My outfit was made for bicycling. About five years ago on Mother’s Day weekend, I injured my knee. Actually, my knee without warning simply disintegrated a bit. I had been very active, loving hiking and kayaking in the summer, and skiing and snowshoeing in the winter. Several times a day I walked my two German Shepherds. I sat with my knee elevated and covered in ice packs, staring at my brand new hiking poles that I had just received for Mother’s Day and cried. After consulting with doctors I was given three options: surgery, drug treatment, or physical therapy. I choose physical therapy. My therapist and I together got me moving again. As part of my recovery plan, my therapist suggested bicycling. I scoffed at the idea at first. But, after a couple of timid attempts I was hooked. I fell in love with bicycling. How many times do you find something that is both good and good for you!

Being a short plus size woman, I can tell you my options for ready to wear (RTW) active wear were non existent. I did a lot of “man-me-downs”, men’s RTW clothing adjusted to fit me. For some reason men’s RTW active wear, was available in much better quality fabrics and a wider size range. Still I felt a bit frumpy in my cobbled together biking outfits. When biking 20+ miles a day, seam placement is critical. My husband and I bike as much as we can. A trail literally crosses over our driveway and is a mere 4 miles into our home town, which is a lovely summer resort town on a lake. I run into lots of folks I know, and often in summer, I can bicycle into town much faster than I could drive. I love to visit the shops and meet friends at the cafes. But, I did not relish the idea of walking around town in my bicycling outfit. So my goal for this challenge was to create a more chic bicycling outfit, one that would transition from biking to shopping.

My outfit has five elements. The main bicycling half zip shirt is color blocked with synthetic knits. The pants are wide leg leggings with a yoga style waist band, which have zips on the back of the legs converting them into bicycle friendly pants. I made a quick camisole as an added layer for under my shirt. I then made a vest which can be packed into my bike bag, and provides a much needed pocket for when I am off the bike. To top it off I found a sweet sheer remnant and I made a scarf to complement the look. This comfortable flattering outfit will let me bike into town without looking like I just biked into town.

The bicycling shirt is from the Jalie pattern 2682 – Women’s Top. It has a different neckline with a cut on collar, which is high in the back, and has a flattering v in the front. It requires four way 40% stretch, and has an optional front center zipper. Minimal seams around the neck, make this an excellent choice for biking. I have shorter than average shoulders, and with the cut on collar, the shoulder adjustments were tricky, but definitely doable. I also widened the waist and hip area a bit, and shortened the arms. The pattern offers so many possibilities for color blocking which I find very flattering. I love the look, and I will be making more of both the sleeveless and long sleeve versions, as soon as I can get my hands on some of the gorgeous active wear technical knits available today.

Click Here For my review of Jalie Pattern 2682

The pants were from Apostrophe Pattern’s MyFit leggings. You buy access to a program that generates a pattern according to the measurements you provide, the percentage of stretch in your knit, and the style options you choose. For this project, I chose the wide leg seamless version, with a yoga style waist band. The first pair fit well, definitely wearable, but for my final version, I added one inch to back upper thigh area, and I lowered the back waist an inch. Minor tweaks but they definitely smoothed the finished look a bit. These result in amazingly comfortable pants, with a snug high waist band, and flattering wide legs with no outer seams. I sewed some “Fantastic Elastic” into top of the waist band for added snug fit. I used the technique I found in the book, “Knits for Real People” by Susan Neall and Pati Palmer. I hate the look of my legs in tight leggings, but I love leggings. I only wear tight leggings out of the house when biking. While much more flattering wide leg pants on a bike could be troublesome. I do not want my pant legs to get caught in the gears, so I added a v shaped zippered gusset on the bottom backside of the wide leg. This allows me to bend over and zip and unzip the pant legs easily. No more searching for a changing room, and lugging a second outfit. I can convert the pants from biking to normal pants easily. When zipped the excess leg material is kept loosely to the back of my calf, which is comfortable when pedaling. The high waistband is excellent for also maintaining modesty when bicycling. I highly recommend Apostrophe Pattern’s MyFit leggings, I had made many options previously and the success rate is quite high. The key is getting your measurements right, and understanding and using stretch knits.

Click Here For my review of Apostrophe Pattern’s MyFit Leggings including my zippered gusset hack.

