Sew Cool for the Tween Scene

Monday, September 14, 2015

Pattern Review: Flyer Jacket

On one installment of our ongoing series Would They Wear That? we looked at the trend of MOTO. We identified several patterns that we found out there that could be modified to make a motorcycle style jacket and I finally go the chance to try one.

Name of the pattern: This is the P51 Flyer Jacket Pattern by Terra's Treasures.

Pattern Source: I discovered this great pattern through Pattern Revolution and one of their Bundle Up sales. It is marketed as a boy jacket and I think it would make an awesome boy jacket! I plan to make one for my son, but just have not yet.

Sizes available: It comes in sizes 12/18 months to 16 and really, I think this pattern not only works for the older kids, it is best for the older kids. What a cool thing to be able to do, sew your child a moto style jacket!

Special materials required: This jacket is designed to be fully lined so you will need an outer and inner fabric. Depending on heavy/warm you want to make the jacket, your fabrics can greatly vary.

Also essential is a separating jacket zipper and some other hardware to complete the look. I used some funky snaps to attach the tabs. Other fun details could be made with metal zippers for pockets.

Skill level required: When I bought this pattern, I was sure it would require an intermediate or higher skill level. But, it was really very easy ... but not quick. There are a lot of pieces involved and cutting alone took quite a bit of time. But the instructions were so clear, construction was not hard at all.

The welt pockets are a great touch and I modified them a bit just because of my fabric choice.

I did deviate from the pattern a little bit. I choose a double sided fabric so I did not line the jacket. Since I did not line it, I used some gold faux leather (it is the cheep kind in the costume section) to provide some contrast on the cuffs, collar, and pockets as well as to bind the edges.

Good: Well, my daughter told me that this was her favorite thing I ever made. You just don't get better than that.

Abi liked the aviator style collar a lot though I liked it down better than snapped.

And I loved how well this project came together. I was ready for a challenge and it just smoothly turned into a super cool and stylish.

Bad: My fabric choice was rough on my machine. It did not like how thick it was in places. So, just be careful that there are parts that are quite thick and you may need special care in sewing some of those bits. Especially the top-stitching.

Ugly: Nothing

Overall pattern rating: This pattern certainly earned 5 bolts.

This was my first pattern from Terra's Treasures but it certainly won't be my last!

Thursday, September 10, 2015

Back to school action plan

(Stacy here) Back to school sewing is in full swing for most people now. Or perhaps you are already done? Good job!

I don't really make my kids special "First Day of School" outfits anymore. Usually on their first day they wear something I made them over the summer, since it is still warm.

My focus on back to school sewing is sewing up something for fall when the temps start dipping lower. This usually happens around the middle to end of September, so I still have a little time.

My kids don't need a lot of clothes right now. My son did seem to grow a few inches over the summer. He was gone to his aunt and uncle's farm for a week and I swear he got taller while he was there, too. I need to have him try on all his jeans and athletic pants to see what still fits and then get on that. I might make some joggers for him that are cropping up all over the place right now.

Jasper Joggers by Gracious Threads

Domi Sweatpants by Sofilantjes Patterns

He's a big t-shirt wearer, so I have a few I want to make him. I have an Ottobre pattern that fits fairly well that I will use. He barely wore long-sleeve shirts last year and opted to wear a hoodie if he got cold. The same hoodie, usually for weeks at a time, until I took it out his backpack to wash it. Boys.

There was a new hoodie released from Peek A Boo pattern shop that looks like it would be great for either a boy or girl.

Hyde Park Hoodie by Peek A Boo Patterns

As for the girl, I am working on peplum tops and leggings or pull on skinny pants. She really doesn't wear dresses much, as the cold weather makes it a bit uncomfortable.

There are several peplum top patterns that have cropped up over the last 6 months or so.

The Paisley Peplum by The Simple Life Pattern Company

My version from last winter (I use the higher back option)

Picture Perfect Peplum Top by AimerLae & Finn

The joggers noted above could be used for the girls, too. Otherwise, I have used Oliver + S Playtime Leggings for my daughter.

Oliver + S Playtime Leggings

I have also used the Emilya's Skinny Pants from Simple Life Pattern Company (shown with the Paisely Top above).

As for right now, I have a few new outfits with peplum tops completed. It's a start!

What are you sewing for back to school?

Monday, September 7, 2015

Would they Wear That? Dolman tops

I (Major Moma) am reading Tim Gunn's book The Fashion Bible (affiliate link) and am quite enjoying learning the history behind the garments we wear today. So in the spirit of Mr. Gunn's book, I thought I would share a little history about a style of top I am making for Abi's Back-to-School wardrobe.

Tee shirts are an absolute must for today's wardrobe but I think they can look sloppy or boring so I love it when I can find a tee that has some fun shape to it. And the "dolman" shirt is perfect for adding that little something special to a basic tee. Also, the cut is quite comfortable so there is no sacrifice for fashion!

