had less drape.

The amount of fabric in the back seems excessive too. Well, I’m not too impressed with this dress. It’s okay but it certainly doesn’t look like the billowy, wind-blown models.

So, the tally. My first Hot Patterns was a bright success, the second was a horrible failure and this one, well . . . what do you guys think? Okay as is? Salvageable with changing the sleeves?

Jalie 3676–Another Vanessa Pant

I knew I would make another pair of these quickly. Who doesn’t love an easy, elastic-waist, comfy pair of pants? Last time, I left off the leg elastic and made them a little cropped. This time, I used the leg cuffs. I did fold out an inch in the length at the thigh and again under the knee. I’m about 5’5” and my height is in my torso. I knew I wanted these a little shorter than called for and with my shorter legs, I decided two inches would be about good.

Here’s a slightly lighter picture so you can see some details.

This is a linen/rayon blend from JoAnn’s. This is a really comfortable fabric and it doesn’t wrinkle like I thought it would. There is no stretch in it all. I also bought it in a gray fabric. I’m not sure what I’m going to make with that, but another Jalie Vanessa pant is not out of the realm of possibilities.

In this picture, I pulled them up a bit. I wish these pants were this length. What do you think? Is this a better length? I’d say this is another two inches. Next time I’ll crop them even more.

I love the details and topstitching on these pants.

This is a close-up of the fabric. I found it in the “suitings” section.

Another Jalie winner!! And on a side note. We recently acquired a furry little friend. She’s six months old and a rescue kitty that was abandoned in a building. :( Poor baby!! She seems to be getting along with our other fur baby. The kids are totally in LOVE.

 

She’s fierce like a lion.

Isn’t she pretty? I love the red spot on her head.
 

I made my last Hot Patterns dress too. I’ll unveil that in a day or so too. I still need to take the pictures.

Jalie 3463–Anne-Marie Dress

I’ve made this pattern up in a top before and I really like it and wear it often in the summer I was wearing it on vacation just last week. I kept putting things in that enormous back pocket. Like my phone, lip balm, tickets, car keys, etc. I know it’s supposed to be for tennis balls, but whatever. I realized that a dress version would be just the ticket on vacation. So, when I got home from vacation, I made one for my next vacation.

I did not make this, just so we are all clear, for a sport use. I made this purely for a travel/fun purpose. The CF/CB panels are made with a fun ivory/black scuba knit. The solid black is a Nike Dri-Fit fabric.

I love how the side panels flare out a bit for an a-line shape. 

This is what photoshoots in my house always look like, by the way. Little photobombers just waiting to jump into view.
h

I love how it looks like I matched the pocket on the back. I didn’t. That was luck. I love the back on this dress.

Oh, and this dress has a built-in shelf bra which is actually pretty supportive. I love that about a travel dress too.

I love how big this pocket is. I may have to make another one of these dresses in a solid color just because comfort and pockets.

I will also wear this to work with a jacket or cardigan. And I’m talking to my daughter here. She’s a sassy beast.