Completed: More Ooh La Leggings!

Ahoy! Just a couple more pairs of these! Why yes, it is the Ooh La Leggings pattern from Papercut Patterns. I'm still in love with this pattern. Fun seaming, and I had a go and refashioned 4 pairs of terrible store-bought leggings into one pair of color-blocked Ooh La's!


I love the high rise on these! I may take another inch or so off the top for the next version for a slightly better fit.




The color blocking is a little loud, I'll admit. I've worn these to the gym once, and relegated them to the backpacking pile.
This fabric is a weird one, since it's from other store-bought leggings and I long removed the tags, I have no idea what it's actually made of.

For the second pair, I used this Girl Charlee Ponte-De-Roma.It has less stretch than other knits I've used to make these before, so they're a bit tight. I used a light yellow and pale pink combo in my serger to constrcut these, and some of those threads show through, which is alright by me!


I am in love with this print, although the fabric doesn't breathe very well. It's quite synthetic-feeling.

The knees ended up being a little tight, so I might just chop a little length off right above the knee and wearing these as a "bermuda" type of length.


Oh boy. I kinda match my rug!!

Completed: Floral Coppelia

I completed this Papercut Patterns Cooppelia Cardy back in December. Riding high right after I finished my Rigel Bomber, I cut this pattern out and got to work, finishing it in a few hours. I chose the full wrap top but extended the bottom pieces by 1". I like a cropped length, but that would require I wear a cami underneath, or wear it only with high-waisted bottoms.


Obligatory selfie! I read a lot of reviews, and this top seems to run large. I cut out the smallest size, XXS and still had to take a 1" chunk out of the back, on the fold. The fit is much better now, but the neckline is a little floppy right at the shoulders/neck.


I tend to have a difficult time with wrap style tops staying where they need to be - they ride up because my waist is much smaller than my hips or where I'd generally like a shirt to end. I also cut the ties too short, so I can only tie this in the back, which can be uncomfortable while sitting in a chair or driving.






You can see the back seam line, which I took out after I constructed the top to get it to fit. I transferred that change to my pattern, so the next time this is made it'll be cut on the fold with no back seam.

This wonderful knit is from Girl Charlee's January KnitFix! I love the large cuff bands and I do like the look of a wrap top. Hoping to make this one again, and perhaps do a 3/4 length sleeve.

Completed: Pneuma Sports Bras & Tank Tops

Next up: Papercut Pattern's Pneuma Tank & Sports Bra.  

This pattern is ACES.

I try to get to the gym about 4-5 times a week, so that means I'm burning through a lot of work out gear in a single week. When I first started going, I was content to use those ratty old dance pants and a t-shirt. As I've actually stayed committed to showing up, though, I want some cute stuff to sweat in.
Papercut's Tri collection is nothing short of absolutely amazing. I've made up the Pneuma as a stand-alone sports bra twice, and made the integrated tank top/bra combo three times, and had fun playing around with a stand alone tank.

Here's my first go-round with the bra:




I didn't want to spend time tracking down bra-strapping, so I ended up using 1/4" elastic encased in the same fabric I was using, with a nice zig zag down the center to secure. This method worked, and I used it for my second version as well.
First version: Fabric from Fashion Fabrics Club. I searched high and low for an 85/15 poly-spandex blend, which is the same fabric used for a pair of leggings I really liked from Old Navy. This is the Aqua Blue. For this version I started with the XXS. The fit is pretty good, but I found it was a little tight, which made it hard to get on and off, but great while wearing it.

Second version was made with the Vibrant Purple and the straps were made with this amazing Girl Charlee Ponte de Roma. Those were scraps leftover from some leggings I've yet to blog about!



For version number two, I added 1/4" to each pattern center (center back and center front) matching the length for the XS pattern piece, without raising the arm or neckline. This was a great alteration! I didn't pay attention to the fact that I should have then moved the strap locations, so you can see in the photo above that the outer straps are preeeeetty close to the side seams. Derp!

Version one with the tank was made with the same Vibrant Purple Milliken, but this time I used FOE kept flat for the straps and the shirt was made with a half-yard cut of this Girl Charlee Print.





I had been hoping for more of a peek-a-boo effect with the side and back cutouts, so I lowered those each by 1/4" on the following versions. I finished the edges of the tank with a narrow hem on my serger. In fact, the entire project was put together with my serger, save for topstitching the elastic in the bra and attaching the straps.

Version 2 was made with this Yellow Gold Milliken, and this "Neon Aztec" print, also a half yard cut from Girl Charlee.








And here are my mirror selfies actually wearing version 2:



Version 3 was made with the Aqua blue again, and this Girl Charlee floral print, half yard cut again! Since it was a half yard cut, I ended up changing the pattern direction on the front, but it's a knit, and following the grain isn't as important.







It seems I forgot to snap photos of the standalone tank, but, it's fun to wear to the gym. Buy this pattern, you won't be disappointed!

