Burda Capri Pants and Simplicity 1716

The capri pants are from the 04/2013 issue of Burda Style Magazine. I still have to figure out my sizes in Burda patterns. I made these in a size 40. They are a bit wide, but very comfy. 

 

 

 

 The top I am wearing is Simplicity 1716 in view E without sleeves. The fabric is a structured knit I picked up last year at Denver Fabrics.



 



 

Here a back view. The top is a very easy quick project, and I love the draped front neckline. There is really not much more to say about this top.

 

So far I made three pairs of these capri pants. This is actually the third one. I had some leftover fabric from the border print I used in the last skirt of this post. My initial plan was to make it completely in the plain fabric, but there was just enough fabric left to squeeze in the legs. So I ended up using the border print (which is actually embroidery not print) as the waistband. And as it turns out I love it.

 

All seams are serged.

 

 

 

 

This is the back waistband

 

And the front waistband

 

 

Here a detail of my first ever used piping

 



 

This was the first pair I made. The fabric was leftover from a pair or Thurlow Trousers I made. (blog post to follow) Brown piping.

 

And another pair, again from leftover fabric of a pair or Thurlow Trousers. White piping.

 

I do love that they have a side zipper instead of the front fly. But I miss pockets. Besides that this is the perfect pair of pants for summer, since I am not a fan of shorts.



Simplicity 2614

First off I want to share my current favorite song with you. Jake Bugg performing his song "Broken".

Now to some sewing news. Simplicity 2614 is an out of print pattern, and I cannot recommend it enough.

Here are just a few tops I made from this pattern. As you can see, my favorite is version D. View B and C (without the tie) are definitely on my to-do list for fall. And whoever designed this pattern was a genius! I never had a facing, especially on a V-neck, fit that perfect, even with silky fabrics!

This version is a semi sheer polyester fabric with little black dots on it. Honestly I have no clue what kind of fabric this is. I don't bother writing down what kind of fabric I buy. Only when I buy it do I pay attention to the fiber content etc. This picture also shows the skirt made from some kind of knit fabric.

These two versions are made from Shot Cottons by Kaffe Fassett. Oh my god! That is some of the nicest fabric ever! The colors are astonishing, and sooooo soft with lots of drape. I just want to make everything out of Shot Cottons!

I bought this fabric at JoAnn's. It is for sure one of the nicer fabrics they carry. Such a soft hand and drape, and it feels amazing to wear.

But back to the pattern. First I had some fitting issues, nothing major though. According to my measurement I am a size 12, but a lot of times I have to go down a size because of the amount of ease in these patterns. With this one I traced a 10, and it would fit, but snug around the shoulder/back area. I can wear it, but it is slightly tight. So I traced a size 12 in the back/shoulders grading down to a 10 below the armholes. I used mainly soft draping fabrics, and due to the bias cut it sits perfect all around. In the past I had some issues with seemingly beautiful tops that turned out to look too boxy, even though made up in light fabrics. 

The heaviest fabrics I used are Cotton Couture by Michael Miller Fabrics. That is about the heaviest fabric I would recommend. Any other heavier fabric probably wouldn't drape enough and make the top look awful, especially in the back.

The top itself is sewn in an hour or two, depends on how fast one sews.

So far I made 10 tops, and I have some very nice chiffon waiting in my stash to be made up in one :)

Simplicity 1916

Here is another knit top I finished. Well, so far I only made a wearable muslin. Simplicity 1916.

I made view E, it's the cutest of all the options, in my opinion anyway. I don't car much about flowers or flounces hanging off my wardrobe. But view D and E are really cute. A and C are in consideration as well. 

I bought the fabric dirt cheap at a local store. It's quite sheer, but it works for lounging around the house. Another quick and easy top for the summer. More to follow for sure.

Here the back view. The only thing I want to change next time is omitting the seam at the center back. It seems quite unnecessary.

 

I like Corduroy!

I am starting to sew more for the cold time of year. Here is my first fall ensemble. The Renfrew Top Version A in Navy Cotton Jersey. First time that I've sewn it with long sleeves. I absolutely love this pattern and have at least three more fabrics in stash for more. The skirt is Barcelona Layered Skirt by Amy Butler in grey corduroy.

After I finished the Lisette Passport Jacket I knew I wanted a fitting skirt to go with it. So I went to JoAnn's and bought more of the corduroy for the skirt. It was unintentionally that the top fits in color as well. 

 

My Renfrew Tops

I just ordered three patterns from Sewaholic, and absolutely LOVE them!! I cannot recommend them enough! First patterns I tried was the Renfrew Top. This is my first try. The fabric is Rayon-Jersey. It's also the first time that I worked with this kind of fabric, and it wasn't all that bad. It took me a while to find the straight, and I had to be careful while pinning because of its lightweight, but in the end it turned out quite well. But I don't think I will use this kind of fabric again for this top. It is just too flimsy. And this was meant to be a wearable muslin anyway.

According to the pattern envelope I would be an 8, but because I was using stretch knit I cut out a size 6 and it fits perfectly. My second try is from Organic Cotton Jersey. Thicker than the Rayon Jersey, a breeze to sew with and very comfortable to wear. There is already some Cotton Jersey in dark blue and Tencel Jersey in gray waiting in my stash to become a Renfrew Top.

Favorite Things Pattern

The Favorite Things "Prairie Girl" Pattern arrived this week and I couldn't wait to start sewing the muslin.

 I always copy the pattern on freezer paper, so I can use the pattern in different sizes. Usually I am not very good in making a muslin first, just because of the extra work. But this time I wanted to make sure everything fits well before I start cutting the good fabric. The final dress will be in Joel Dewberry Heirloom Voile Ornate Floral in Amethyst:

The dickie and slip will be white cotton lawn.

I made the muslin from Meadowlark Premium Muslin Natural it's a beautiful muslin fabric that looks like linen. Anyway, it turned out so nicely that I put a decorative stitch around the neckline and will add it to my wardrobe.

 Detail of the neckline: