Simplicity 5220 shorts, JCC???

 

Here is the Simplicity 9461 blouse morph from yesterday with today's effort - a short version of the capri pants from Simplicity 5220. In the interests of continued stashbusting and the need for quick dry, no crush travel items, these knee length shorts are made from a left over piece of chocolate brown medium weight stretch woven cotton (I think). This fabric is around 5 years old, and I am sorry to tell you that I am still wearing the original construction from this fabric - a pair of wide legged pants that are an old faithful in my work wardrobe. I have morphed this pattern by 1. making the garment knee length, rather than calf length (fabric restrictions), and 2.by altering the waist. I have finished the waist by applying a length of woven selvage to the waist of the pants, turning over to the inside and topstitching, rather than the facing called for by the pattern. This should make the shorts dry more quickly, and also stabilizes the waist more than a facing in the same stretch fabric would have. I have stabilized the crotch seam by adding a strip of selvage again, and have used an invisible zip at the back, rather than a regular zip. To co-ordinate with the other garments in the travel wardrobe, I have used one of the under used embroidery stitches on my machine, and stitched a row of flowers alternating with leaves in pink thread on the hems.

 

The next construction today, was a second pair of these knee length shorts. This fabric is stashbusting as well. Again these are the remnants from work pants, but at about 8 years old, the originals bit the dust some time ago. The fabric is a dark olive green stretch cotton. The construction changes are very similar to the brown pair, but this time I have bound the leg hems with a scrap from the blouse fabric. I have also embroidered 3 rough heart shapes on the left leg, using pink thread and the same flower and leaf repeat stitch. My daughter is quite pleased with the clothes, and I hope I have finished her travel wardrobe, although I am still thinking about another tank top and possibly a new pair of pjyamas.....

 

Simplicity 5220 mandarin collar top brocade

I finished the mandarin top from my daughter's wardrobe pattern 5220 last night. We are very pleased with it. I used a synthetic brocade from Timmel fabrics. This was a little more difficult to work with than the cotton used in the trial version, and the top is a bit more fitted because of the thickness of the fabric. I needed to cut carefully to avoid flaws in the fabric. The top is trimmed with minipiping made from imperial batiste at the collar and at the false diagonal front. I made frog closures from the same fabric, making a very thin tube, then sewing the frogs as described at this website www.hgtv.com/hgtv/cr_sewing_buttons_zippers/article/0,,HGTV_3325_1376352,00.html

The frogs are only decorative. I did make a version of the frogs using pale pink braid, but these looked too bulky for the garment. The garment opening is an invisible zip at the back. I used the 25cm zip called for in the pattern, but this makes the top a little difficult to put on. The longer 35 cm zip used in the trial cotton top is a much better length for ease of dressing. I inserted the zip before applying the collar, and the back of the collar stands above the zip, which allows it to sit well and for more comfort at the neck. In the trial version we found the back neck was too high, so I lowered it 1.5cm in this version, extending the length of the collar slightly at the back to match this alteration.
I bound the sleeve edges and bottom edge of the top with skinny bias binding made from the same fabric.

Junior Swap January 28

This weekend is a long one for the Australia day holiday, but I have not spent nearly as much of it sewing as I thought I would. I extended my break from the V2925 jacket today, and kept sewing for my daughter. Here is the a vintage pattern, Butterick 435 which I made yesterday as a trial dress for my daughter's SWAP. This pattern was given to me by a elderly lady at church, who had used it for her daughters several decades ago. The fabric print does not show up very well in the photo - it is red/pink/white strawberries with green leaves on a variagated shade dark blue background. The dress is a princess line with a little shape to it, and is lovely and cool to wear in a cotton quilting weight print. I did not have any trouble with the pattern, although the facings seemed to have been drawn from another dress entirely - I made view D. I did not want to re draw the facings for this "trial" dress, so lowered the front and back neckline about 7 cm to accomodate the difference in the facing, and I think the neckline sits at a comfortable and flattering point. There were no finished garment measurements on the envelope or the tissue, so I made the dress up to the size 12 circumference, which fortunately happen to be the same as my daughter's measurements. I lengthened the dress by 10 cm to accomodate her tall figure and the longer length of current fashion. In fitting, I took the dress in 7cm on each side in the bodice, as it was very loose, but left this extra fabric below the waist to increase the flare of the skirt.

