Burda Young 6718

Semi-fitted Sweatshirt

View B

Fabric:  Black/grey HEX Performance from SSE

Size 38

My son LOVES this shirt.  It is a very quick shirt to make, one of those immediate gratification sewing projects.  Basically it is a raglan with bands for sleeves and the body of the shirt, which means no hemming!  For this one, I used black rib knit.  I originally purchased DBP for the sleeves, but decided the weight difference between it and the HEX performance fabric was too great.  So, I ran up to Joann's for some micro fleece which was perfect.

The collar is very long, so keep that in mind if you make this.  I told my son I could shorten it a little, but he likes it the way it is.  I always use interfacing to reinforce the fabric before attaching the grommets.  The shirt is a little big, but for a growing teenage boy, I always tend to leave a some growing room to maximize the amount of time he can wear it.

The next one is made from French Terry that I purchased from Fabric.com.  Since FT is so light weight, I used the same fabric for the bands.

For the collar, I press the fold and then put the drawstring in before sewing.  The fold is wide enough to accommodate the drawstring and be able to top stitch.

My son wears both over a t-shirt to layer for these cooler weather days we have started having.

I'm definitely going to make myself one of these shirts but in a nice and cuddly-soft fleece!

Thanks for stopping by ~ Shirley

Chelsea Pants

 Greenstyle Creations 
Chelsea Pants

I have to admit upfront that it took me 3 attempts to perfect my fit on these pants; however, it was time well spent!  I love these pants.  Note to self....don't use your most expensive knit fabric on your first try!

In my first attempt, I discovered that my waistband was too big and I would also need to include the optional elastic.  My pants felt as though they might pull down just a bit upon sitting.  I adjusted the back waistband by darting out a 1/2" at the top.  I also shortened by an inch above the knee.  I had already shortened the length by 2 inches below the knee, but that was apparently not enough because I had some fabric pooling behind the knee area.  I am 5'1 and it is common for me to have to shorten my pants.

In my second attempt, I realized that perhaps my thighs were a bit too big for the size small I was trying to squeeze them into!  I fell into the hip measurements of a size small, but my thighs needed more space.  I reprinted my pattern with size small and medium lines so I could grade out to a medium immediately after the waist.

The 3rd and final attempt made for a perfect fit.  I retraced my pattern so I could also have another version 2 inches longer in length to accommodate boots in the winter.

It is difficult to see because of the variation in color of my fabric, but there is a seam down the front of the pant legs.  If you look closely around my thigh area, you can see the seam a little clearer.  This is also top stitched.

I wish I could tell you where I purchased this really cool knit, but it was so long ago that I don't remember.  I'm glad I didn't find this to use first, because I like this even more than the ponte knit I had planned/purchased for my pants.

The back waistband dips to a V at the center back.  This is such a nice detail.  This is not hard at all to do.  You can't really tell by the picture, but I had to use another fabric just for the back waistband!  I barely squeezed these pants out of the fabric I had.  I'm so relieved that the color of the waistband blends so well.

My shirt is made by me too.  Originally it was a dress, but after only wearing one time since made, I decided to chop it off and make it into a blouse.  I needed something to match my pants and after rummaging through my closet, it was the only thing I could find.  

I also sewed up this cute t-shirt for one of my girls using Jalie 2805 pattern.  The fabric is Art Gallery from Fabric.com.

Thanks for stopping by ~ Shirley