Burdastyle Elastic Waist Pants

This is another oldie but goodie. It's from the May, 2013 issue of Burdastyle magazine. I made several of these pants back in the day. Then I put that pattern aside and moved along to shiny, new pants patterns. In fact, I put it aside so completely that I've since lost that issue of the magazine. 

I recently found an old pair of these pants in a grey cotton/linen blend in the lower strata of the pants drawer. I tried them on and remembered that I liked them a lot. So I hauled a 2 yard cut of linen out of the fabric closet and made another.

This is medium weight linen from the fabrics-store.com in a color called Montana Grape. They describe it thusly:

"The dusty, muted warmth of Montana Grape linen was the ideal backdrop for Paul Gauguin's rustic scenes, conveying sun-soaked tracks of earth, dry flowers, or the shadowy layered depths of human skin. [yuck!]

A leader in the French Post-Impressionist oeuvre, Gauguin heightened colors so he could transcend reality, combining this dreamy shade of purple with feverish jungle greens that together transport us into a magical, otherworldly place. 

He observed with fascination, "Colour! What a deep and mysterious language, the language of dreams."

In certain lights it looks almost grey, so I'm thinking of it as a neutral. We'll see how that works out for me once I try blending it into my closet.

These pants are supposed to have a drawstring waist, but I can't ever figure out how to arrange the bow on a drawstring, so I just subbed in elastic. There are nice, deep slash pockets and the legs are pretty straight from the hip.

Here's a top-tucked-in photo to show what the waist looks like. I used a one-inch wide elastic, so the waist holds snugly enough that I can slide my phone in my pocket while dog walking without making the pants droop.

There are several patterns in this issue of Burdastyle that I remember fondly and would like to make again. I tried doing a little on-line shopping to order myself a replacement copy of the issue I'd lost. I thought I'd found it, but when the magazine got here it was the German language version. I tried again and ended up ordering a French language version. Can I read either language? No. 

I think I'll sit pat for a bit. Maybe me and Google Translate can become friends. 

My pattern review is on PatternReview.com here.

Pendrell Top by Sewaholic

I was doing a good toss of the pattern drawer in my quest to find top patterns that could fit on a one yard cut of 45 inch wide cotton when I came upon my copy of the Pendrell top by Sewaholic. Looks like this pattern came out back in 2010. I made several back in the day and then somehow I forgot about it. But it's a nice pattern and I'm glad I hauled it out and gave it another try.

It's a bit wrinkled in these photos. I'd worn it to a 2 hour meeting on a hot day. 

The Pendrell is described as a semi-fitted pullover blouse with princess seams and bias binding at the neck and armhole, and that it is. The fit is rather loose, to allow for the pullover part, which makes it cool and comfy to wear on a warm summer day. 

Finishing curvy edges with bias binding isn't my favorite thing to do, but I actually followed the pattern directions and it didn't go too badly. 

The only hiccup I had was cutting a hole in the front while learning to finish the seams with my new serger. I was shocked and distraught, ready to toss the evidence of my failure into the bin. But I liked the fabric well enough to see if I could recover. I picked out the serger stitches and doctored the cut with some fusible interfacing and some fray check. I think it will be OK, and luckily the print is busy enough that it doesn't show. Much.

Sewaholic patterns are drafted for a pear-shaped figure. I cut a size 8, which is for a 34.5 inch bust and a 40.5 inch hip. I am a straight-up brick. I shortened the top quite a bit to get it to fit on my 1 yard cut of fabric, so I didn't mess with blending sizes. Otherwise I'd be blending from a size 8 up top to a size 0 down below.

If you are blessed with more booty than I, you might want to check out Sewaholic patterns. I don't think she's been designing new patterns for some years, which saddens me. In fact, I don't know if the website I linked to above is still live. You can still find her patterns out on the inter webs though, In fact, they're available through PaternReview.com here.

My pattern review is on PatternReview.com here.

Burdastyle Woven Top

Last week I got together with a couple of sewing friends and we took a field trip to check out a new-to-us fabric store in Monterrey. It's called Slow Fiber, and we had a great time poking around. It's kind of a combo fabric and thrift store. They carry a small but nice selection of new fabrics and patterns, as well as a bunch of used patterns and cuts of fabric that are a joy to browse through. And they carry new and used notions and yarn. I got 4 spools of grey serger thread for $4 and Janet got enough of a pretty lavender yarn to make a sweater. I have to try one of their classes or sewing retreats one day soon.

I also snagged a one-yard cut of Australian print fabric for $5. I liked the colors and I was sure I could get a top out of it. Turned out that wasn't as easy as I thought. I used an old Burdastyle pattern from the June, 2011 issue. Top number 106B. It has a front and a back, both cut on the fold, plus a neck facing. Not a lot of pattern pieces, but no matter how I wrangled them I couldn't swing it without making some emergency modifications. I shortened the top by about 3 inches and cut the back in two pieces. I'm thinking of wearing it with high waisted pants and skirts, so short was OK by me.

