Simplicity 8982 | A Floral Print Knit Top with Lace Sleeves

When Simplicity 8982 was announced (on Instagram) as the November #SewYourView pattern, I immediately knew I was going to sew the top (view c) and probably the skirt (view d).  I even pinned an inspiration dress on my Pinterest board to use as a guideline for the sleeves.

I had a chance to stop at SR Harris when we were in Minnesota a few weeks ago. In preparation I  created a list of patterns I wanted to sew, along with the fabric needed for each.  This foil print knit was not even CLOSE to anything I was looking for! But I swear as I walked past it, the bolt JUMPED into my cart! And I'm glad I did.  I think the foil knit looks lovely made into this pullover top.

Before I go any further, here's the pattern I'm writing about.  I picked it up at Hobby Lobby during one of their pattern sales as it's a great basic knit pattern with a lot of design options.

Because I fell in love with the floral foil fabric and was determined to use it for the top, I had to make some modification. You see this fabric is almost like a stretch woven instead of a knit.  It had less than 1/2 of the stretch required for this design. Of course I didn't bother checking the little Pick-A-Knit rule on the back of the pattern envelope - or the recommended fabrics - until I had already cut out the pattern pieces.  In retrospect I probably should have chosen a different pattern. Oh well, hindsight is 20/20 isn't it?

I knew I would need a full bust adjustment (FBA) no matter what knit I used. I began by adding 3" to the bustline using the pivot and slide method.  I basted the front and back together to check the fit. There was enough room but it was tighter than I like and I knew if I left it that way I'd never wear the top.  So I added a little more width which required a small side dart. I'm much happier with the way it feels.

If I had thought it through before cutting out my pattern pieces, I would have added a center back seam with a zipper.  Because both the front and back are cut on the fold, I needed to scoop the neckline to make sure I could get it over my head.  The scooped neckline is actually a better look on me versus a high round neck or turtleneck.

 I narrowed the neckband in addition to the scoop neckline. I used my edge-foot to help guide the stitches along the neckline.

I changed the sleeve also. I used the sleeve for view A, cutting it off at the elbow.  I took the pattern piece for the view C sleeve and traced it from the elbow to the hem.  I then slashed it and added an  additional 10" of width and 3" of length. I shortened the cuff by 2".  I used the foil knit for the top of the sleeve and the cuff, and the middle portion is black lace.

Even though I didn't choose a knit fabric recommended for the pattern, I'm really pleased with the top!  Of course knowing no one else has a top from this beautiful floral foil knit is an extra bonus.

I do plan on using the pattern again, this time with a stretchier knit :-)

By the way, I put a video on YouTube with my fabric purchases from SR Harris if you're curious what I found on my last trip.  (Here's the link: https://youtu.be/yuxAMBSI-LI)

Until next time - Blessings! Pin It

Vogue 1643 Lined Jacket with Faux Leather Bands

My Vogue 1643 fully lined jacket with faux leather contrast bands.

The  pattern is intended to provide us with a replica of a Gucci grosgrain trimmed jacket, but I've never been a huge Gucci fan.  What?!? Yes, it's true. (And I feel as if I shouldn't even admit that to the sewing world.)

However, I did like the shape of the jacket and since the pattern was chosen for the September "Sew Your View" on Instagram I decided to join in on the fun.

The fabric I used was a polyester blend suiting fabric from SR Harris, that had a vague leather look. Since I wasn't going to use ribbon, I decided to make the contrast band in faux leather, and add faux leather piping to further emphasis the band.

Well you know the saying about best-laid plans. Sigh. I underestimated the difficulty of stitching the faux leather piping as well as the faux leather bands. I've worked with faux leather before so I was perplexed as to why I was having trouble this time. I tried my roller foot. I tried stabilizer. I tried tissue paper. Nothing seemed to work.  (I have since purchased a Teflon pressure foot which I've been told will work well on the faux leather next time).

I was frustrated enough to put the entire project aside for two weeks. But I have made a commitment to myself that I will not created any new WIPs (work in progress) so I reluctantly pulled it out and began work once again. 

I'm glad I persevered as I'm pleased with the final jacket. Even with the big boo-boo I made at the very end.

The pattern instructions do not include a few things that I think are key for the structure of this jacket.

I added interfacing to the hem edges of the sleeves and jacket bottom.  I also drafted an upper back interfacing piece, cut it out of a cotton voile scrap, basted it to the neck and armhole edges, and hand stitched it to the shoulder seam.  I also added sleeve heads from flannel fabric. The pattern does call for shoulder pads, which I happened to still have on hand from when they were popular years ago!

The hand stitches attaching the back interfacing piece to the shoulder seam.

The sleeve head, which is needed to help fill out the sleeve cap. I used a cotton flannel I purchased at Hobby Lobby. 

Here's the outside of the shoulder with the additional structure. I will say I did struggle a bit to ease this sleeve into the sleeve cap.  I'm not sure if it is the pattern, or the fabric I used.

The jacket is fully lined, and I wish I had bagged the lining. But instead I followed the pattern instructions which meant quite a bit of hand sewing.  I'm looking at the positive though, as the hand sewing is helping me to continue to improve the muscles and dexterity of my hands and fingers.

