Category: Clothing

Sew Your Own Rashguard

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When I first started making my own clothes a few years ago, it was mainly because I was so frustrated with buying ready-to-wear for my new “mom-body.”  All I wanted was just some easy separates that were cute, actually fit me, and worked with my lifestyle.  Fast forward to the present and here I am with my first bathing suit!  I never imagined I would have sewn one….let alone, show you all of my current “mom bod’ in said suit.

But sometimes, you are so inspired, that you just have to take the challenge and go for it.  I was so impressed with all the DIY swimsuits on social media that I knew I had to eventually make something for myself.  I was given the opportunity to select a print from Pine Crest Fabric’s expansive library of designs and substrates.   I chose this gorgeous palm digital print on Viper Base Cloth that just screamed swimwear.  I never made any type of swimwear but my previous experience making athleisure leggings and a tunic which you can read about here, gave me the confidence to work with performance based fabric.

Earlier in the year, my oldest son needed a new rashguard, and was impressed when I saw a half-zip pullover style at a big box store.  That zipper feature was so helpful and made it much easier to pull that wet top off his body.  That’s when I thought I wanted one for myself!  My boys love swimming and we are at the pool quite a bit nowadays and also spend a good bit of time at the family lake house.  I can use it to cover up myself, save my skin from being in the sun so much, and even as a bit of wind protection when on a boat or wave runner.

After doing a bit of research (thanks Instagram hashtags!) I found the Grace Swimsuit by Swimstyle.  It wasn’t exactly what I wanted, but definitely the closest out there and I love the sporty look of the side panels and neckband.  The pattern calls for an exposed zipper 3/4 the way down the front of the rashguard, but I hacked it so the zipper would go down all the way creating a jacket for easy removal.  The bottoms were made with Acacia Underwear pattern by Megan Nielsen and hacked to be reversible.

To make the Gracie into a full-zip rashguard, I added 1/4″ along the fold of the front pattern piece and then cut along that fold to create the two sides.  I used an 18″ sport style plastic separating zipper and added a back placket so the zipper would not rub and possibly irritate my skin.  You know I always like a good zipper cover, so I extended the placket to cover the zipper head and keep it secured.

I do not have a coverstitch machine, so I used a combination of the flat-lock seam option of my serger along with the zig-zag capabilities of my old back-up machine.  The raglan style sleeves made the flat-lock possible and I love the sporty look.  The best part is there is no hanging interior seam to irritate the skin.  All the seams are nice and flush against the body, making the rashguardd so incredibly comfortable. TIP: Use stretch needles in all of your machines when dealing with performance fabric.

The neck and wristbands were all serged onto the rashguard but I used a simple sig-zag stitch around the hem and it has held up well.  There has been a bit of tunneling after wear, so maybe a bit of knit stabilizer like this tape could help with that…but I’m okay with the hem as is!

By making the bottoms reversible, I thought the light compression of the Spectrum Pro-Matte with UPF Protection along with the Viper Base Cloth would be enough and omitted the elastic as part of the pattern.  With my wider hips, I definitely need a little extra hold right on the cheeks and need to make sure I add the elastic back in.  The stretch around the waist and front leg is absolutely perfect though.  Unfortunately, I didn’t have enough time to make another pair before our family trip to the lake, so guess what’s back on the sew list?!?

This suit is exactly what I wanted this summer and I can’t begin to tell you how creamy and luxurious these performance fabrics feel.  They are so smooth….and that’s why I have three other garments made from Pine Crest fabrics!  As of the date of publication, this fabric print is available for wholesale only, but you can head to Fabric.com to check out other available Pine Crest prints.

Lake Leelanau, MI

Project Stats:

‘Hope you are enjoying your summer!!!  Have you sewn up any special projects this season?

 

Happy Sewing Friends,

Cristy

Fabric was provided by Pine Crest Fabrics for this post.  The swimwear project and all opinions are my very own.  The post also contains affiliate links which help to keep this website ticking.  Thank you always for your support. 

Girls’ Racerback Dresses with the Indigo and Aster Fabric Blog Tour

What I miss by having two boys, I tend to make up by sewing my for nieces.  There is nothing cuter than little versions of dresses I would make for myself!  I definitely indulge them quite a bit and that was the case when this lovely La Floraison jersey knit from the Indigo and Aster fabric collection arrived at my doorstep.  These flowers had to be made into a sweet little dress for my niece’s upcoming birthday and then it turned into another dress for her new baby sister…and then turned into adding a top for their mom as well.  I couldn’t stop when the fabric is this beautiful!