But it ended up a bit too short even for a crop top, so I pieced together a hem band to add about 1.5 inches at the bottom. Lucky for me the print is so busy you have to look close to notice. 

I couldn't get the pattern to match across the back seam, so I flipped one piece to cut on the cross grain. That makes it looks like a design choice, right?

I made this pattern once many years ago. Probably in 2011, before I began committing my makes to the internet. I didn't like it at the time because it was boxier than I anticipated, but it turns out I've been wearing it quite a bit lately. It's one of those loose cotton tops that I can get away with wearing without a bra, which is always my preference. 

This is a handy little top and I'm glad I gave the pattern another go. I'll happily use it again if I want to show off a cute print. It's simple and quick to sew up and it doesn't use much fabric. But take my tip and if your fabric is 44 inches wide, try to get a yard and a quarter at least. Or be willing to spend some time playing pattern Tetris.

My pattern review is on PatternReview.com here.

Kid Sewing with a Teen

My 13 year old niece, Isabella, came to visit in July. She is the niece who is interested in sewing, so she wanted to sew a dress while she was here. She researched patterns on-line and chose a Burdastyle magazine pattern from June, 2016. A very cute, vintage style dress suitable for a cotton fabric. That issue just happened to be in my 10-plus year Burda collection, so I traced out her size (based on her measurements) and she bought what we hoped would be a suitable fabric from Hart's online.

And here is the result! We went from cutting out to mostly finished dress in just the few days she was with us. And that was worked in around a bunch of sightseeing and dinners out!

Here is the photo-shoot of the pattern from 2016. Cute, am I right? And not too challenging, I thought.

But, sadly, I didn't look at the pattern as closely as I should have. Take a look at the line drawing. See those inset corners that do most of the bust shaping? Not the kind of thing that you want to spring on an eager and interested young sewist. 

Isabella wasn't phased though. She's an extraordinarily neat and careful worker.

By the time she had to pack up to return to Chicago we were able to finish everything except for hemming and closing the straps at the shoulder.

If memory serves, this is the third dress that she and I have sewn together. Each one was a Burdastyle pattern. The first two were knits. This is her first woven dress, with darts and a side zipper and everything. Even a lined bodice!

Dress #1, from 2018 (8 years old!)

Dress #2 from 2022

And her most current project. She's looking forward to getting her own sewing machine in the near future. Nothing will stop her, I'm sure!

My pattern review is on PatternReview.com here.

Teddy Top by Stylearc

 I took a quick trip up to Ashland earlier this month to visit my friend, Jessica. She is my best sewing buddy. So, of course, we hit Sew Creative while we were cruising about town. They had a pretty blue cotton on sale for $8 a yard, so I got two yards. I'd gotten a helpful email from Amazon just the week before, offering me a two-for-one deal on the Teddy Top and Pant from Stylearc, and I thought this blue might work out nicely for the top. 

And I think it did, more or less. The cotton has a bit of heft to it, which highlights the a-line shape of the top. Hmm, also highlights the drag lines associated with the cut on sleeves, but what are you going to do?

Teddy has a high-low hem with a faced hem band, which also helps that a-line stand out proud.

Please excuse the dog photo-bombing. 

I hear this is the way Great Pyrenees hug. If you're not ready for it, it can knock you over.

I was initially attracted to the pattern because of the collar. It's a bit of a fiddle to sew, and I'm sure I didn't get it quite right, but it's close enough for government work. You can wear it folded back, like a shawl collar or popped so it hugs your neck.

Here's a shot of it popped.

I feel like my legs are too short to really carry off an a-line top this length. I made the top length rather than the tunic length, by the way. 

I'm toying with the idea of removing the 3-inch faced hem band to crop it a bit more. Or maybe just making a cropped one of some other fabric, because I do think I'll enjoy wearing this one as is in the heat of summer. 

My pattern review is on PatternReview.com here.

Closet Core Pietra, Wide-Leg Edition

I've been reading that wide leg jeans are the high kick of fashion these days. I have fond memories of wide leg jeans from my youth, which is more than half a century ago by now. They were comfortable, they came with roomy pockets and they were usually hemmed long enough that you could forge the illusion of an extra inch or two of height.

So, these aren't jeans. But they are wide legged, and they do have roomy pockets and they are made of denim. So close enough in my book. They're the Closet Core Pietra pants in the wide leg view.

This pattern is one of the few for which I've made all the views, and by golly, I like every one. There are three; slim leg, wide leg and shorts, and each view has different pattern pieces. Except for the inner waist facing bits, which are the same across all views.

All views have a flat front and an elastic back waist. I wouldn't normally wear my top tucked in with an elastic waist pant, but I do it here for science.

I've worn them on a few outings now and I think they're going to be a great pair of knock-about denim pants. Which is really all I ever ask of jeans.

