Simplicity 9384: Snow White dress

I made this last weekend for my friends daughter. I picked this pattern up at the op-shop, it's OOP now. I made a straight sz 4 for her, she's 3 so I think its very close to a RTW size.

Not much to say about it, the instructions are good, the sleeves are fiddly but end up nicely poufy.

Fabric is all cotton broadcloth from Spotlight, zipper is from my stash. The dress is unlined and has facings (I was really tempted to stitch them down but have left them for now as they are sitting inside nicely).

 

The cape isn't meant to have fastenings but I added a couple of plastic snaps to it.

I didn't bother making the dickey, I did think about attaching the big white collar to the cape but this way the cape can be a generic superhero one!

Style Arc: Sailor Sue Palazzo Ponte pants

I've made this pattern a few times now (bengaline version here, and a few unblogged about pairs in Ponte). I love the ponte versions, they are my go to work pants but the cheaper ponte does seem to pill up really fast. This ponte is from Rathdowne Fabrics, it has a light diagonal stripe through it and is soft as butter while still being medium weight. It will be interesting to see how it wears.

As much as I love a pull-on pant I do miss pockets so this pair has a zippered pocket in the front. I put the zipper in facing the opposite way that I wanted but it doesn't worry me as much as I thought when wearing them.
To make the zipper pocket I made a window using interfacing (place right sides together of fabric and interfacing, stitch the window, slit and pull the interfacing through and then iron the interfacing into place), topstitched in the zipper and then topstitched the actual pocket which means there is only a single layer of material for the pocket instead of the usual two so it sits nice and smooth.

I have a few wrinkles across the front in these, The waistband has loosened off with wearing so they are sitting lower than they should and pooling at the front. I've been trying to avoid unpicking the waistband (I hate unpicking serging!) but I might have to stop avoiding it and do it!

Fehr Trade 103: a duo of duathlons!

My version:

I reprinted out the pattern (properly this time!) and can now tell you that these are a sz XL with 2cm added to the inner leg seam and 2cm taken from the front side seams. I also took a wedge out of the side of these to get rid of some excess fabric that was pooling there and it also helped straighten up the legs.

Not sure whats going on with my face in these, chalk it up to teenage daughter induced stress!

Fabric is a black matt knit (same as last pair) and a digital print ponte from Spotlight.

I changed the waistband on these to a folded over one, I personally find it a lot more comfortable than an elastic one.

Ambers version:

Hers are a sz S graded out to a M at the waist with 1.5cm added to the inner leg seam only at the top (like Sunni talks about here).

I lengthened these to a full length pair for her and basted them together for a fitting, she has extra width at the calf but are very close fitting at the ankle. The side seams do twist around a bit, next version if she wants them full length I'll take a bit off the front and add it to the back around her lower calf area.

This is the second elastic waistband I've sewn onto these (first one was too tight apparently even through I test fitted her, of course now after a run in them she says they are too loose *eyeroll*). I added a drawstring to the waist, its very easy because of the way the elastic is sewn on, all I had to do was after I had serged the elastic to the waistband was sew a couple of buttonholes at the front then turn and topstitch, it creates a tunnel for the drawstring with no real extra effort.

She did a 4km run in these just after I finished them and they got the thumbs up, she did say the waistband felt too loose on the run so I think the next version I would make a straight size S without grading out at the waist.

Material wise, hers are made out of digital print ponte fabric from Spotlight with the side panel out of the matt black jersey, same fabrics as mine but switched around.