From Pinterest to Pleased. My Chunky Sweater Dreams

I don't know about you, but I have thousands of pins on my 100+Pinterest boards. Many of my pins are aspirational and interesting, but I have rarely taken the next step to execute them. I have had a chunky sweater dress with a voluminous sleeve on one of my boards for a few years. I love the chunky cowl, the texture of the fabric, and the big sleeves of this Fall staple.

The sweater is available for purchase, in synthetic fibers and on what looks like a fast fashion website. Those factors did not appeal to me so I decided to make my own.

I was hoping for a wide wale ribbed knit fabric like that shown in the photo. I went to the Nature's Fabric  and was tempted away from my original plan by the wide range of colors of organic cotton thermals they offer. I chose the Honey for the yummy color and texture.

I hit my extensive pattern stash and pulled two patterns, one vintage one current with the plan to hack them to get what I want. I chose this vintage simplicity turtleneck pattern because I really wanted some drama with the neckline. (If you have a mock/turtleneck pattern on hand, extend the cowl to 17in. for a similar look.)

 

For the sleeves, I chose Vogue 1700 for the streamlined then, voluminous sleeve option of this top. It is perfect for the look I was hoping to achieve.

The construction was pretty straightforward. I kept the front and back bodice and upper sleeve of the of the vintage Simplicity dress. I cut the balloon sleeve and lower cuff of the Vogue pattern. I had 2 yards of fabric to work with. As you can see in the photo, I positioned the pattern to fit, not adhere to the grainline direction. Because it is a knit fabric, the fit will not be affected by this adjustment. I would not do this with a woven fabric, however.  

The balloon panel is gathered to fit between the sleeve and cuff. (The pictured pattern weights and pincushion pattern are available in my Etsy store.)

I stitched the sleeve in flat and sewed it with my serger.

I have a cover-stitch machine and am trying to use it more frequently on knit fabrics. For this project however, I opted to use a blind-hem stitch so as to not draw a line across the hemline. 

I am so in love with this sweater! It is just what I wanted and more.

I love the interest of the sleeve!

The fullness and drama of the cowl is wonderful

and a tiny bit silly.

The back is pretty simple with no shaping for a loose fit.

It is December on the calendar which means we are having mild Fall weather here in Texas (if you watch the news you know cuckoo bananas is the way of things down here!). I am looking forward to a few months of sweater, jeans and boots for my go to dressing. I will be adding a few more of these to my closet. The way Little Miss has been eyeing this one, I am sure I will need to add a few to her closet as well.

 

Happy Sewing,

Bianca

New Work From Home Fabric!

When I feel like wearing sweats or yoga pants but I must wear a dress, this is the dress for me! I love when I make something and it surprises me. This dress did just that! My go-to outfits most of this homebound year have had casual comfort as the paramount feature. Few of them have been dresses. With this make that is going to change. When I chose this bullet knit from Nature's Fabrics I knew it would be comfortable. When I paired it with this pattern, I didn't know I would want to wear it all the time.

I love this faux wrap dress with ruched details. I chose to make view D with the the gathers at the shoulders. The construction was easy and I sewed it mainly on my serger. The bullet knit is a stable knit, so it can be sewn on a standard machine if you don't own a serger. 

I have used bullet knit  to make dresses, tops and cardigans. I love all of them. When I was planning this project, I started to feel you might get bored with more of this fabric from me. In the end, I went ahead because I want you get into this fabric! 

This is the dress you wear when you have to look like you care, but you want to feel like you're lounging. It's the perfect dress when you want to be comfy, but need to pop on a Teams meeting or a Zoom call.

This is the dress I wish I had when I was pregnant and nursing my babies. The stretch of the fabric would have easily accommodated my growing belly and the neckline would have made it perfect for breastfeeding. I am not going down that road anymore. I will however, make this dress again and possibly modify it for tops.

In terms of sizing, I cut my regular size and could have gone down by one because of the stretch of this knit. I have seen other versions that have zero ease, but that is not my style. Because of the folds, tucks and gathers I am happy with the fit. 

