Sewing Scientist: February 2020

Ellie & Mac Twist it Up Top Pattern

The first Ellie & Mac Twist it Up Top I made was for a friend and it looked so cute that it made me kind of jealous it wasn't for me. I finally got around to making one for myself for Valentine's Day. Since I'm not one to wear clothing with hearts any time other than Valentine's, I needed to make another. The Twist It Up is so cute on and I know I'll wear it a lot, so I wanted to make one in my favorite color - Green.

If you know me, you know that I don't wear solid colored tops very often. I love prints. I really love funky, bright, and wild prints the best. This print has so many different shades of green and I love them all. Chartreuse and that bright minty green are two of my favorite shades.

This fabric is kind of special to me. It came from Super Textiles. They were one of my favorite shops in the Dallas Fabric District (also known as Fabric Alley) until a series of tornadoes hit Dallas in October 2019 and wiped out almost every shop on Perth Street. Steve, the owner, is often called Super Steve and in an effort to recoup some losses from the tornado had a series of "Tornado Sales" of what product he could recover from his crumbled building.

This print was one of the fabrics that I bought from one of those "Tornado Sales". It's a really nice quality rayon spandex. The fabric had gotten a bit wet and some ink had transferred from one layer to another and a few spots had some red from a bolt of fabric nearby. Because of these flaws - I got the fabric for only $1 a yard. A good wash with some oxiclean got most of the excess inks and dye out. This print is on the busy side and for the most part the "flaws" are not glaringly obvious.

Since the tornado wiped out the Super Textile's building, Steve has teamed up with his daughter who brought Super Textiles into the 21st century. They are now on Etsy! I have bought so many fabrics from Super Textiles over the years and now you can shop there too, no matter where you live.

I will miss getting to shop at Super Textiles in person. Steve is such a fun guy and I loved getting to see his canine companion Penny. Penny is the most laid back dog ever. She could always be found sleeping in the office or at Steve's side.

I did make a few adjustments to my Twist it Up Top. I removed 1" from the length for my height. I wanted elbow length sleeves so I added cuffs to the short sleeve version of the top. My cuffs were cut 1" narrower than my measured sleeve width and at 9" tall so they are about 4" long after folding and taking the seam allowance into account. I love this length.

I will be making a few more Twist it Up Tops and think I will try the sleeveless version next.

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Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links. These links provide me with a small compensation if you make a purchase using my link. There is not cost to you when you do this. My thoughts and opinions given in this blog post are mine.

George + Ginger Crimson Dress

The George + Ginger Pattern of the Month for February is the Crimson Dress. I've had the peplum version of the Crimson on my "sewing" list since it was released. Specifically, I wanted to make a solid colored one that's sleeveless. The pattern does include a few sleeve options as well.

Since the Crimson has the gorgeous flounces and I didn't feel like hemming them, I decided to use some of my hoarded Tactel fabric from Zenith & Quasar. I love this fabric - it's so versatile!

I normally take length out of bodices for my height, but with these flounces, I was worried I would mess something up and decided to make it as is. I definitely need to remove length next time and will figure out the best way to remove length from the flounces. The front isn't too bad, but my sway back definitely hides the fact that there is a waistband.

The Crimson neckline is finished with a neckband. However, as I was making this for warmer weather, I decided to hack it to have a shelf bra with bra cups. Because who wants to wear a bra when it's 100 degree outside?

The Crimson has a full circle skirt and I can't resist twirling in a circle skirt.

I paired my Crimson with some Palazzo pants I made a few years ago in a swim knit that also came from Zenith & Quasar.

The Crimson is on sale for $6.75 for the month of February. No code is needed.

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Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links. These links provide me with a small compensation if you make a purchase using my link. There is not cost to you when you do this. My thoughts and opinions given in this blog post are mine.