Wikapedia traces the origins of the Doman to Turkish court clothing and describes a woman's dolman top as "A dolman sleeve is a sleeve set into a very low armscye; in fact, the armscye may extend to the waistline, in which case there will be no underarm seam in the blouse. Dolman sleeves were very popular in ladies clothing during the Civil War. They returned to popular fashion in the mid 1980s with dolman sleeves on acid and stone-washed denim jackets geared towards teenage boys and girls. They had the effect of making the shoulders look sloped therefore minimizing the appearance of the waist."

source

I am guessing that it is the '80s fashion revival that has brought the dolman back on trend for us today. See! there was some good fashion in the '80s!

If you are not as interested in the history of fashion but need to know what makes a dolman sleeve a dolman, Dictionary.com has a much less illuminating description:

noun

a sleeve tapered from a very large armhole to fit closely at the wrist,used on women's garments.

A short sleeve version of this top is wonderfully simple because the sleeve is cut onto the front and back. What that means is that there are only two pieces to the pattern! (unless you opt for binding the neckline)

The longer sleeve version has a sleeve that attaches to that dropped shoulder and is quite fitted on the arm while the under arm is left loose and breezy.

There are two dolman sleeve patterns on my cutting table right now; Shwin & Shwin's Day Tripper top and Jaile's 3352. But there are other options if you want to sew this style for your tween.

A pattern I have not tried but have seen good things written about is the Carlie by EYMM. It comes in sizes into the high tweens/teens and has a trendy high/low thing going on too.

Carlie

Pattern's for Pirates has a woman's dolman called the Pumpkin Spice that comes in an XXS that according to the measurements would fit a size 10 or 12 tween girl. This pattern has a couple different design options and if it is as good as the other P4P patterns I have sewn, it is sure to be a winner.

Sew Much Ado has two dolman tops in it's shop. One is for children and only goes up to size 10 and the other is for women and starts at XS. One of these may work for your tween. Check out the measurements and see ...

source

Jaile's 3352 comes in sizes 2T to 22 Woman's. So this is a pattern that can really fit all the girls/ladies in your family.

The Day Tripper also is not a children's pattern. It is designed for women but the XS is an option for the older tweens. (Plus, you can sew one up for you too just to make the purchase worth it, right?)

And finally, if you are more of a Draft-it-Yourself gal or simply don't have the cash to spend on one more pattern during the school buying frenzy, Becca's Creative Notions has a tutorial on how to use your normal tee-shirt pattern to draft a dolman sleeve tee-shirt.

Sooo,,. Would your tween wear a dolman top?

Thursday, September 3, 2015

We have a Winner

Noor Raats

You are the Winner of the great Love Notions Pattern Give-A-Way!

If you didn't win, you still should really hop on over to Love Notions and check out Tami's patterns! You won't regret it!

Monday, August 31, 2015

Paneled Sunsuit Pattern Tour...It's More Than Just a Sunsuit!

Welcome to this stop on the 'Not Just a Sunsuit" by Call Ajaire Tour!

Today I wanted to show you a simple way you can add to that Back To School/Fall wardrobe, that is quick and easy, thanks to this new amazing and very versatile pattern by Call Ajaire

But I really think you could call this pattern "Everything But the Kitchen Sink"...you get a ton of options with this pattern. So much so, I'm not going to break it down for you like a normal pattern review...I just wouldn't be able to give an honest review or do it justice. So for our stop we have the Maxi Skirt option (just 1 of the 9 options!).

When I showed the girls all of the options, they were most excited about the maxi skirt...they have both been begging me to make them one, so this was the perfect excuse.

I feel bad, after seeing all of the amazing variations of the pattern on the rest of the tour, that I probably chose the simplest option there was, but it's what they wanted...so that is what they got.

I actually used knit jersey and sewed up a size 12 and a size 10...yes my littlest is moving into tween sizes, yikes!

To keep it loose and flowy, I omitted the pockets...and by doing so, I think this pattern sewed up faster than it took me to tape it together!

And the great thing about this skirt is that you could dress it up or down and wear it with layers for the winter. I love how my girls styled their's for the pictures...so comfy looking, which is just what a maxi skirt should be. My husband calls them more formal sweatpants.

Just look at that stripe matching...pat on the back to me!

Good:

Tons of options!!!

Easy to follow instructions that come together quickly

So many ways to make it fit the needs/wants of your daughter...pockets, piping, lengthening/shortening

This fabric didn't repeat as much, so I wasn't able to match the stripes...hopefully it doesn't look to off. She didn't mind

Bad:

Because there are so many options, the pattern itself is a little overwhelming and because of so many choices and the fact that it goes from newborn to size 12...the option to print in layers would have been a welcome one for this pattern.

Ugly: Nothing

So for the Maxi Skirt at least I give this a 4 Lightening Bolt rating!

And here Sophia is showing you just how comfy they are...they still allow you to MOVE!

Major Mama was part of the test group for the pattern and here is her version of the sunsuit:

I'm kind of loving the color combination and just how comfy it looks! Her biggest recommendation is to pay special attention when attaching the straps and two bodice pieces. The pattern has a neat trick to make all the seams on the inside, but if you get ahead of the instructions, you could goof it all up.

So if you are interested in the Not Just a Sunsuit pattern, you should try your luck at the give-a-way and then go check out all of the other amazing creations!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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