This vibrant floral print is from the new Bari J. fabric collection for Art Gallery Fabrics.  While the main focus is on all the animals (you HAVE to check them out!) it wouldn’t be Bari J. without some of her signature painted flowers.  I love how these pinks and blues pop against the white background.

My feisty little niece here is turning three soon and still loves her dresses and being quite active too.  I made her some Racerback dresses before and really enjoy this simple (and FREE!) pattern by Hey June Handmade.  It’s a clean A-line silhouette and the fact that it’s made for knits means easy dressing and more play!

And when making a dress for one girl, there was no way I could leave out my newest niece.  She deserves some handmade love too.  I mean, look at those rolls!  <3  Fortunately, this Racerback dress pattern takes up very little fabric and everything came together quickly with the four-way stretch knit.

After thinking about my nieces being cute in their matching outfits, I thought I’d add my sister to the mix because….why not!?!  To keep with the racerback style, I sewed up the Rumi Tank by Christine Haynes.  You can see other versions of this tank I’ve made here because I absolutely love it and it’s a definite tried and true pattern for me.

Look at my ladies.  Making all of these garments was SO worth it and and you can see how one idea quickly led into three!  The cute factor is pretty high…from my completely biased post of view 😉  I just love how nice this print looks on my niece and my sister.  It’s playful enough, yet the design bring out a sophistication as well.

With so many great colors, the  La Floraison jersey knitis also great for using up some smaller pieces of scrap fabric, like some Art Gallery Solid Knit in Dark Ocean.  I made sure to differeniate the dresses a little bit to help my sister with laundry time!  We all know how little clothes can get misplaced often…

Don’t forget to swing over to Bari J.’s blog  to keep up with the #IndigoandAsterFabric blog tour and check out what you might have missed.   There are so many good projects, my head is swirling with so many new ideas!  What would you make from these gorgeous fabrics?

Happy Sewing Friends!

Cristy

***Fabric was provided as part of the Blog Tour.  Project conception and opinions in the post are always my own.

Tillery Skirt Review

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When I went to Texas a month ago, I was hoping to make this Tillery Skirt for the hot weather ahead.  Unfortunately, I ran out of time and did not make it then.  But, I was able to finish this skirt now that central Ohio feels like Texas…at 93*F!  I’m so glad I was able to get this made for our first of many heat waves this summer.

Sometimes shorts just don’t cut it.  My wardrobe was in need of more casual skirts to get me from swim lessons with the kids to date night with the hubs.  So when I saw this digital pattern by Blank Slate Patterns, I knew I had to make it.  The Tillery is a great high waisted skirt with a 70’s vibe making my Boho fashion heart flutter.  Who doesn’t love the look of the flat felled seams?!?

I recently had the opportunity to visit the Imagine Gnats shop and instantly gravitated to this J.Crew overstock stretch twill in Brick.  This rust color is definitely my summer color to go with all the denim <3  It is so rich and complements my coloring.  I can always use the extra comfort of Lycra, so the extra give in the twill makes it perfect for a skirt or pants.

As mentioned earlier, these flat felled seams give the skirt so much design character.  It maybe a little intimidating sewing eight panels to make the Tillery, but it is all worth it.  I never made these kind of seams before, but after watching Melly Sews’ video, the instructions all made sense. TIP:  Baste all panels together to check fit. I ended up grading in a size around the waist.

With the seams visible and lots of top-stitching ahead, I used my rolled hem foot to give me an even edge to sew along.  Many machine have an edge or top-stitching foot.  My Juki only came with a few feet and this foot works great to get even spacing.

Look at those beautiful skirt guts!  Or maybe lack thereof…  The flat felled seams gives the skirt such a clean inside, so it’s soft and smooth all around.  I used some Wanderer fabric by April Rhodes left in my stash for this extra pop around the waistband.  The little hints of black and mint really bring out the brick color of the fabric.

As you can imagine, the hem of the skirt can get pretty thick when doubled over against these flat-felled seams.  My regular foot didn’t even want to go over all of this bulk, so that’s when I broke out my hammer to help flatten them out for stitching.  TIP:  Make sure to test your fabric and hammer to the inside of the hem so you don’t create any “shine” on the front of your skirt.

Another beautiful feature of the Tillery are the use of metal snaps.  There are instructions within the pattern with a link to video to help you, if needed.  Fortunately, I already had the snaps and the correct dies for my hardware setter (as the bag-maker you know I am.)  I was able to add these snaps quickly making the skirt look so professional.