Itch to Stitch Tallinn Top & Dress Pattern

I told myself that I needed to scale back on testing this year and to avoid temptation, I did leave many of my testing groups. One of the few I remained in was the Itch to Stitch tester group. Kennis Wong does an amazing job pretesting patterns before sending them to testers and rarely has to make any revisions. I typically only have to make a fit garment (which is almost always wearable) and a final garment. This time was no different. Below is my fit garment of the Tallinn Top & Dress.

The top is fitted with princess seams in the front and back. I say fitted, but it is mainly fitted in the bust and waist and the hips are semi fitted.

This is a cool weather top with only long sleeves included in the pattern. However, it is quite easy to hack any sleeve length you would want. I know I'll be making a few with a cap or short sleeve for this summer. I might even make a tank version.

Kennis rarely makes mistakes, but when she gave us the pattern the bust sizing was off by one size. So this test garment is one size to small for my bust, but it's still wearable. I will likely let this one hang in my closet until October and maybe I'll lose enough weight by then that it will fit my bust perfectly.

For my fit garment I removed 1" from the length at the upper lengthen/shorten line. This was to get the line indicating the waist to where my waist is.

After hemming I thought I could have used that inch I removed added back to the length. This length isn't necessarily "bad", but I do prefer just a tiny bit longer. I'm wearing my Itch to Stitch Samara Pants with my Tallinn Top. I made these in a denim from Minerva and love them!

Here is my final Tallinn Top. This one is the correct size for my bust and after removing the 1" from the top lengthen/shorten line, I added an inch to the lower lengthen/shorten line.

I used a poly spandex jersey for this one in a funky geometric print in fall colors. Spring will be here soon and I knew I wouldn't get to wear these much until the fall. It was 81 the day I took these photos and now in the upper 40's as I write this blog post.

If you are a fan of Lularoe clothing, you might recognize this fabric. It's deadstock that I bought in the Dallas fabric district a few years ago.

The neckline on the Tallinn is done as a binding with it being finished by stitching in the ditch of the seam. I found that I am not very good at stitching in the ditch on a knit going in a curve. My stitching did not stay in the ditch. Hopefully no one looks that close at my neckline when I'm wearing my top.

The Tallinn has a front center seam, but the back is cut on the fold. Both sides have princess seams for shaping. Even though this top have several pieces, it goes together really quick.

The Tallinn also has a peplum and dress option in the pattern. I cannot wait to try the peplum version. The pattern is on sale for 20% off ($9.60) through 02/26/2020.

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Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links. These links provide me with a small compensation if you make a purchase using my link. There is not cost to you when you do this. My thoughts and opinions given in this blog post are mine.

George + Ginger Star Struck

I have been dying to make the George + Ginger Star Struck ever since I saw it go into testing last year. I was busy and couldn't test the pattern. Then it got cold and making it, went to the bottom of my list. Then I got this awesome smooth ribbing from Bow Button Fabrics and knew it would be perfect. Plus - Spring is just around the corner.

Full disclosure - I made a huge mistake and did not even notice until I went to put it on. I somehow crossed the straps in the back. So the front straps are crossing over too high in front. I'll have to get out the seam ripper and take the back apart one night while watching a movie to fix it. This was made almost entirely on my sewing machine. There are some really thick seams and a few places where there are 12 layers of fabric.

The Star Struck is to be made with a stable knit and ponte is highly recommended. The smooth ribbing reminds me of a ponte. It has about the same thickness and is fairly stable. The Starstruck pattern includes a template to use to cut your bands down after you stitch then to remove excess length that can occur when sewing knits. I had to trim off very little. I was really impressed.

I used a cotton lycra for the body and used an athletic knit for the lining. I made the pattern as is and did not remove any length for my height as I was unsure if it would be needed. I definitely will make a few adjustments to my next one, but I am sure to still wear this one this summer.

The George + Ginger YouTube channel has a video showing a few different hacks. I want to make the non cross strap version with the lace in the main binding pieces. It looks so feminine and romantic.