The second outfit is the pants from Simplicity 5220, with a shirred top made from a remnant of pink cheesecloth from my stash ( it was originally purchased from my local fabric shop, and most of it made into a Lizzie MacGuire top with bell sleeves). I used the corded buttonhole foot to do the shirring for the first time, and found it much easier than the bobbin elastic method. It also looks neater, and the shirring elastic did not break once - this is now my preferred method of shirring. I made a small folded hem for the top edge (I do not have a rolled hem foot), and trimmed the bottom with an on grain strip of the same grey and pink print used on the pants split hem. I folded the strip with my bias tape tool, making it easy to apply. This was a quick and easy top, and my daughter loves it.

Simplicity 5220 pants

I finished the pants from Simplicity 522o today. My daughter is quite pleased with them. Here they are with a purchased top. I have made the pants a bit shorter, due to fabric restrictions. The splits in the leg seams are finished with pink/grey/green/metallic gold quilting fabric.
Regarding my SWAP, I have worked a little more on #2 V2925 pants. I cut out the lining (short) this morning, then this evening after work, sewed the lining, and finished the pants except for the hems. I was a bit anxious about the fit, and sewed the outside leg seams with a 1cm allowance, and when I tried them on for the hems, I need to take them in about another 1cm - I have left this until tomorrow, as my son really needed to go to sleep.

Pants, Simplicity 5220

I sewed quite a bit today, but not entirely on the SWAPs. My daughter had a friend over to spend the day, and wore her twist top and denim shorts (they may be worn out before the SWAP is done). The first words out of Friend's mouth, after the polite salutations - "Your outfit is so cool, where did you get it?" Daughter and I feel very clever as the answer returns "Mum made it for me". I pass the teenager test (friend passed this Rubicon 3 weeks ago and is 13). Friend has gone home with her own new twist top in the remains of the fabric - one more completely out of my stash ( I hope her Mum likes the top as well, I would also like to pass the other mothers' test). It is so nice to be able to whip up a nice top. I think I am a knit convert.

I worked a very little on my V2925 #2 pants. I did some stay stitching, sewed inner leg seams, put in the invisible zip with my new zipper foot - so easy, then finished the crotch seam. That's it. My excuse was that I want to make a short lining for these pants. I had forgotten to pre-wash the lining fabric, and after I hand washed it in very hot water, it had to dry, and I thought I could work a little on the Junior SWAP. The rest of my sewing was on the Junior SWAP. I traced and tissue adjusted all the pieces we will need from her wardrobe pattern Simplicity 5220.

1. capri pants
2. sleeveless woven top
3. cheongsang top with mandarin collar
4. straight skirt

I cut out capri pants in navy blue cotton spandex stretch woven. This is a 70 cm x 150cm remnant from the stash, bought on sale at Lindcraft before the crash, and at least 5 years old. I think I had vague ideas of making a skirt from it. It is a medium weight and quite stretchy. I think there must also be some synthetic in it, although it is not labeled as a blend. I took a lesson from my previous cotton lycra pants experience and cut to her measurements with no ease, according to the finished garment measurements printed on the pattern. I stabilized the crotch seam with selvage, and will also do this for the waist seam when I attach the facing. I cut the facing with the stretch vertically, and bound the edge with bias binding - see the picture. All going well with inner seam, invisible zip (interfaced underneath), even edges etc. I then fitted the pants - this pattern is a weird cut.
You can see from the photo that I still had to take in a lot on the sides. The blue chalk mark shows the edges of the front pants pieces. The strange thing to me is that it is mostly the back that needs taking in. My daughter is not hard to fit in pants. Usually I can just sew them straight up with no changes. She does not have a flat backside or skinny legs which might explain all the extra fabric at the back. I checked that I had traced the pattern correctly, and I had. This will be an interesting pattern to review.
I have sewn up the side seams and put a little trim on the split bottom legs - this is not on the pattern, but an added extra. I will post a photo of this when the pants are finished.

SWAP items completed (not including 2 possibles made before jan 1)- 2 definite tops, 3 further possible tops, one definite pants, one possible pants - 7 items (and one in the pipeline)

Junior items completed (including 2 items made before Jan1) 3, (and one in the pipeline)