Sewing Challenges: #So50Visible and #BGchallenge

@sewover50 has been running the #So50Visible Challenge on Instagram and I wasn’t too sure if I’d make their deadline of March 15th! And what do you know… I did! And not only did I, but I found out that I could also enter the #BGchallenge (Breaking Ground Challenge)!

The aim of #So50Visible is to make a pattern from a pattern maker who has models over the age of 50! How many of those do you see day to day? I was lucky to find this collection!

The aim of the #BGchallenge was to make something from a pattern maker you haven’t used before! And what did I make from a pattern maker I haven’t used before who uses models over 50? The Tuesday Stitches Citrus Leggings, of course! You can link to their pattern here if you’d like.

The sewing of this pattern went really well and the finished leggings feel so good – to be honest the first pair of leggings I have EVER worn! And I am going to make and wear MORE!

Yes I had to print out the PDF pattern and glue it together. Some sewists download the PDF pattern onto a flash drive and take it to a printer to have it printed off on large paper for cutting out. Unfortunately the nearest print shop to me is 35 minutes away … who can wait that long … so Sophie and Simon and I just cut and glued ourselves happily into the night!

I had two meters of the BEST fabric. I should have taken a photo of the bolt end so I could remember it’s content. I remember it had a spandex content though with a good four way stretch, as recommended by Tuesday Stitches, and it was quite thick compared to some of the stretch knit fabrics I see. I chose to do view C without the gathers, so that I could squeeze TWO pairs on to my fabric, so it was easy to sew all the seams – skipping the gathers. Maybe I’ll make a pair with gathers, view A or B, next time. I used a narrow long zig zag stitch and didn’t have much of a problem except for when I sewed through a couple of thicknesses for the hems.

Tuesday Stitches has a tutorial for a hidden wide waistband elastic here, which I used and liked. First though, I put the leggings on inside out and measured where the waistband elastic should go.

I made extra sure to centre my elastic on my front and back seams.

Using my long zig zag to attach my elastic.

As an extra precaution I stitched the elastic down all along the waistline.

There are three seams on each leg that you can use for fitting. Let a bit out here, take a bit in there! I think I might let out the seam along my calves just a bit, that seems to be the only place I am not right on with the fit. Big calves! Otherwise, these are really really comfortable!

Now excuse me while I go over to Instagram and submit my entry to the #So50Visible and #BGchallenge and tell them what a wonderful job they are doing running these challenges. I think I’ll go tell Tuesday Stitches how much I love their Citrus Leggings pattern too!

Have you made yourself a pair of leggings yet? If so, which pattern did you use?

Happy Sewing!

STASH BUSTING WITH THIS PROJECT? Well, no change there … still 131.2 meters left … I bought two meters so I could make these Citrus Leggings and I used it all up!

Sometimes I get distracted …

I am almost finished my #sewtogetherforsummer Wrap dress, which you might have read about last week. Due to some careful pattern/stripe matching I am happy with how things are turning out.

This Sewaholic pattern, the Yaletown, has been a joy to work with. This is my second Yaltetown, my first one was made with a woven fabric, not a knit. So second time around, sewing it up has gone pretty smoothly. The only changes I made to this pattern, just like the first time it was made, was to make the bodice slightly larger as I love the loose, comfortable feel of it. I also lengthened the bodice just an inch.

I’m not sure how it happened but I did manage to have a closely matching thread in my stash!

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Waiting impatiently …

Perhaps you remember from last week that I asked for some help in choosing my fabric for the #sewtogetherforsummer Wrap Dress Challenge? Well I have my answer now, thank you Kind Readers! It was a pretty close race!

First choice, although it was close, was … the blue Chevron! (for lack or a better description)

Second choice by just 3 votes was … the orange Chevron!

So I have decided to sew both fabrics up … with few slight changes …

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What do you think?

We had a lovely Easter long weekend here – the weather was even acceptable! I hope you had a lovely Easter too.

