Jalie 3668–Valerie Raglan Top

Problem: Winter is coming not just in King’s Landing, but also in Alaska. My phone is bigger this year and when I put my phone in my butt pocket of my running tights, my tights start to fall down. No one wants to see that!

Solution: Time to whip up a top with a pocket for a cell phone. I would put my phone in a jacket pocket, but it gets too cold and stops working. At 10 degrees Farenheit, my phone will stay alive for approximately eight minutes. My phone needs to be in a warm place against skin. And not in my sports bra because then my phone gets sweaty. I know, gross, sorry.

I used the Jalie Valerie Raglan and used the front zipper option. I added knit piping to the side panel and a zippered pocket to the arm.

I made the knit piping way too wide and it kind of sticks out funny. I may zig-zag the edges down so they don’t stick out strangely.

When I made this, I was like, “Dude, that’s a great zipper!”

Then I was like, “Sweet! my phone fits perfectly.”

But then I was like, “It’s not so easy to bend my elbow. Well crap, it’s WAY TOO LOW. Dammit” Arg. So I nailed the pocket, and the zipper, but not the height.

But if I pull it up a bit, it works fine and I can bend my elbow.

For this raglan running top, I used a super plush wicking, Merino wool with Lycra. The “piping” is a swimsuit knit.

I have run in this top and it’s super comfortable and the pocket functions exactly like it should (as long as you have the sleeve pulled up!). Next time, I’ll start the pocket much higher on the raglan arm. I totally just eyeballed it this time. Next time I’ll measure (ewwww, what??!) and make sure it’ll work.

Jalie 3245–Raglan Tunic

Remember this oldie? The raglan that happened before the trifecta of raglans (Valerie raglan, Nico raglan, and Marie-Claude raglan) that happened in the last Jalie release? There are often questions about how they are all different and why you should buy more than one of them and since I *cough, cough* have a friend who owns them all, I thought I she could compare them all for us *cough, cough*. The Nico is obviously for men so that one is obvious. The Valerie is obviously tight and very useful for active wear and rashies. I want to talk about the main differences between the Valerie and this “un-named” raglan pattern, henceforth known to us as the 3245 Raglan. This “3245 Raglan” was released in 2013 (I think?)and includes this nice-fitting raglan but also a racer-back-ish tank that I’ve made numerous times. There are some significant differences between the 3245 Raglan and the Marie-Claude. This raglan has a wide and open neck, the hem length is either butt or tunic length, and it only comes in 3/4 length sleeves. I think when this is made in the shorter length, it is the perfect women’s baseball tee. When it is longer, it is the perfect butt cover-up for leggings or skinny jeans. I have lots of these and wear then all the time. The Marie-Claude raglan is more of an active wear and winter cabin sort of raglan. I haven’t compared the flat patterns but the Marie-Claude seems little looser in the bust than this 3245 Raglan and, of course, the neckline and sleeves are very different. It gives you the option of a hood, cozy-turtleneck, and a regular t-shirt neckline. Then it gives you a cuff choice of regular cuffs or thumbhole cuffs. I think having both patterns are the way to go, but then again, I’m a Jalie-pattern-hoarder. The 3245 Raglan is still my go-to pattern for a tunic to go with leggings.

I sometimes wear these raglans with a scarf because the neck is so open and drafty. I’m not sure if I love these black pockets. They are so prominent but I think it would be so boring without something.

Still with the swayback . . .

I have another raglan to show you soon, too.

Shhhhhhh . . .

I put more wool knit fabric up at Etsy. It'll go quick so grab some if you want it!

Ottobre 04-2017 #24 - Sweatshirt Tunic

My twins love a good cozy tunic. I decided that this one would be perfect for them with the long length, the round pocket, and the long sleeves. I made this in a size 140. This fabric doesn't have much stretch so I decided to size up.

This is a JoAnn's sweat shirting fabric. I bought it last year in the fall.  I actually have it in several colors and prints. I did try the circle piece. I was able to make the circle piece and I bound the two pockets. However, when I tried to attach it to the sweat shirt, it stretched out horribly and made the front panel all puckery. I should have added interfacing to the edges of the circle. So, I re-cut the front panel and added a little bling so it wouldn't be so boring.

When the "cozy twin" saw it, there was a squeal and she scampered off with it. I haven't seen it since then so I think it was a win? Hopefully so . . .

Sew Over It - Heather Dress

This is the Heather Dress from Sew Over it. I’ve made it before and find that I reach for that dress quite a bit in the winter. I love easy, cozy, knit dresses especially when they are made of a wool knit. I decided I needed a bit of flower bomb in my life especially now that the light is going away. The floral fabric is a scuba knit and the grey is a Merino wool knit. This is my first time making this in two colors and I’m not sure I love it. On one hand, it reminds me of a weird 1980’s overall jumper skirt. On the other hand, I think it emphasizes my pear shape. But, overall, I’m okay with those two things. Who can’t love this fabric?

Plus, there are these giant pockets so how can you go wrong? Even if it does accentuate your hips . . .