Completed: Totally Tubular 80's-tastic Rad Rigel Bomber

AHHH! I am totally on a Papercut Patterns kick! I am really loving these designs, so I can't wait to see what else I'll be churning out soon! (Spoiler: I made the Pneuma Bra during my office's "winter break" and it's *AMAZING*)

A note: I've often held off posting because I haven't taken "good" photos of myself wearing the garment. It's usually an iPhone mirror selfie, and I get all self-conscious about it and don't end up posting. NO MORE! I've got some in progress shots, and dress form shots, and then an iPhone selfie. I don't want to let that stop me from keeping up to date with the things I've made. Deal with it.

May I present to you: the Totally Tubular 80's-tastic Rad Rigel Bomber!!!!




This is a stretch cotton sateen I bought at JoAnn's a billion years ago. I don't know what I was thinking? I am willing to bet it was on sale and I thought I'd make a dress out of it.



Along with everyone else who's made this jacket, I added a lining. I omitted the facings and I followed Lladybird's lead and used most of Jen's bagging tutorial, with a minor modification.

This lining is linen. Since this is meant as a light weight jacket, I don't plan on wearing this with anything long sleeved, and could avoid using a slippery fabric for the arms. My next go round will be of a heavier fabric and will definitely include slippery arms!

To that end, Linen loves to absolutely disintegrate, so I serged every single seam as I was putting it together. This means I had a whole "Jacket" ready to go into my shell, and I didn't want to rip open ANY of those linen seams. Doing that would mean eating into the seam allowance on the lining and cause the lining to become unstable.

What I did instead was to attach the lining as instructed for the facings, sewing together at the neck (after the ribbing was attached) and zipper line (after the zipper was installed). I also sewed together at the arms (again, after the ribbing was attached)which was a little terrifying.



At that point, I had all upper points together, and the hem ribbing had not yet been installed. I then treated the lining and the shell as one and just serged the hem ribbing on.




I had never made a welt pocket before. In fact, I now realize when I made my Minoru, I had wanted to add welt pockets, but failed to find a tutorial for adding them with a zipper.



The instructions included for making the welt pockets are easy to follow! I had tried to do some "research" beforehand by reading tutorials on other blogs, but that was not necessary.



LOOK AT MY WELTS YOU GUYS

And now, here I am wearing it, with matching phone case!





IT'S DONE!

Completed: Ikat Papercut Patterns Ooh La Leggings

If the photos aren't coming through, click HERE!


Papercut Leggings on my table.

I've had a long list of legging patterns, draft-it-yourself instructions, and other sewist's legging projects around, but I've been pretty intimidated about leggings. I don't know why. I finally just bit the bullet and bought the PDF copy of the Papercut Patterns Ooh La Leggings.

Totally not disappointed, you guys. This pattern is well drafted, and is only 5 pattern pieces! Just FIVE! These were so fast to make up - I did nearly everything on my serger. The fabric used feels like a swimsuit lycra (content was unknown) that I picked up off a remnant table. I think the piece was only 5/8's of a yard, and since this fabric has 4 way stretch, I just folded the other direction and was able to make the below knee length version!



Since the print is pretty busy, the lines are lost. I've got another pair almost finished, and I can assure you that the lines are *very* visible on there! The rise is really high, which I like very much. I plan to wear these to the gym and for backpacking/hiking, so I prefer something that's sitting above my hips.





The waistband insertion is genius - you sew your band in a circle, serge or zigzag it to the top edge of the waist, fold and zig zag down. Done and done. None of the traditional threading elastic through with a hole in the back kind of stuff. I'm definitely going to use this method for any other elastic waist that I can!

You can see the lines (and how pretty the guts are!) from the insides. Here's the front:

And here's the back:



Oh gosh. I realize that these aren't hemmed in these photos. I promise I hemmed them! I just serged the edges, turned up and zig-zagged! If you're unsure about sewing yoru own leggings, or you just want to play around with more knit fabrics - get this pattern!!

Rigel Bomber Planzzzzzz

(If this post isn't showing the photos in your email, click HERE!)

oh helloooo beauty! 



This pattern has been out for a while. I looked at it, then kept moving. Then all of these amazing Rigel's started popping up everywhere. (Click the pics to go to their respective sources!)









And then the Gap started schilling them (which I was going to link to but I guess they're not on sale anymore, so whatever), and I'm not really one for "on trend" but I loves me a jacket, so now this pattern is mine.

And then what really sealed the deal was Lauren went and posted a photo on instagram and listed her ribbing source. GAME OVER YA'LL. I ordered two kinds of ribbing from Pacific Trimming in NYC.
Super fast shipping, and the ribbing I got is super high quality. 

SILVER and GOLD! Girl, you so fancy!
I have a potentially suitable coating for a little more substance, but I also have several great floral cottons in my stash (that I need to whittle down so that I can buy more fabric) so I'm still contemplating what I'll actually make it out of.

I really, really, like the weight and substance of the Papercut Patterns. For those that don't know - they come printed on a sturdier recycled brown paper. I just assembled my instruction booklet last night. Posts for a work in progress soon!