I don't remember when I bought this pattern, but it is now out of print. There are a few available for sale if you want this exact pattern. If you are open to a suggestion Burda 6211 is a good match.

I am planning my Fall and Winter projects and it will be all about comfort. Do you have a secret pajamas pattern that you love?

Happy Sewing,

Bianca

You Play Too Much!

 

My love for dyed or dyed look fabric continues this summer. Today, I am featuring this organic woven Denim wash fabric from Nature's Fabric. I love the mottled variations in the blues of this print. I also love that I didn't have to spend time creating the final result.

My day-to-day life during this pandemic requires simple, easy and comfortable clothing. When this fabric arrived, I knew I wanted to make something practical and fun. Little Miss saw the fabric pinned to my dress form and said it absolutely screamed a jumpsuit! I was immediately excited because I love jumpsuits, have many jumpsuit patterns, but thought I had too many. I am learning that when my pre-teen(with all the opinions) cosigns an outfit, it must be a good idea.

I hit my stash and found McCalls 7936.

I chose t make view D in size medium with the side seam pockets and the fabric belt. I extended the length of the belt by about 12". I wanted to have the option of tying it once or wrapping it obi style around the front then back.

There is no shaping to this jumpsuit so the belt helps pull in the excess fabric at the back.

This is a fast and easy project to make, the most challenging element for a newbie is the front zipper.

In this fabric, for casual styling, I sewed it without significant modification. 

When I make it again, I will make it longer, omit the belt and add back darts to pull in the silhouette.  

This will be heavy in the rotation in the coming months. It is relaxed and the cotton is perfect in this Texas heat.

Happy Sewing,

Bianca

Cosmically Out Of This World Bag

What a surreal time we are living in. I hope you all are staying safe with minimal stress during these trying times. For many of us creatives, sewing has served as a welcome stress relief as we stay at home to flatten the curve. I have been at home recuperating from knee surgery and sewing less than normal. I have occasionally been making masks for friends and family and recently took a break for some selfish sewing.

Nature's Fabric (brand ambassador) has a new line of custom printed fabric with a fun galaxy theme. Cosmic Space is a bold design with depth variation and deep color saturation. It is available in several substrates including Waterproof Oxford, Bullet Knit, PUL, Bamboo/Spandex Jersey, and Organic Cotton Spandex Jersey. With so many options, you are sure to find a way to add this to your wardrobe. 

I had not sewn with Waterproof Oxford before and I was excited to try it out. It is a polyester fabric with a durable water resistant coating and a white polyurethane backing. It is a low maintenance fabric that requires wiping to clean, does not stretch or shrink and does not require pre-washing. It perforates with pins, so fabric clips  and careful sewing are necessary so you don't have to go back and  rip a seam.

When the fabric arrived we were all pleased with the vibrancy of the colors. Both kids immediately requested school bags with the fabric. With distance learning on the cards for the remainder of the school year, I have set aside their fabric for later and got to making a bag for myself.

I hit my stash for a simple pattern to showcase the fabric. I went with Bruda 6400, (affiliate link) a zipper topped hobo bag.  I liked the simple construction, the slouchy shape and the capacity of the bag. I love pockets, so I added some to the front by using the bag pattern as a guide.

To make the pocket visible, I added a line of metallic silver piping to the top and sewed it in place with my zipper foot.

I basted it in place and continued with the construction. 

I added silvertone rivets to the divided pocket for some more visual interest.

The pattern does not include a lining, rather the seams are bound with bias tape. I prefer a lining so I made one by cutting the pattern from cotton from my stash and attached it at the zipper construction part of the instruction. I kept an opening in the side of the lining for turning after the strap and bag base were completed.

For a bit of added security on the top of the strap, I added the silvertone rivets there as well.

I kept the back as the pattern directed. When I make it again, I may add pockets to the back as well.

You know I love bold prints and I love a good bag. I am really happy with this one. I can't wait for it to be safe for us to frolic in the outside again. When it is, I will have the perfect bag to do it.

Happy sewing and stay safe,
Bianca