Last time I made this, the sleeves were way too small at the wrist and forearm. I sliced the pattern from wrist to shoulder and added 3/4” at the wrist and tapered up to nothing at the shoulder. These sleeves are really narrow.

When I make this next time, I’ll add a small swayback adjustment to the back. You can see there is some pooling above the butt.  Next up? Something from Ottobre for a kiddo!

Katniss Everdeen – Oooooh yea.

When my twinny said that she wanted to be Katniss Everdeen for Halloween, I was thinking we were just talking about a black body suit. Well, I was mistaken. This twin wanted the whole works. She wanted the white sleeves, the white piping, the round inserts, everything.

That’s right. Move over Katniss Everdeen. There’s a new badass in town.

 

The Set-Up

I used Jalie 3135, the skinsuit, to create this look. I had to slice and dice this baby up to match the Katniss jumpsuit. It was pretty easy actually. I just eyeballed the style lines and sliced up the pattern. I highlighted all the edges to remind myself to add seam allowances. This pattern isn’t a raglan sleeve so I made a faux-raglan sleeve.

I found this matching fabric at JoAnn’s. It was part of the Yaya Han Cosplay collection and it’s PERFECT for this costume.

For the “piping,” I just freehanded the lines and then zigzagged over the lines. Then, little Katniss herself ran elastic through the zigzag until it created a piping effect.

The Result

A very happy little camper. She even made herself a little bow and arrow.

She wore it all day so I think it’s pretty much a win.

Whew, now something for me!

Wardrobe DONE!

And I love this one more than the last one!!!

I used all Ottobre and Jalie patterns for this wardrobe. This was my plan and I mostly stuck with it. The only deviation I made was with the bomber jacket. I had planned to use a busy white/black Liverpool knit and instead used a woven, non-stretch wool fabric on the front. The woven was white/black/gray but a much more subdued print. Also, for the dress, I didn’t have a thin denim so I shopped my stash.

To make it a “real” capsule wardrobe, I tried to keep the number of shoes to four. This is only a few of the combinations that I could have put on. Since the black leggings and the black Eleonore jeans look similar on the camera, I didn’t do all the combinations. When I do this again, I’ll remember to make the bottoms neutral but not so similar. The leggings and the jeans are almost the same garment. But, how much do you guys love this???? I love all the combinations here.

Ottobre 05/2015 – Long Cardigan
I made this long cardigan out of a wool knit. I used a decorative stitch on my machine to make the cream lines. You can see from above that it’s about knee length. I like it and it’s super cozy, but I worry that it looks sloppy. What do you guys think? Out of everything, this is my least favorite garment. I do love it, but maybe it’s too big? Long? Brown?

Ottobre 05/2016 Knit Tunic
I made this tunic before and wear it all the time. I knew I’d wear this one too.

Jalie Charlie Bomber Jacket
I’ve made this a couple of times already. This is a fabulous pattern. This time, I made the front out of a non-stretch woven that I found at Value Village. Yes, I found this thick, plush knit at Value Village. The back and sleeves are a wool knit.

Jalie Eleonore Jeans
These are black, but are all washed out in this picture. These fit well and are super comfortable. This black denim is really stretchy so hopefully they don’t bag out after a few hours. I kept the pockets plain on these. I’ve made this pattern so many times!

Ottobre 05/2017 – Elastic-backed Trousers
These pants are so interesting. The front is constructed like a normal pair of trousers. The back is totally NOT constructed like anything I’ve seen before. The back is folded down over thick elastic. So they are elastic-waisted pants, but don’t look like it. On top of that, the fabric is stretchy so they are, like, the MOST COMFORTABLE pants ever.

Here’s where the front waistband and back waistband attach. The back waistband isn’t attached completely, but just topstitched on the darts and the CB. It’s really interesting construction and it makes for really comfortable pants.

Ottobre 02/2017 Shirt Dress
This is my favorite piece in my whole capsule. It goes with everything and I can wear it alone if I’m feeling racy. This fabric was also found at Value Village. I’m pretty sure it’s a silk blend. It has that silk smell when you iron it. Can you believe that I found this at Value Village? I’m going to start looking for fabric there more often.

Definitely too short for work!

This dress looks good with everything!

Jalie Marie-Claude Knit Top
I love this knit top. This is my sixth time making this top and I really love it. (Kid version 1 & 2, adult version 3 & 4)  I love that you can tuck it in or out. This is a cotton Knit from Girl Charlee. This is the slouchy turtleneck with sleeve cuffs. 

Ottobre 05/2016
These are just regular ol’ black leggings because they go with EVERYTHING. This is a matte-finish black Nike Fit fabric. This is all washed out so you can see that there are no crotch wrinkles. This is a great fitting pair of leggings. 

Jalie Helene
This is my first time making this cardigan. Of course, since it’s a Jalie, it does not disappoint. I love the cozy pockets!

Ottobre 05/2008
Whoops, I didn’t take an individual picture of this one. I’ve made this before also. Last time I made it in a size 36, and it was too big. This top is the one that is super bright and has the cowl neck.

My favorites are pretty much anything with the dress and anything with the gray trousers. What about you guys? What are your favorites??