A New Top for Carmelita

Hello there! I hope you are staying well. I'm on a mini-roll right now, sewing-wise. After the Work from Home Module Sew Along, I dithered about what to do next. I often dither. I annoy myself with my dithering. I knew, though, that I wanted to make a top for my daughter's mother-in-law, Carmelita. Carmelita had recently purchased some pants and a coordinating top from J.Jill; the pants fit well but she hated the top. Going into the store to look for something else was not in the cards (thank you, pandemic), so I offered to make her a top if we could find coordinating fabric.

We were in luck. On the Girl Charlee website, I found two cotton/lycra possibilities. We decided to order both fabrics hoping at least one would work, but both fabrics looked great with the pants. At a later date, I'll make her a top for cooler weather with the other, slightly darker, fabric.

We were both visiting our kids, Mehetabel and Aloysius, and I asked Mehetabel if Carmelita could try on a top (unblogged) that I'd made her. I wanted to check the fit on Carmelita. The top is the Love Notions Classic Tee, two of which are blogged here and here. The one she tried on had 3/4 sleeves and a V-neck. The shirt fit well along the shoulders, neck,  and arms, but was a bit too snug on the torso.

So, I re-printed the top, choosing the Medium and Large layers. After taping the PDF (you know how I love doing that), I cut the top on the Medium lines for the sleeves, shoulders, and neckline; and I cut the bodice on the Large cutting lines. It's not that big a difference, but it gives her a little more room in that region.

The top went together without a hitch. I reinforced the shoulders with fusible interfacing. The seams were sewn with a stretch stitch. The seam allowances were trimmed with the serger, and the hems and neckline were finished with the coverstitch.

She likes the top and I think she looks great! Huzzah!

And now, a parting shot. CJ,  the assistant to my design assistant, is clearly being overworked:

The Work from Home Module Sew Along: Putting It All Together!

 

This work from home module got me back into the studio, and as a bonus, it gave my daughter, Mehetabel, some great pieces to incorporate into her wardrobe. For this module, I wanted tops with three distinct necklines: turtleneck, V-neck with a tie, and a crewneck. I also didn't focus too much on the bottoms because she'd already told me she'd be wearing yoga pants and slippers to work from home! When things open up again, she'll wear more formal bottoms in the classroom, like the Barb Stretch Pants I blogged here.

For the topper, I chose the Helen's Closet Blackwood Cardigan, made from Telio sweater knit in navy. This is my third Blackwood Cardigan. It's a winner! The cardigans are blogged here, and here, and here.

I knew a navy cardigan would be super useful in Mehetabel's wardrobe. And I knew the navy Jalie Eleonores I'd made about four years ago, first pairs blogged here, along with some favorite Levi's would be perfect for the bottoms. For the tops, I chose three comfortable knits from Stylemaker Fabrics in prints.

The first top I made was the Itch to Stitch Hepburn Turtleneck which was the only new-to-me pattern I used. This pattern also qualifies for my pattern challenge, blogged here. The fabric is cotton/lycra jersey with mustard, navy, and ivory flowers. The top is blogged here.

The second top I made was the Jalie Scarf-Collar Top, blogged here. I made this one from a geode print in burgundy, navy, and white. The fabric is a super soft rayon/lycra jersey. I'll bet Mehetabel will wear this one the most.

The third top I made was the Love Notions Classic Tee with the long sleeve and crewneck options. I love this cheerful coral print with flowers and ladybugs in white and navy. This is the most casual of the three tops but  it'll be fine on Zoom calls. This top is blogged here. 

She's wearing the coral top with her navy Jalie Eleonores.

So there you have it! One cardigan, three tops, and two pairs of pants = three great Zoom looks. Now I think I'll have to do another module!

The Work from Home Module Sew Along: Helen's Closet Blackwood Cardigan

As you probably know, I'm working on a work from home module for my daughter, Mehetabel. The idea springs from a challenge that Whitney, of Tomkat Stitchery (on Instagram @tomkatstitcherycarmel), is hosting: making/thrifting/buying three tops, 2 coordinating bottoms, and 1 coordinating topper to make a lot of different outfits--specifically for working from home. I have made three knit tops with navy in them, blogged here, here, and here, and today I'm showing you my latest Helen's Closet Blackwood Cardigan also in navy.