I didn’t get much accomplished though, but I did manage to browse through some sewing blogs and IG feeds. I discovered @rocco.sienna @sewsarahsmith and @sewing_in_spain have organized #sewtogetherforsummer on IG again! I think this year I’m going to organize myself and my sewing and join in!

Last year the theme for #sewtogetherforsummer was Shirt dresses. I didn’t manage to sew up a Shirt dress, but I have been collecting Shirt dress patterns ever since.

I also managed to recently buy some lovely Shirt dress fabric, 3 meters of 100% rayon. I’m one step closer!

This year I am not missing #sewtogetherforsummer. If you would like to read more about #sewtogetherforsummer you can check out all the details here, but basically:

a. I have to sew a Wrap dress; and

b. by June 21st, I have post it on Instagram, tagging and following properly, of course.

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McCall’s M7323 – In Stripes!

I’ve had this striped fabric in my stash since my visit to my sister a summer or two ago. It’s a heavier weight knit than what I usually have and I quite like it. The red stripe is quite bright too, which brings the grey, blue and black to life for me.

I had always planned to make this skirt, Vogue 1292, a “Today’s Fit” by Sandra Betzina, and I purchased this striped fabric for that sole purpose.

But you might already know from personal experience how easy it is to get led astray by fabrics and patterns. Continue reading →

McCall’s M7093 – Don’t need buttons for this one …

… and I found the perfect buttons for my last project. But before I show them to you, let me show you what I made with the remnants of my paisley Topaz knit. I had some of this lovely fabric – 85% polyester, 10% rayon, 5% spandex – left over, just enough. I think I have made a few of these McCall’s M7093 tops before – one of the other ones I made is here.

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Which personality do you like the best?

Last week I cut out my Hunter Green Chevron knit fabric (85% polyester and 15% rayon) and a white linen-look fabric from my stash (actually a fabric given to me, along with a few others, by a friend) to make my first reversible garment. I put a lot of thought into cutting out this Chevron fabric as you can read about here – matching it up the best I could. I used Butterick 5789 a cardigan pattern that I have used before here. I really like this pattern and all its versions. This time I wanted to make view B – it has only two pattern pieces and I was short on fabrics.

At one point, the instructions for this view made me think: What the heck are you talking about? It was easier for me to do what the diagrams said, than the words… sew the two end tabs together, then spread it open across the back and sew those together. (the words still don’t make sense to me!)

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McCall’s “Learn to Sew for Fun”

Perhaps you remember? I wanted to make a shrug to match this dress…

Then my eyes fell on this cardigan. I couldn’t believe my eyes when I opened the pattern envelope and found out it was a circle with sleeves. I have seen these patterns on Pinterest (for free). This is going to be easy!

McCall’s “Learn to Sew for Fun” pattern M7055

I cut out my two pattern pieces from some black ponte knit in my fabric stash.

I had to chase Sophie away the whole time!

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Jungle January and I made it just in time!

Technically speaking, it is still Jungle January here. Hop on over to Pretty Grievances to see all the WILD garments that she has rounded up! In the last few waking hours of the day I would like to show you my second Jungle January garment – something that I am very happy with… even if I got off to a bad start. Let’s just say that I still haven’t learned the lesson: Read the instructions first!

I have this pattern, Vogue V9107, which is not meant for knits, but who am I to follow the fabric recommendations! (Surprisingly enough, this time it worked!) I decided to make view A, the top.

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Progress? So far – Two out of Four! (and the DESIGNIN’ DECEMBER Challenge button’s up!)

I am making progress! I have needed new pants in my wardrobe for a while now, but since I signed up for the RTW Challenge last January, I have refused to purchase any. There has been a lot of sewing this year – thoughtful sewing!

To start the pants-making process, I made my muslin, and then my first pair, my brown pair with the invisible zipper. Time to move on to my 2nd pair. I used a black 100% polyester that I was unsure would be suitable for pants, especially this pattern with its zipper and many seams, so I considered this pair might be another muslin – a stretchy knit muslin.