The next time I make this skirt, I think I will grade back in from the hip down.  The waist and hip fit perfectly, but with the A-line cut of this pattern, I feel like I have a little bit too much flare going outwards.  It’s hard to tell in this photo, but the skirt A-lines at every angle (not just the front and back) thanks to some extra booty…

I ended up skipping the belt loops and even contemplated the pockets.  But the pockets really make the skirt and break up the high-waisted silhouette…AKA looking like old school mom/dad jeans!  Who was I really kidding?  Always add pockets.


I’m in love with this skirt and love how it all came together.  The solid fabric really brings out the seams and this brick color is a definite wardrobe staple.  My Tillery will be on repeat all summer long with it’s casual style and it will go with tanks and tees.  This piece will definitely be worn into the fall!

Project Details:

  • Pattern:  Tillery Skirt by Blank Slate Patterns
  • Sizing:  6 in the waist graded out to an 8 in the hip
  • Length: Mini
  • Fabric:  J.Crew Overstock stretch Twill from Imagine Gnats
  • Machine:  Juki TL-2010Q
  • Hardware:  Gold Star Tool Hardware Setter with in-house snaps. Unfortunately, I cannot recommend their snaps.  They bend a little when opening, but not enough to make me remove them all.  Going forward, I’ll only use Tandy Leather Snaps.)

 

Happy Sewing Friends!

Cristy

 

This post does include afflilate links for which I would be compensated only if you make a purchase.  All of it goes to keeping this blog as ad-free as possible!

Moto Sweatshirt with Indiesew

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What you might not know about me is that I’m an “Old Lady”…a very proud one, in fact.  As you can probably tell, it’s not by age or because I quilt (ha!), but because I love my husband AND his motorcycle.  I really enjoy riding with my guy and even though I haven’t gone very much after having kids, I still love that moto style.  So when I saw this collaboration between Indie Sew and Seamly for the Moto Sweatshirt, I knew I HAD to make this pattern!

The Moto Sweatshirt is such a great stylish and edgy jacket designed for knit fabrics.  After seeing Allie Olsen’s tester version, I knew I wanted the same double-knit from her shop.  There is so much more versatility with a double-faced fabric (you can use either side of the same fabric) and it is perfect for some color-blocking.  Since this is also a sweater knit, it makes the jacket SO comfy and warm for those cool summer rides.

It’s usually not a good idea to procrastinate with a project, but in my case, it turned out to be the best thing I did..er…didn’t do 🙂  I wasn’t aware there would be a sew-along of the Moto Sweatshirt when I picked this garment to make.  Needless to say, I was so pleased to see it announced and you know I read through every post before starting on my own project.

The first recommendation I took was to make a narrow shoulder adjustment.  I saw how the shoulder seams were low on many of the testers and other versions online.   I’m pretty narrow in the shoulders as a 5’3″ woman and knew this was for me.  However, the next time I make this sweatshirt, I would probably will take in another 1/4″ off the shoulders.  You can read about how to make the simple changes here.

If you have never used a double-faced sweater knit before, it’s thicker than most jersey knits.  That’s why I decided to use a quilt cotton for the pocket linings.  Not only does it provide a thinner fabric to sew through, the woven nature makes it MUCH more stable.  If you have not sewn a zipper welt pocket before, I would highly suggest using the quilt cotton to save the stress and potentially extra time with your seam ripper…

One of the biggest changes I made to the bodice patterns, although still very subtle, is the shoulder accent.  I blocked out each shoulder (front and back) with the dark navy side of the sweater knit.  This is a safety and design feature in many moto jackets in case you may fall off a bike.  I made my own pattern pieces by drawing the shoulder line, cutting out the pieces and then added the seam allowances back in.  I was pretty nervous doing this type of hack, but it worked…after many tests against the original pattern pieces. (It’s always good to check and to re-check!)

Since I made this sweatshirt for actual motorcycle riding, I wanted to make sure this was safe enough for the road.  The large folded collar is great for sun protection and for warmth, but I was afraid the zipper may have the potential to flip up depending on our speed and weather conditions.  That’s why I made sure to add in a cover for the zipper head.  When pulled all the way closed, the zipper’s pull is completely encased and isn’t dangling down.

With almost all sweatshirts I make now, I like to add in thumbholes.  They are so great if you are like me and always cold.  But from a functionality standpoint, these are also perfect features to help keep my sleeves down.  Sometimes the air flow can push things back and I certainly won’t let my husband go just to readjust sleeves!

And with that in mind, I made sure to narrow out the entire cuffs themselves.  Again, with air pushing against me as I ride, I wanted to make sure these were more snug on my wrists.  I took 1/2″ off both sides and angled in 1″ where the cuff folds for a cleaner look.