My third item is a linen vest. I wanted something to jazz up the outfit once I am in town. I chose to make a light lined linen vest. The vest has a side in-seam zippered pocket, which can not only hold my cell phone and a few essentials, but also contains an attached bag to allow me to stow the vest in before packing it into my bicycle pack, keeping it neat and tidy. The pattern is self drafted using my sloper from Sure Fit Designs system. I added a couple of welt pockets and some rouleau button loops, and my signature shoulder straps. This took the “biking” out of my outfit and added some polish.

I added a couple of other items to round out the outfit. I really liked the long front zipper on my shirt, which allows ventilation, but I decided a camisole would allow me to unzip and still maintain modesty. The camisole is a SUAT – Stitch Upon A Time’s Versa Cami pattern. I used fold over black elastic for straps. Layers are great on long bike trips and this used up the rest of my black knit. Win, win, win! I had all the knit fabric in my stash except one. Can you guess which one I bought for this project? The snakeskin print knit. I fell in love with the colorway and the texture, before noticing it was snakeskin. Not my first choice but due to time constraints I settled for this locally available knit fabric. While shopping for that knit, I also found a small remnant of sheer fabric, which screamed scarf. For the scarf I used my serger, and did a rolled edge, using water soluble stabilizer and wooly nylon in looper for better results.

This resulted in a polished looking outfit for romping around town in, which I can easily convert into a comfortable bicycle ready outfit for the 4 mile trip home. I will be making all of these items again, especially after I get some more pretty technical fabrics, that not only stretch but breathe, and wick moisture. I cannot wait! But wait I will have to do, as you can see it is not quite biking season here. 33 days until spring. It was a sunny 16 degree (Fahrenheit) day, while taking the photos. I took my hat off for most photos, but there is one included for fans of my favorite hat. Thanks to my dearest for his support and photography help, and to all for looking and sharing.

Round two!

This is my second Seamwork Audrey denim jacket. I adored the first one, but I longed for a second version, a bit lighter, with some fine fit tuning, and of course, more pockets. The first jacket was done in a heavy denim and had a shocking lack of pockets, which only became apparent after the first few outings. The pockets theme of this contest jump-started my project: Seamwork Audrey Jacket – Round 2.

I love the design lines of the Audrey. It features two generous welt pockets, which fall out of sight on the side of jacket, and can hold quite a bit. But, that was the only outside pocket provided. An informal pocket was formed on the inside of the jacket, by the welt pocket bag itself. There were two pocket flaps on the chest but no pockets beneath. While wearing the jacket I found that getting things in and out of the welt pocket was slightly awkward, especially my cell phone, which went to voice mail often before I could fish it out.

So for round two, I decided to add pockets underneath those pocket flaps. But, I wanted to honor the flattering slanted seam lines in the center front jacket. The area between those lines would not accommodate my cell phone. The solution was to make those pockets, bellow or gusset pockets, which needed to be trapezoidal instead of rectangular in order to follow the current seam lines. Next, I wanted a sealed or zippered pocket, for my emergency cash, my id, my credit card, and my keys. I did not want to worry about these falling out of the pockets. A small zippered pocket was added to the upper left sleeve, which was easy to access with my right hand. I kept the original welt pockets as they are perfect for slipping your hands into while walking on a brisk day, and holding a pair of gloves. I polished up the internal pocket by adding edging on to the internal welt pocket bag. This jacket would now have four different sets of pockets making it perfect for dashing out the door.

Two other changes were made. I add two shoulder straps. I have relatively short sloping shoulders. The shoulder straps added some visual height to my shoulders as well as providing a place to hook my purse’s shoulder strap on. No more purse slipping off my shoulder while shopping. With traditional sewn denim buttonholes white whisker threads would start to appear with wear. This is a real pet peeve of mine. I changed all THIRTEEN buttonholes into tiny double welt or bound buttonholes. This required some careful consideration during construction, as the front of the buttonholes were added prior to assembly, and then back of buttonholes were opened up after assembly. The welt pocket bag had to be altered as to not fall underneath several of the front buttonholes.

This jacket has 16 welts on it, 13 double welt buttonholes, a zippered welt pocket, and two single welt pockets. For each welt, I traced my welts on to the wrong side of fabric, and on to wrong side of interfaced welt fabric. I then hand basted stitches into the four corners of both welts. I would leave two tails, and then I would gently pull on both tails, causing the upper and lower welts to align perfectly every time. After the garment was assembled I carefully cut out the welt, in each buttonhole on the double Y’s, and used reverse hand applique, to finish off the back of the buttonholes. Time consuming but the results were worth it.

I chose a medium weight dark denim, with a tiny woven polka dot like flower pattern, which I have had in my stash for a couple of years. For top stitching I used a medium gray Aurafil 28wt cotton thread with 90 jeans needle. Finding 13 matching buttons was a challenge, as our local stores only offer a small selection of buttons, and rarely stock more than a dozen of each type. I started with my last drafted pattern version of Seamwork’s Audrey, but, shortened the sleeves, and brought the waist in by approximately four inches. The original pattern version had the following alterations: shortened the shoulder seam, added 4” to upper sleeve width, and graded, from 20 bust to 22 waist. I enjoyed following along with the online class video, in addition to their excellent written instructions.

I am incredibly happy with the outcome. This is exactly the jacket I had been visualizing in my head after my first Audrey denim jacket. The bound buttonholes were time consuming but I love the clean finished look. Drafting and sewing the trapezoidal gusset pocket took some experimentation but it fits my cell phone perfectly, providing quick access, so no more missed calls. I agonized over the drafting and placement of the shoulder straps, especially in relation to the dropped shoulder seams. Denim brings its own sets of challenges. I highly recommend jeans needles, and straight stitch plates. The top stitching was nerve wracking as I chose a high contrast between the thread and denim. Lots of practice on top stitching and welt making went on.

A couple of notes for next time: the side seams and underarms are sewn and then the edges of the seam allowances are finished separately. I would have finished the edges prior to sewing. The inside is tidy, and I understand the practicality for faux flat felled seams in denim, but I might be tempted to try real flat felled seams for making the inside as pretty as the outside. Of course, I would not recommend completing my next version in just under a week. I definitely recommend this pattern.

Like many of us, I had to overcome many obstacles over the last couple of months in my non-sewing life to allow me to complete my version of Seamwork’s Camden cape. It is made with wool and linen, and black lining. It is a size 24. I am 5’4″. I added welt pockets, bound buttonhole, and a “romantic” hood from Simplicity 8470. The welt pockets came from following post, http://www.lindsayjaneane.com/seamwork-camden/. The bound buttonhole took much experimentation.

The original neckline left me wanting more. I experimented with several collars, all which came out awkward as the neck was quite large. I then experimented with several hoods. The smaller more traditional hood, looked like the nipple on top of a baby’s bottle. The larger more relaxed hood, described as romantic by a commenter on facebook post, softened the austere top of cape, and added balance to overall look. This cape has spiced up my winter outerwear. I highly recommend it.

I started my first Lenox dress the day the pattern was released. I instantly fell in love with the waist definition and the lovely verticality of the front and back skirt pleats. The short sleeves were perfect for summertime while still offering coverage. The pockets were hidden yet functional. What was not to love? I am a short pear shaped woman, with C cup bust, 44 inch waist, and 54 inch hips. For my first attempt, I drafted a size 16 C cup top, onto a size 24 bottom. The sleeves were modified to be a bit longer and were a size 20 in front, and size 28 in back, to accommodate my large upper arms. It was a bit challenging, to alter the pattern without distorting the wonderful silhouette, but I got there, by distributing the added fullness throughout the bottom of the top pieces. I chose a directional mid weight cotton print for my first dress. Very soon, I was slipping into my first Lenox dress. Looking in the mirror it was love at first sight. I had found a way to show off my waist. Then, I sat down, and the love faded away. The waist was tight, and the buttons were strained. Not something I could wear out to dinner. I tried to think if I needed a standing only dress, and sadly the answer was no.

Undaunted, I quickly started on my second Lenox dress. This time I chose a mid weight linen. I measured my seated waist which was 3 inches larger, and re-drafted the pattern to accommodate the extra waist needed when seated. This resulted in a much more comfortable dress when seated, but the dress lost the lovely form fitting look when standing.