The very last step was to stitch the buttonholes. Knowing the difficulty I had with the faux leather earlier in the sewing process I was dreading this step!  I stitched a few test buttonholes and they looked good, so I took a deep breath and stitched the first one on the jacket.

Yes! Success!  Well, kind of.  I didn't notice until I was done that I had marked the bottom buttonhole incorrectly. It is not centered on the faux leather band.  You see, I didn't realize that my faux leather band was actually slighter narrower near the hem.  Because I had stitched the buttonholes from the back side, where the bands were even, I didn't realize the buttonhole was not centered. 

And that is why I will always wear the jacket unbuttoned :-)


By the way, the only way I could get hubby to snap pics for me was to let him take one pic in front of his beloved (and old) Goldwing motorcycle.

Even though I had a little error at the end, I'm pleased with my jacket.  I plan on sewing another. This time the longer view and with ribbon trim!

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A Simple Sweashirt with Sequin Sleeves - BurdaStyle 121 03-2019

I've been living in Texas for nearly six months now and to date have only experienced weather ranging from kinda hot, to hot, to unbearably hot (as well as a few power outages, which are not fun when it's nearly 100 degrees F outside).

I was told repeatedly that the weather would eventually cool down, but I must not have believed that because I kept sewing summer attire. Big mistake! The other day when we woke up we discovered it had dipped into the 40s. Sewing machine to the rescue!

In about two hours I stitched up this lightweight sweatshirt with sequin sleeves. The two hours didn't include time to trace the pattern, as I had traced it (along with about a dozen other patterns) a few months ago when I was suffering nightly from insomnia.

The pattern is from the March 2019 BurdaStyle magazine, sweatshirt number 121.  The pattern can also be purchased as a PDF at BurdaStyle.com.  Although you could easily replicate this with any sweatshirt pattern, or by starting with a purchased top.

I used a lightweight French terry knit and stretch sequin, both purchased from SR Harris Fabric outlet before we moved.

French seams were used to sew the sequin so it would not scratch against my skin. The seams are rather wide for French seams, but I didn't want to trim too much of the sequin fabric. It'll be our little secret :-)

On this version, I did not do a full bust adjustment (FBA) as there was plenty of ease to fit my bust (width wise).  I did a little "cheater" FBA, and added about 1-1/2" to the front hemline, curving back to the original seam at the side seam.  This was so the top wouldn't pull up in the front.

Since my surgery anything against my back neck really bothers me. So whenever possible I add my label to somewhere other than the back neckline. Here it is sewn to inside of the front hem.

I've chosen to wear this casual look by pairing it with jeans, white athletic shoes, a pink backpack, silver hoops, and a tiny silver cross necklace.

A short necklace with a little more "bling" would dress it up even more.

The back view really shows how boxy this sweatshirt is.

Now that I've worn it (twice so far) and looked at the photos, I'm going to take this in more to add some shape.

With sequins once again having their moment in the spotlight, this sweatshirt is an easy way to wear the trend while remaining casual.

This is one design I'll be sewing again. Next time I'm going to add a small FBA, with dart, to provide a better fit on me.

By the way, I'm starting to do YouTube videos. I enjoy watching other videos on sewing, and have wanted to create sewing videos for quite some time. Since I'm currently not working I have time to do so. The last video I posted includes this sweatshirt!

When it comes to sequins I'm in the "yes, I love this trend" camp. In fact, I have plans to sew myself a sequin bomber jacket within the next month or so.

Drop me a comment below and let me know if you are a fan of the sequin trend.

Have a blessed day!






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Faux Leather/Lace Print Pants and a Peek-a-Boo Top: Vogue 1411 and McCall's 8003

"Wow! You look hot!"

My hubby is not one to toss around insincere compliments, so when his eyes lit up as I modeled this  outfit I knew I had a winner.  

I'm calling this a peek-a-boo top as I have no idea what the correct terminology would be.  Drop me a comment if you know and I'll update this post. The top pattern, McCall's 8003, is a close-fitting knit top with a cut out on the upper chest.  I choose to sew that portion in a stretch lace remnant I had purchased from SR Harris.

Boy, was that a poor choice of fabric for the contrast!  The instructions have you hem the lower portion of the contrast. Well, that looked crappy in lace. I ripped out the stitches and tried turning it under once stabilized with clear elastic. Well that looked even worse! I settled on using a purchased binding, and I think it's just right. I used the same binding for the neckline instead of using the pattern piece provided. Not my best work, but I'm okay with that because I sewed this black top to finesse the fit of the pattern. 

The top is described as close-fitting. If you've read my blog for any length of time you know I don't like to wear really tight clothing, so I cut the top out one size larger than I normally would.  I also did about a 1" FBA (full bust adjustment).  I basted the side and shoulder seams and discovered it was still tighter than I would like. I ended up increasing the FBA (resulting in a dart), adding some width to the back just below the armhole, and adding more width to the waist/hip area.  The fit in the bust/back is pretty good but the top pulls up in front around the bust which tells me I need a wee bit more on that FBA.  I will decrease some of the extra I added to the waist/hip area on the next top also.

