Lace Top and Linen Skirt

This poor little blog got off to a good start and then was left to languish. But that doesn't mean I haven't been sewing. Au contraire, there's been a veritable flurry of garments created. I hope to add them here, bit by bit, so I remember how I put them together.

The following two garments were stitched for the 2015 Wardrobe Contest on Pattern Review.

I'm so glad lace is back. The stretchy stuff is great. I bought some at Fabricland and then tried to find a t-shirt knit to coordinate with it. I tried white which didn't do anything for the lace, and a darker blue. The blue I finally chose is something I had in my stash and has a purplish tone. 

I thought through the construction of the top a lot before sewing it. It occurred to me, one night as I lay awake, that done properly, it could be reversible. Here are the steps:

1. Stitch the back seam of both the t-shirt knit and the lace knit.
2. Place the back pieces right sides together (lace against t-shirt) and sew the neckline and armholes. 
3. Ditto for the front neckline and armholes.
4. Stitch the sides seams together, keeping the t-shirt and lace separate.
5. Turn right side out.
6. Stitch the t-shirt knit shoulders togethers.
7. Hand stitch the lace shoulders. 
8. Hem each piece separately.

I think I'm going to tack the hems together so one doesn't ride up while wearing it. 

The pattern I used is based off an OOP McCalls 4600. I scooped the neckline, left off the sleeves and slightly curved the hem. I also curved out the bustline on the front sides, easing the extra fabric into the side seam for a little extra room.
 

To go with the top I made a linen/rayon skirt using Marcy Tilton's Vogue 8499. I love the unique lines and looks of the Tilton patterns, but often find the volume too much for my shape and size.

Because the hem is sewn first and is curved, the length must be determined before cutting the pattern. I shortened the skirt by 4 inches. I'm 5'4" and you can see that the skirt now falls a couple of inches above my ankles. 
 
For this skirt, I cut a 6 and fit the seams to my waist so I wouldn't need any elastic. I stayed the waist seam with tape and folded the casing over to create a facing. 

I left off the pleats on the pockets, preferring a more streamlined look. Instead of zippers on the skirt, I interfaced and faced the top of the pockets for stability and added three wooden buttons (of two types) on each pocket. 

Instead of the loose-through-the-hips look of the pattern description, my skirt fits more closely over the hips and then falls more loosely. 

I love the fluidity of the skirt and may make another one soon.  

Out of the Ordinary

Looking for something fun to sew and wear on a recent vacation to Mexico, I settled on V8499 - a Marcy Tilton design. 

They were comfortable and easy to wear while walking on the beach or in town. I like to keep my legs mostly covered because of skin damage earlier in life and very bony knees.
 

After reading about these pants on Pattern Review I cut the smallest size available (6). I made a number of changes to the pattern. I used a medium-heavy weight cotton fabric with a bit of stretch in a pale gray.

When I cut out the pattern, I overlaid a self-drafted pattern on top and used that to trace the crotch seams, front and back.  After cutting the pants (full width) I stitched the pockets and center seams on the legs (front and back). I then basted the side seams and inner leg seams, and took them in again and again, for a total of 4-6 inches.

For the waist, I thought of putting darts into the back to take in the fullness, as I'm not fond of elastic waists, but ended up not needing to do that. I'm pretty straight through the hips and waist. I added an invisible zipper as closure at the center back and a narrow (1 inch) waistband in place of the facing and elastic. 

I like the pockets on these pants and will be making another pair for the Travel Wardrobe Contest on Pattern Review. Next time, I'll take some width out at the center leg seams as well.