Bow Button Fabrics has this smooth ribbing in 5 colors. It is $10 for a half yard, but with ribbing, a little goes a long way. See all the colors HERE.

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Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links. These links provide me with a small compensation if you make a purchase using my link. There is not cost to you when you do this. My thoughts and opinions given in this blog post are mine.

Sinclair Patterns Gaia Tank

I recently got some amazing organic cotton lycra smooth ribbing from Bow Button Fabrics in Dark Blue. It has great stretch and the added lycra gives it pretty good recovery. I immediately went through my fabric stash to see what look best with it and then looked through my patterns to see what patterns I had that needed a lot of ribbing.

First up was this bacteria print from Zenith & Quasar. It's a teal & blue design and I've been intending on making this into a workout tank. I have a casual top made with this print that I sometimes wear to work and love it.

I love Sinclair Patterns as they come in petite sizing which always fit me perfectly. When they released the Gaia pattern, I bought it immediately and had not taken the time to make it. Since I'm on a mission to sew up my fabric and pattern stash - I felt good checking off two boxes. Plus the Gaia has this cool keyhole back and requires the use of a binding.

Here's a closer view so you can see how amazing the smooth ribbing did. It was so easy to work with! The Gaia pattern gives instructions for 3 methods to do the binding. I used the wrap around method and think it came out pretty good.

In these photos I'm wearing my Gaia with some navy joggers that I made years ago. I'm thinking I might make a pair of navy leggings to go with my new Gaia tank.

Greenstyle Creations Tempo Athletic Tights

I probably don't get to the gym as often as I should. I try really hard to go every day and do pretty good most of the time. But I really hate the winter months when it's dark when I head to work and dark when I get home. Usually when we get home from work, it's time to make dinner. I cannot work out after a meal. It never ends well. So I'm looking forward to March and the start of Spring. I've noticed that the workout tights that I grab over and over again are made with Zenith & Quasar Yoga Swim Spandex (YSS). It simply makes the most comfortable workout wear. I decided I needed to make a few new ones as I'm jumping in on the Greenstyle Fit Capsule Challenge. You can read about it HERE.

I decided to try the newest athletic tights from Greenstyle - the Tempo Athletic Tights. They feature color blocking which I always love for using up smaller cuts and scraps of fabric.

I also made my tank top for my fit capsule as well. For it, I used the Apostrophe Patterns My Fit Tee (I chose the swing version). The Apostrophe Patterns are made to your measurements. I obviously measured some stuff wrong and ended up with very low armholes. But this works perfectly fine for working out in. I might need to make a cute matching sports to wear under it.

I used Stormy Streaks YSS from Zenith & Quasar for my Tempos and used a black mesh for the calf insert. I have a bomber jacket made with this same YSS print. I should have grabbed it to wear with my Tempos to be extra matchy matchy.

I used the teal lightweight athletic brushed poly (ABP) from Zenith & Quasar for my tank. The lightweight ABP is my favorite for tops. It's so soft and comfortable, yet it has amazing moisture wicking properties.

Here's a closeup view of my mesh insert. It's really hard to tell it's mesh as it's not stretched much over my leg.

I'm still on the fence about the Tempo Athletic Tights. I made this pair using a flatlock stitch on my serger. I was worried that the bulkiness of all these seams would feel strange on my legs. These feel really good. However, I find the colorblocking to not be very flattering on my figure. I honestly saw very few tester versions that I thought looked flattering - and that was on all body types, shapes, and sizes. It seemed that you had to be very mindful of color and pattern placement and my favorite ones all happened to use mostly all the same fabric with only color blocking at the calf (if they did incorporate another print or solid) and the ones I liked best on testers all used a fabric with a stripe like design. That's why I chose this Stormy Streak print. It's stripes without being stripes. I'm definitely going to make another pair - because I really want to try mesh sides with pockets. But I do think the Stride Tights have colorblocking that is more figure flattering, visually slimming, and make my booty look really good.