I have made the Blackwood Cardigan twice before, here and here, and I'm sure I'll make it more times as well. It's slouchy and stylish, and also very easy to construct. What's not to love? So when it came time to figure out what topper to make for this module, I thought this cardigan would be perfect.

Construction was done on my sewing machine using a stretch stitch; I trimmed all seams on my serger which made for a nice, neat finish. The shoulders were reinforced with fusible interfacing.

I bought the navy sweater knit a year ago from Fabric.com. It is Telio Cara Polyester, and it is soft and cozy--perfect for working from home--but it'll also work well once we can go out again. 2 yards is more than enough for me to make this cardigan, but I think I might have been shorted this time because I had to get very creative to fit all the pattern pieces on my piece of fabric.

In these photos, Mehetabel is wearing the sweater with a New Look 6150 shell made in double knit, blogged here. Her jeans are Levi's, although she's already told me she'll be wearing Lululemon yoga pants (and slippers) when working from home! This cardigan, in particular, will be a very versatile piece in her wardrobe.

Well, that's about it! Tomorrow or the next day, I'll show all the pieces together,

Take care and happy sewing!

The Work from Home Module Sew Along: Love Notions Classic Tee

I'm back! This time, I want to show you the final top for my daughter's work from home module (#wfhmodulesewalong). For this top, I chose the Love Notions Classic Tee as I've made it several times before and my daughter, Mehetabel, likes the top.

For this module, I wanted 3 distinct necklines for the tops. The first one, blogged here, is a turtleneck, the second one, blogged here, is a scarf-collar, and this one is a crewneck. I think this crewneck tee might be too casual for an in-person classroom, but it'll be fine via Zoom. She's wearing it here with Jalie Eleonore's in navy stretch cotton twill. I made these pants about four years ago and they have gotten a lot of wear. These pants, along with the Levi's she wore with the other two tops, make up the "bottoms" portion of her work from home module.

My first Love Notions Classic Tee can be found here. This one is the same except I added long sleeves. The fabric is from Stylemaker Fabrics and it is a cotton/lycra jersey. I love this shade of coral. It has a bit of heft to it, but that's okay since colder temperatures are on the way.

There weren't any issues sewing this top. As always, I stabilized the shoulders, this time with twill tape. I used my Pfaff's stretch stitch on all seams, serged all seam allowances, and coverstitched the hems and around the collar.

This top has a boxy bodice--perfect for those times when you don't want a skin tight layer next to your stomach! It should be a very comfortable top to wear while working.

Next up, the topper: Helen's Closet Blackwood Cardigan. Ta ta for now!

The Work From Home Module Sew Along: Jalie Scarf-Collar Top

Hello, hello! For my second top in Mehetabel's work from home module (first explained here), I made Jalie's Scarf-Collar Top. I've made this top once before, and it looked good but the fabric didn't have enough stretch, so it was quite uncomfortable. This time, I made sure to use a fabric with plenty of stretch, and this rayon/lycra jersey from Stylemaker Fabrics worked wonderfully. It is super soft and stretchy, and the colors work well with the module I've planned. Here's my first version:

This top is deceptively easy. The tie is the most difficult part, but it really isn't too hard. However, when I got to the point where I needed to pin the collar to the bodice, the instructions from my PDF conflicted with the Jalie-made video for this top! I re-pinned the collar three times, finally going with the video's instructions because I could see that they worked.

The photo above shows an ugly and confusing step. At this point, I was pulling the front and back bodice pieces through the snake-like collar piece. I still don't really understand the process, but just follow the directions and it'll work out happily ever after.

The majority of seams were sewn with a stretch stitch on my sewing machine. The only exception was the collar piece which I sewed with a straight stitch. All seams were finished on the serger, and the hems were done on the coverstitch. Oh, I almost forgot--the shoulders were reinforced with fusible interfacing.

Neither Mehetabel nor I could tie a decent bow--not the pattern's fault--so we opted for a single knot with the ties hanging. And she's wearing sunglasses throughout this post, because even though there's a hint of fall in the air (yay!), it's a bright, sunshiney day.

Mehetabel is wearing Levi's in these photos as they're one of her bottoms for the work at home module.

Next up, the final top for the module: Love Notions Classic Tee. See you soon!

The Work From Home Module Sew Along: Itch to Stitch Hepburn Turtleneck

As you can probably tell by my lack of posting, I didn't sew much over the summer. I just couldn't get motivated. I thought about sewing--a lot--but I just couldn't make myself do anything. I think it was pandemic lethargy. So, what got me out of my doldrums? Well, Whitney of Tomkat Stitchery started a work from home module sew along (#wfhmodulesewalong), because so many of us are stuck at home, but could use new outfits for Zoom meetings, etc. Her idea is to sew/buy/thrift two bottoms, 3 tops. and one topper.

Now, I'm retired, so I don't have many Zoom-needs, but my daughter, Mehetabel, teaches university classes via Zoom and she also has weekly conference calls also on Zoom. I explained Whitney's concept to her and she was on board, but with one caveat: yoga pants and slippers. Well, someday she'll be in a classroom again, so while I'm not stressing over dressy bottom pieces now, I know I can work something out later.

I'm calling this photo, "Mom, I'm trying to teach!"

So, I decided to make the tops in three fabrics I'd purchased from Stylemaker Fabrics, and here's the first one. It's the Itch to Stitch Hepburn Turtleneck made from a soft cotton/lycra jersey. I figured this could be a good layering piece, and the cotton would keep it comfy and breathable. The background is mustard, with ivory flowers outlined in navy. She's wearing it here with Levi's.

Since Mehetabel is 6 feet tall, I added length to the pattern pieces--I was really guessing, but I think the length is perfect. It's funny, I haven't purchased any Big 4 (Simplicity, McCall's, Vogue, and Butterick) since mid-March, but I have been on a tear of purchasing independent PDFs. I find it funny because I have previously professed my intense dislike of PDF patterns! I like the instant gratification--and no pesky outside germs--that come with PDF patterns. This one, the Itch to Stitch Hepburn Turtleneck, went together quickly (both the PDF and the sewing). It has the layering feature I love: print only the size(s) you want.

Coverstitched hem!

Making it was a cinch. This top went together quickly and easily. As I always do with knits, I stabilized the shoulders, this time using fusible interfacing. I sewed all seams with my Pfaff's stretch stitch, serged all seam allowances, and hemmed it using my coverstitch.

This is my first piece for Mehetabel's work from home module. The other pieces will include Jalie Eleonores, Helen's Closet Blackwood Cardigan, a Jalie Scarf-Collar top, and a Love Notions Classic Tee. The tee is probably more casual than she'd wear in the classroom, but I think it'll be fine on Zoom. And remember, even though I'm not taking photos of them, in real life, she'll be wearing her Lululemon's and slippers!

                 

Next up, the Jalie Scarf-Collar Top. See you soon!

McCall's 7975: The Summer Version

Hello, hello! I'm back today with a new top for Mehetabel.  This McCall's 7975 is a fun pattern; it's easy to make, but looks more complicated because of the twist.

I wanted to make a top that Mehetabel could wear with her new olive green linen blend pants (Simplicity 8841) blogged here. This top is made from a jersey crepe from my stash; luckily, this paisley print has olive and peacock blue--and I just so happen to have a peacock blue Robert Kaufman chambray with which I plan to make another pair of Simplicity 7975 pants.

I find it difficult to hem cap sleeves so I decided to hem them prior to installation.  Speaking of installation, I sewed the sleeves in flat which is my preferred method.

All seams were sewn on my regular sewing machine using a stretch stitch.  All seams were trimmed and finished on the serger.  The hems were coverstitched.

This is my second version of this top.  I first made a long-sleeved version last December, blogged here. Like that top, this one fits well in the shoulders and is a bit baggy through the torso. Mehetabel, though, prefers the loose fit in the bodice.  Also, a looser fit will probably be a little cooler that a tighter version.

This is a distinctive top because of the twist, so I don't know that I'll make many more, but I do recommend it!

Apropos of nothing, here's a photo of my design assistants, Bjorn and CJ, taking the day off work to play in the lake at a local state park.  Happiness!