Overall, I’m very pleased with the sizing and fit (after adjustments) with this Moto Sweatshirt.  The instructions and graphics were pretty clear, but it’s always nice to have extra visuals.  The sew-along on the Indiesew Blog was very helpful with showing additional pictures of each step.  I’m very grateful it was available and it made this project go much faster than anticipated. Yay!!!

Project Summary:

  • Pattern:  Moto Sweatshirt – If you want to grab the pattern, click here.
  • Fabric:  Double-Faced Japanese Sweater Knit from Indiesew
  • Zippers:  Molded Plastic Jacket style from Wawak
  • Thread: Gutermann
  • Machines:  Juki MO-2000QVP Serger and Juki TL-2010Q

 

I hope you enjoyed this review and my hacks to the pattern.  Will you wear your Moto Sweatshirt while walking or while riding???

Happy Sewing, Friends!

Cristy

 

The Seamly Moto Sweatshirt pattern and Double-faced Sweater Knit were both discounted by Indiesew for this blog post.  But as always, the make is my conception and all thoughts and opinions are my own.

Mending Diaries: Transforming Joggers into Moto Pants

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I’m a boy-mom…a two boy-mom, actually.  So when my youngest gets all of his brother’s hand-me-downs, they have already been “well loved.”  Half…okay…most of me is happy to save the money and landfill space to reuse these clothes.  But, the other part of me is sad that he always has to wear clothes with threadbare spots and plenty of grass (among other) stains.  I’ve been trying to think of different ways to mend and patch up his clothes so they look fresh instead of worn.  When I pulled out these pants for my little guy, I knew these would be great patched up as some moto pants.

Before the patching, I assessed the project.  These pants have the jogger style that is still very hip and the neutral fabric is a great ash gray thick fleece.  All of the other parts of the pants are in nice shape.  The elastic waist is still strong and there are no popped stitches.  All in all, these were worth the extra love.  I mended another pair of pants one time only to notice it was threadbare in other spots.  I wish I didn’t waste my time knowing the entire pair of pants were going to fall apart (they were thrifted years ago with several previous owners.)

The damage to this one knee is pretty substantial.  There is the obvious hole, but then the fabric is worn out even further beyond it.  There is even still has a faint ring of deep set dirt.  (My oldest must’ve fell hard in the mud a few years back!)  With such a large area to cover and the fact that these pants are knit, I had to be a bit innovative.  I didn’t want a glaring patch, but knew I needed it to cover this spot…..and that’s when the motocross lightbulb went on.

To get an idea of how the patches would look and create my patttern, I used washi tape to make the shape on the knee.  I made sure to add ample room above and below the hole, while balancing the patch size with the rest of the pants.  I changed my angles a bit, but settled on having the top of the patch angle outwards verses straight knee-caps.  It’s a bit more modern and stylish this way, IMO.

Next I grabbed scraps of Swedish Tracing Paper, a ruler, and a marker to trace my pattern.

As you can see, I traced within the tape and used my fingers to make sure I was within the existing side seams.

After I labeled and cut the pattern out, I cut two pieces of tricot knit interfacing (mirrored) for my patches.

With just a scrap piece of jersey knit, I fused the interfacing following the manufacturer’s instructions.  It’s a bit delicate, so I always use a pressing cloth.

With my ruler, I cut the patch pieces and also stacked them to make sure they matched, trimming as needed.


I laid the patch back in the washi tape marked spot to double check the size.  It’s ok if it’s slightly smaller or larger since the pant leg can be stretched to match.

The patch was pinned in place, but I would definitely use Wonder Tape next time.  (The pins shifted so much while I was sewing and stabbing me in such a confined area of space.)  I matched up the other leg by aligning the cuffs and then eye-balling it.  I know my kid won’t be too critical 😉

As you can see, I had to flip the pants inside out and scrunch the knee area up to the waistband to sew down the patch.  You can see how all the pins can be problematic.  Most of the pins completely moved out of place, so you can see an alternate method to secure the patch is probably better.  I used a straight stitch since that’s the machine I had set up but a nice zig-zag or blanket stitch could work for the applique.

Voila!  It’s like a new pair of pants.  The first time my son wore these, my husband even asked when he got these “new” motocross pants.  You know that great feeling when you can say, “Oh, I just made them!”   I love that you can’t even tell these are patched and just look like a design element.  Most of all, my little guy loves that he got a special pair of sewn pants AND that’s the best feeling of all!

There are a pair of designer yoga pants I may try to patch with this technique.  Would you try this on your next mend job?  Let me know if you try it out and how it works!

Project Details:

 

Go get than mend on!

Cristy