Discouraged, but not beaten, I was stumped until a gift certificate to my local fabric store arrived from my darling son. While shopping I came across a lightweight denim, with a bit of stretch, which soon became my third Lenox dress. To maintain some stretch in the waistband I used an interfacing made for stretch fabrics. I went back to my original drafted pattern, and success! The third dress had the tailored fit, and the stretch added the ease needed when seated.

A  few cautionary notes regarding the process follow. The first time cutting out the dress I unwisely ignored the cutting layout suggestions which resulted in me needing additional yardage to accommodate the long front button bands. Despite the detailed description in the pattern I sewed the button bands on backwards the first time. Using directional fabric, I also accidentally sewed the one of the arm bands on upside down. All these were easily fixed with a stitch ripper and some time. I added both length and girth to my sleeve as my upper arms required it. I added additional buttons as well, as I like the look, and being pear shaped, I do not need to undo the buttons, as the dress easily slips on and off over the head. I really love my Lenox dress. It helped me find my waistline, and it makes me feel absolutely wonderful while wearing it. I highly recommend Cashmerette’s Lenox dress pattern.

View A

View B

I spotted a sewn sample of Butterick 6466 pattern at Sew Expo in Puyallup, Washington, at Coni Crawford’s booth. It was love at first sight. Coni Crawford herself, measured my high bust and suggested that I fell into XL size. Even with my 43 high bust, C cup, 45 waist, and 54 hips, I thought she was crazy. Even more crazy, I bought the pattern on the spot for $12.

This pattern appealed to me, because I live in turtlenecks and leggings most days. I hate being seen in that outfit, so every time I answer the door or head out for errands, I change.  I had long dreamed of a cover up that could be kept handy for quick changes. This vest seemed the perfect all season answer.

I did a muslin of the upper top in 1X. The arm holes were too small, so I carved out the 3X arms, from the 1X top. I then, cut and sewed up a test garment in  a wool and synthetic blend fabric. It was soft gray blue. It did not hold a press, which I thought would make it wrinkle resistant which is what I was looking for. It was on the thicker range of the suggested fabrics.

There are two views to this pattern. View A is described as circle skirt vest with pockets. View B has a more modern trendy shaping to the sides, with no pockets. I chose to start with View A, as it seemed less likely to fall out of fashion, and I love pockets. The pattern also called for a snap closure, which I replaced with three buttons, and button loops. I felt this would keep the upper vest in place.

I liked my first version of the vest, except for the bottom hem, which was undulating. There was 3.75 inch dip at side seams from the center front and center back hems. I am fussy about hems, and that seemed bizarre to me. I measured. Checked my work, and found that the pattern indeed, had a difference from center to side seams. The top of vest, had a slightly undulating bottom shape, which I thought would partner with the skirt to make the final bottom hem more consistent, but alas it was not to be. I ended up leveling out the front hem, and allowing the back hem to dip down. This resulted in an attractive enough look, but it left the front of the cover up vest, not covering up as much as I had hoped. The hips area has an incredible amount of ease, which easily accommodated my 2X/3X hips, even though the skirt was cut at 1X.

View A – Side View

I did email Coni’s Crawford website, and asked about the hem. I got a very nice if not puzzling response back. She said to make sure to measure the full bust when selecting a size, and that View A was a circular skirt which could fall out like that depending on fabric used. She also said they had liked View B much better. I did too, as that was what I had seen a sample of at the Sew Expo.

I suspected that my adjustments to the armhole of the pattern top may have inadvertently effected the pairing of top and bottom, causing the bottom hem to be distorted. I decided to make View B, but not to alter that pattern, so I made up a straight size 1X with the only alteration being, the enlarging of arm holes. I choose a cotton batik fabric. The results were very nice. I loved the hem of View B. I do miss the pockets. I like the longer length. Again the bottom was a 1X and it easily accommodates my 2X/3X hips.

View B – Back

Several cautionary notes: The some of pattern pieces are labeled 1, 1A, 2, 2A. The A pieces are for View B. That tripped me up. Also there is an error on step 13 of View B. You do not sew past the circle at the pivot point on side hem. I again exchanged emails with Coni Crawford who confirmed this. This pattern does add a bit of bulk at hips, which I normally avoid, but in this case, it added ease and shaping. Overall the pattern is fairly easy, and  I was able to make myself the garment that had caught my eye.