Harper Cardigan by Sinclair Patterns

I have another review for a Sinclair Patterns.  This is the Harper Cardigan.  I just love it.  

This comes in various sizes and lengths so you can create a bunch of these and they can all be slightly different.  

I made the classic length in a tall size.  I love these tall patterns!  

I want you to see a close-up of this gorgeous knit I purchased from Treadle Yard Goods in Saint Paul, Minnesota last summer. 

Photos do not do it justice!  It's got so much variation in the yarns and the feel of it is just so special.  For the pockets, I cut them on the cross grain and used the selvage as the top edge.  

Did I mention the texture?  

This pattern is very similar to the uber popular Blackwood Cardigan.  I wanted to try this one since I just got it printed and taped together.  Plus, at least for the time being, it's free.

The drafting is exceptional.  The fit is exactly what I wanted.

I had to shorten the sleeves just a bit as they were too long.  That rarely happens!

Due to my limited fabric and my ineptitude at measuring correctly, I had to cut the front bands in half width-wise.  I still love this and I had no intention of wearing this closed or putting a closure on it.

I am quite smitten with this and will make more!

Thanks for reading!

Sue

Sinclair Harper Classic Cardigan

Silk Bondi Top

Talk about a fast sew!  This is a review for yet another woven tee.  This time, I made the Bondi top.  

This is a super simple top with very few seams.  I knew it'd be perfect for my double-faced Italian Silk I purchased from Treadle Yard Goods a few weeks ago.

I only purchased a yard of this.  I had no idea which pattern I'd end up using, but what I did know, is that this would be a simple top to layer, or not.   I didn't plan on this for casual wear, but I rather like it with my jeans and sandals!

This fabric was totally a splurge at $40/yard on sale!

I think it's totally worth it.  If you could feel what this feels like on your skin, you'd agree.

This top has a simple back yoke that attaches to a pleated back.  It has a banded neckline that I used the silk for. 

This was a simple fast sew and I love my new top!

Thanks for reading!

Sue

Cashmerette Webster top

Today for you I have another top!  This time, I made the pattern shown below: 

Last summer, I made another one of Jenny's patterns and so love it!  In fact, I loved it so much, I purchased this pattern shortly afterwards.

Here's the first make from this designer: 

And, here's my dress!

I felt like the dress above fit perfectly.  I made the exact same size for the top I am about to show you and while I love my fabric, I'm just not sure about the fit.

See what I mean about the fabric?  I love it! 

The highlight of course is the back.  That's such a fun detail.

Couple of things that are great about this pattern--

No gaping at the armscyes.

The front is low, but not too low.

The length is great!

I love this with my RTW yellow pants.

The curved, longer back hem is nice as well. 

A fast sew.  I am just not entirely sold on the fit.  It's roomy, but maybe I am being too picky.

Thanks for reading!

Sue

Yet Another Vogue 8950 Tunic...Can't help myself!

I simply HAD to make another tunic, but this time from Vogue 8950.  I truly think this is one of my favorite color blocked tunic patterns.  This doesn't even have to be color blocked and it is still a fav tunic!  I just simply love it that much!  Here's an image from Vogue Patterns site: 

Agreed?  It's darling!  The fit is fab, the color blocking opportunities are perfect and I love the fit...oh wait, I already said that!  This time I made a short sleeved version and tried to incorporate a detail I've seen in RTW and that is the zippered pocket.

I love the ponte I used for the lower half.  I purchased it from Fabric Mart and it was delightful to work with.  For the upper portion, or that with all the color, I used a knit I purchased from Treadle Yard Goods in St Paul, MN.  Wow do I love that fabric store!  I just wish it was closer than 4 hours away!

Obviously I used the contrast on the front and back upper yokes and the sleeves along with the neckband.  The lower half is all the ponte.  The orange zip is from my stash.  See how much I love orange?  I painted my front door that color!

This is an instant gratification project and wow do I need those once in a while!  I had just completed a time-consuming garment and needed something easy, cute and fast and this worked perfectly!  Since I've made it before, I knew I would need an FBA but with the ponte, I chose to use a cheater's FBA and add 3/8" additional width to the side seam on the front only.  If I had added that amount to the back also, it would have hung weirdly at the underarm seam and that doesn't look good on anyone!

When I added the zippered welt pocket, I followed the directions for creating a welt opening in a knit by interfacing the area, sewing around the opening, carefully cutting the fabric, and then installed the zipper.  Since I didn't want a functional pocket bag or a pocket bag showing through the front of the garment, I merely backed the welt with a rectangular piece of off-white ponte that was the same fabric as the lower half of the garment.

I added a neckband to the neckline, because I like that finish better than folding over and hemming, although if the colorful contrast had been of a heavier weight, I would have tried using my coverstitch at the neckline, but the fabric was rather lightweight and I simply didn't want to use interfacing to help stabilize it so I wouldn't get tunneling.

Here are peeks at my previous versions:

I so LOVE this tunic!  It's such a great pattern and I can see many more versions before retiring it for a while.  I do so thank you for reading and how many patterns do you have that you can't put away for good or a while?

Sue :)

Jalie Dolman, take 2...

Remember my disaster with the crappy-ass fabric from Joann's on my Jalie Dolman top?  If you need a reminder, here it is....I really like the look of the fabric just not the function of how it performed, especially after wearing it only a few hours...it literally started falling apart all over the place despite careful sewing!!!  Argh....but I digress...sorry about that!



Well, I HAD. TO. MAKE. ANOTHER. ONE because the pattern is so amazingly awesome!!!


So, I found two fabrics from my stash, combined them and well, here is what you get:

 Aren't my flowers pretty?  This is the first year the Astible's have done so well and I just love them!  Perfect for the shady part of my side yard where I tend to take quite a few of my photos.

Maybe combining fabrics isn't for you, but I didn't have enough of the print or the stripes, and by themselves those stripes may have caused someone to have a seizure....

The print is from a top that I never liked the fit of and didn't want to take apart and rework. 

How on earth did I think this top fit when I was done with it?  

In a moment of utmost clarity, I simply cut the shirt apart at the seam lines and had a few pieces I thought might work for the total front of this Jalie Dolman top, but....sometimes I am so spatially impaired I can't visualize if a piece of cut fabric is enough, or not...

 Obviously I didn't have a piece big enough to fit the entire front or back so I did the next best idea I had and that was to play around with placement of the print against the bold black/white stripe.  And with so many summer top patterns that focus on the back, I decided to go with that idea...

See what I mean about possibly causing a seizure or migraine?  Not that I don't like stripes, I've made many striped garments but when you talk about black/white stripe it just seems sort of harsh, at least to me anyway and I wanted to do something to break it up.  I also used the print at the neckline and I love how it looks with the stripe.  

The stripe is a ponte from my stash from a disastrous Burda Style magazine top that I hated so much I wondered if it was fair to put in the Goodwill bag.  :)

I do hope someone else will love it, or cut it up to use for a dog/car-washing towel.  (hehe...)

This time I had enough fabric to make the back as long as it is supposed to be and my cover stitch worked beautifully on that hemline!  I start to smile when I think about using that once-thought-of- beast in my sewing room!  

This top is a winner for me and I've already worn it today and felt comfortable and stylish!  That's okay to say about your own makes, right?  

You'll see more versions of this top down the road!!!

Thanks for reading and have you remade any garments that you disliked into a love? 

If so, please share!

Sue :)