This is one of those patterns that I'll keep in the portfolio and make over and over again. In fact, I think I'm going to need a narrow leg denim pair soon. My hand-me-down Levi's from The Man are getting too tattered for even a teenager to wear in public.

My pattern review is on PatternReview.com here.

Dawn Apron by Lydia Naomi

I've been in the market for a gardening apron. Something rough and tough, with pockets for my equipment and enough front coverage to save my tee shirts from dirt and rocks. 

Somehow I stumbled on the Dawn Apron, by Lydia Naomi. I think it was on someone's blog, but I can't remember whose and google has not helped me out on this. 

It's one of those cross-back aprons. I don't think I've ever tried one on before, but turns out they're really comfortable to wear.

 And great for something where you want freedom of movement. Like gardening.

The pattern comes with a piece for two side pockets that have elastic inserted in the top hem. I'm thinking that elastic will keep my pruners and trowel corralled while I work. 

I added a chest pocket for my phone, and maybe a seed packet or two. I have a pair of scissors in there for the photoshoot because details are hard to see in denim.

I haven't road-tested it yet. I just finished it this afternoon and it's been raining the past few days. Weather prediction for the next 5 days is for sun, sun, sun, so I hope to get out there and finish a few garden tasks. I have 10 yards of bark mulch to spread and a vegetable patch to get planted.

My pattern review is at PatternReview.com here.

Itch to Stitch Palermo Top

The Palermo is from Sew Beautiful, the Itch to Stitch book that came out in 2020. I got the book soon after it came out and I've made several of the patterns. Looks like the only one I've done a post on is the Fortuna Jogger. I made two of those and still happily wear them to the gym and for lounging.

The Palermo is a peasant style top with a square, elastic neck and 7/8 length raglan sleeves.

It has that boho vibe but it isn't over the top.

The side seams have a bit of shaping to them, which helps keep the volume in check. And the slit at the front neck breaks up the gathers very nicely. As a short brick, I have to watch that sort of thing or I can look like a roll of toilet paper in one of those frilly covers. 

I made it totally according to the specifications and it came out at about high hip on me. I'm 5'3", for reference.

I cut the elastic to the length spelled out in the pattern and that fit perfectly too. If you want a bit more of an off-the-shoulder look, you might want to cut the neck elastic a bit longer.  Even the length for the sleeve elastic is just right.  My sleeves stay in place when I hoik them up without strangling my arm.

The Palermo is a quick and stress-free sew and feels like a great little summer top. Cool and breezy, but keeps your arms out of the sun.

My pattern review is on PatternReview.com here.

Itch to Stitch Islares Top

I had a bit of a marathon sewing session with the Islares top, by Itch to Stitch. I liked my first version so much that I ordered two cuts of cotton lycra to sew a couple more.

The Islares has a square neck that's just the right depth and width for me. My bra straps don't show and there's no gaping when I move.

I think the nice fit is due to the darts at the shoulder and the interfaced neckline. 

That neckline was a bit more complicated to construct than your average tee, but the instructions are great and it's worth the extra care.

The bottom hem has a bit of a curve to it, which I quite like.

The back neck is also squared off, but not as low as the front.

The top has a pretty close fit, which makes it nice for wearing under a jacket or sweater. You do want to have the recommended stretch in your fabric though, to keep the underarms from being uncomfortably tight. My two cotton lycra versions are fine, but on the verge of being annoying.

This is a great top for early spring, when you still want to keep your arms covered up a bit even though the sun is coming out. Though the pattern includes a short-sleeve version too.

My pattern review is on PatterReview.com here.

Running Belt

This is one of my favorite things I’ve made in some time. And it was so quick and easy too!

I try to run two or three times a week. Well, truthfully it’s more like jogging. I have a couple of neighborhood routes, one for wet days and one for dry days. The dry day run is through a nearby park, under oak trees and through coastal scrubland. Lovely, but it’s a muddy morass during the rainy season. The rainy day run is on pavement, but it has a couple spectacular views of the bay. The beauty of both is that I can just grab my phone and house key and take off.

My old running belt had developed zipper issues and the ones available in the running stores all seemed overly complicated. And expensive.

Then I stumbled over a YouTube tutorial by The Last Stitch for a great little running belt. When it’s empty it’s tiny.

But it easily expands to hold my phone and keys. And I could fit in some cash, a credit card or some energy snacks, no problem.

It was so quick and easy to make, and since I made it to fit me, I didn’t need to use any sliders or other paraphernalia to allow for size adjustments. The belt part is some waistband elastic I had in stash and the buckle is a cheap-o plastic one from Hart’s. I had the thing sewn up in mere moments and it’s served me well for months now.

Here it is ready for an outing. 

Note to self: remember these would make quick and easy gifts, especially for those hard-to-buy for nephews!

My pattern review is on PatternReview.com, if you're interested.