All Greenstyle PDF patterns are on sale for 25% off with the code 30KFitCapsule through February 29th!

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Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links. These links provide me with a small compensation if you make a purchase using my link. There is not cost to you when you do this. My thoughts and opinions given in this blog post are mine.

Halla Patterns Rachael Top & Dress

I ended 2019 doing a pattern test for Halla Patterns. That pattern was the Rachael Top & Dress and it's finally released! During testing we only tested the dress bodice several times before the fit was exactly perfect. The dress is intended to be a knee length 3/4 circle skirt. I knew I would not wear that style of dress and was eager to make the shirt version once that part of the pattern was ready.

I am a huge fan of boat neck tops and the Rachael does not disappoint. The neckline is finished with a facing and with this fabric, it was a little finicky. This is the Modern Jersey from Spoonflower in a design I created from a Labradorite rock.

The Rachael is fitted through the bust and the waist and hips are slightly fitted.

The neckline is under-stitched to keep it from rolling out, but on this top, it wants to roll out regardless. I plan to go back and topstitch the edge of the facing down to prevent this from happening.

After I made the shirt above, I took apart two of my tester bodices that I made early in testing.I recut them to fit the final pattern and decided to add a full circle peplum skirt to them. I didn't want to feel like I wasted any fabric and I really love peplum tops.

I like to think it was because of me that a full circle peplum was added to the pattern before release. I made this Rachael with the mock neck - which I also love. If we were not heading into Spring soon, I'd make a bunch of the mock neck shirts in a sweater knit.

This Rachael is my favorite! This is the boat neck peplum. I made this one in a cotton lycra from Wanderlust Fabrics.

This pretty floral has me ready for Spring.

When I was testing the dress bodice, I did not remove length for my height. After wearing both of these peplum versions of the Rachael, I think I make take the peplum skirts off and remove 1" from the bodice length. I find that the seam falls about an inch below my natural waist.

I made the 3/4 length sleeve on each of my Rachael tops. I find that is the sleeve length I wear most often from fall to spring. I am thinking of trying a sleeveless version for this summer. All Halla PDF patterns are on sale for 50% off with the code RACHAEL through Monday at Midnight PST.

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Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links. These links provide me with a small compensation if you make a purchase using my link. There is not cost to you when you do this. My thoughts and opinions given in this blog post are mine.

Zenith & Quasar Science Round Dark Rainbow Pi

Zenith & Quasar runs a lot of science themed prints, but round 39 is "Science". The entire round is designed by Elishka of Robyriker. Elishka is an aerospace engineer and creator of amazing science themed fabrics that you can find on Spoonflower. The print I sewed up is called Dark Rainbow Pi.

If it looks familiar, that's because I've made a few tops with the Light Rainbow Pi. Pi Day falls on a Saturday this year and that means my annual work party will have to be early and not quite the same as usual. I decided that instead of making a new swanky top to wear to work, that I would make myself a racerback tank top to wear to the gym.

My tank is the Patterns for Pirates Free Spirit Tank. This pattern has so many options. For this one I chose the curved hem with the racerback and did binding on the neck and armholes. My fabric is the athletic brushed poly (ABP) and I used lightweight ABP in neon pink for the bindings. The lightweight neon pink ABP is currently on sale for $7.50 a yard! It happens to match all the Science prints this round.

I had heavyweight ABP in neon pink in my fabric stash and decided to make matching leggings to complete my new gym outfit. I used the Sinclair Patterns Penny Classic Leggings for these.

I came really close to making a cocoon cardigan with the lightweight ABP in neon pink, but realized it would get very little wear.

The preorder at Zenith & Quasar will be closing February 8. Order at https://www.zenithandquasar.com/product-category/preorder-r39-science/

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Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links. These links provide me with a small compensation if you make a purchase using my link. There is not cost to you when you do this. My thoughts and opinions given in this blog post are mine.