I should have removed most of the seam allowance on the contrast lace piece when I finished the edge with the knit binding. Because I didn't the chest opening is smaller than depicted on the pattern envelope.

I'm okay with that, as I was a concerned the opening would be so large that I'd be uncomfortable wearing the top for anything but date night with hubby.

As is I'm comfortable wearing this just about anywhere.

Now, let's chat about the pants! The pattern is a Sandra Betzina design, Vogue 1411, issued in 2014.  It is currently out of print (OOP), but Vogue Patterns occasionally puts the OOP patterns on sale so sign up for their sale notifications if you're interested in purchasing the pattern.

I sewed these in 2015 using a stretch woven with a lace pattern, and used a faux leather contrast to show off the seams on the legs. I found the pants to be a bit short and never wore them as I intended to taper the legs to more of a legging design.

I'm glad I didn't as cropped pants have been in style for some time, and these now look to be the right length.

Side note: I tend to purchase a number of the Sandra Betzina Vogue patterns when they are on sale, as I've found she is sometimes slightly ahead of trends. There have been patterns I've passed on, and then a year or two later the design is all over the place. This pant pattern is one that I'm glad I hung onto as it fits me well, is still in style, and will fit my new lifestyle beautifully.

Here's a pic of both of the patterns I used.

I'm curious, do you sew Sandra Betzina designs?

Let's stay connected. You can find me:

• Instagram (@thesharonsews) 
• YouTube (New! search Sharon Sews)
• Follow my blog on Bloglovin to get updates when I post.

 Thanks for stopping by. Have a blessed day!

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Fancy Flouncy Striped Pants - McCall's 7786

These pants were one of the first items I sewed when I returned to sewing this past June after my major surgery. At the time I was still suffering from severe joint pain (which had not yet been diagnosed) and the sewing was very therapeutic for me. It took me a long time to sew things, but it helped me feel "normal".

I choose the pattern because I thought the flounces along the lower sides and hem were fun, but the main reason was because they had a flat front with an elastic waist back. At the time I still didn't have enough strength or dexterity to use zippers or buttons. In fact, even pulling up the partial elastic waist pants was more of a struggle than I anticipated.

This is one of those items that attracts attention when worn. They're just so different, and I think you either love them or hate them. No middle ground here. Obviously, I'm on the love side. In fact I plan to sew a pair out of a lightweight denim for fall. (Because temperatures are still in the 90s here in east Texas, a fact I'm still getting used to but find that I am enjoying.)

The pattern is McCall's 7786, which features four different looks. Each view has side pockets, a flat front, elastic waist back, and wide legs.

Fabric suggestions are cotton blends, linen, crepe, and stable knits. Personally I wouldn't use a cotton blend unless it was very soft with a lot of drape. I used a striped fabric that was purchased as a pre-cut from Fabric Mart Fabrics about a year or two ago. I don't recall for sure. Do any of you remember when Fabric Mart Fabrics bought out a lot of the Craftsy fabric stock and had deep discounts on the pre-cuts? This was one of those fabrics. I believe it's a crepe and it has a wonderful drape. Perfect for these pants.

The construction is very simple as it's just a pull-on pant design. Be aware that there is a LOT of ease in these pants. I went up a size and ended up cutting it back to my usual size, and it's still quite loose-fitting. The only reason I went up a size is because of the weight gain I've had over the past two years. My body was fighting the ailment that I eventually had surgery for as well as an undiagnosed inflammatory arthritis, and part of that included unexplained weight gain.  I just didn't know it at the time and kept asking my doctor to check my thyroid.

As sewers we tend to get a bit excited when pockets are included in the designs we sew. If you're one of them you'll be pleased to know there are pockets included. I was even able to match the stripe.

The flounces go past the knee, which results in the swishiness of the pant legs when walking.  It is a little difficult to cross your legs as your leg ends up exposed.

I took this photo soon after sewing the pants.

The flounce is finished with a narrow hem, and attaching the flounce was rather easy. 

When I first sewed these I had enough fabric left over to sew an Ogden Cami thinking I would wear them together.  Yeah, no. It looks like fancy prison outfit with those black and cream stripes, LOL. And trust me when I tell you it looks 100 times better on my dress form than on me.

The finished length was shorter than I anticipated. Granted I never bothered to look at the side length from waist measurement provided on the back of the pattern envelope, which is provided for view A and B (this is view D). Keep that in mind if you're taller than I am (5' 5").

I wore these to church this past Sunday with wedge heels! I'm excited about that because it is the first time I wore a heel or wedge for more than just taking a photo for this blog!  I am all about celebrating my small successes in my healing process, and this is one of them.

As I mentioned earlier, I like these enough that I plan on sewing a lightweight denim pair that I can wear as we transition into cooler fall temps.

Thanks for stopping by! Let's stay connected. You can find me on Instagram (@thesharonsews) or follow my blog on Bloglovin to get updates when I post.

Have a blessed day! Pin It