Tag: pdf patterns

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Sewing Adventures – Jalie Clara Tights Camo edition

It’s winter which means its cold and the temptation to stay on the couch cuddled under a blanket eating biscuits, drinking tea while reading books is big.
Sadly I know I need to move more. I have to get fitter and rebuild strength in my core and back.
So in an effort to motivate myself with new clothes to workout in I purchased the PDF of the Jalie Clara tights.


These are so intriguing as they have no centre front seam and only a back seam and an inside leg seam.
I measured myself and decided to go with the size Z with the 3/4 leg option of size O.


Cutting was easy and I added in the gusset, centre back seam and inside leg. At this stage I tried them on and decided I need to size down. Instead of unpicking and recutting I basically used my overlocker to cut down a size.


Tried them on again and decided on taking a dart like wedge out of the centre back and tightening the inside leg from mid thigh down the leg.
Popped them on again and was satisfied. Added the waistband using my overlocker and then twin needle stitched it in place using my coverstitch and hemmed (also on my coverstitch) and I was done.


I’m 5 foot tall so the top waistband sits really high on me (like just under my bra high) which is fabulous as it goes well up and above my surgery scar. It also goes above the weird swelling shape and weight gain which means it’s not going to move while I exercise.


There is some wrinkling around the knee that I’m not wild about but am going to wear them for awhile and see if there are any other changes to be made before I set about fixing that.


Great pattern, really impressed at the results and loving this Lycra from Pitt Trading which has no grin through of the white base fabric and isn’t see through even when stretched!

Having worn these a little am definitely going to size down even more, I want the Lycra to work a little harder as right now it feels a bit loose particularly around the crotch and thigh. It just doesn’t have that “firm” feeling yet so am going to do some tweaks. However I feel like the changes would be less if I wasn’t using such a nice quality Lycra.

Pattern – Jalie Clara tights pattern

Fabric – from the stash but originally from Pitt Trading

Changes – go down at least one to two sizes, take an extra dart shape wedge out of the centre back, tighten up knees a bit more

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Calling for Pattern Testers

**EDIT** Thank you all for a wonderful response, I now have a huge pool of testers and won’t be taking on any more for awhile. I’ll be sending out emails to everyone who applied very soon.***

I’ve got some exciting plans coming up and I’ll be needing some pattern testers. So I’m asking for your help, if you are able to be a pattern tester that would be fabulous.

Here is a brief run down of what I need
– competent home sewers with an eye for detail
– ability to provide good feedback on fit and notes on pattern instructions
– patterns range from basic to intermediate/difficult and cover a range of skills. Fabrics will include wovens and knits. Skills will include (but are not limited to) application of lace, fold over elastic, swimwear elastic, collars and plackets.
– sewers of womenswear and children’s wear
– turnaround times will vary but a due date will be given so you have a time frame for testing.
– photos of the finished garments on a person. These do not have to be “modelled” shots.They are purely for help with the fitting process. Should you wish to share the images/pattern on your own blog or social media you are welcome to do so after the release date but it is not a requirement of you being asked to be a tester.

As compensation for your time and efforts you will receive the final version of the pattern and a discount code for your personal use on other patterns in the range.

To be a tester please comment below with
– your blog or social media handle so I can see what you like to sew and match you to the appropriate pattern
– your preference for wovens or knits
– your preference for womens or kids
– level of sewing experience

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New Pattern: Active Beanie

Exciting day with a new pattern!

It’s a close fitting beanie perfect for activewear as it is lightweight and small so can be shoved in a pocket or a pack and brought out when needed. It’s even small enough to fit under a bike helmet so those early morning starts are a whole lot warmer.

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active beanie 2

With an interior pocket you can carry your house key or some notes to grab a coffee or go to the supermarket on your way home from your run.

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Suitable for stretch knits with good stretch recovery. Ideal for knits, jersey, interlocks, ribs and lycra blends. An elastane/lycra/spandex content is highly recommended for a better fit. Merino knits, polyester lycra blends and performance fabrics highly recommended. Cotton and other absorbent fibres not recommended if being used for Activewear purposes.

active beanie 3

This is a one size fits most, the instructions take you through step by step including how to add the internal pocket. A quick simple make it’s perfect for using up scraps and as presents for the active people in your life.

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From now till the 8th of August it’s on sale for $2.50 (plus taxes where applicable) before going up to it’s regular price of $4.00

 

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Sewalongs – a few questions

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I had a lot of fun doing the sewalongs for the knickers during Everyone deserves pretty Knickers week.

It also taught me a lot. How to take photos to show the techniques, what fabrics work (or don’t work) and the need to actually be able to see the stitching.

However I don’t want to just rely on what I think is a good solution. So I’m going to throw some questions out there and hope that you all have some time to pop a quick comment on the blog so I can combine my ideas with your ideas and come up with a good solution.

  • do you like sewalongs?
  • if a sewalong was posted in one go would that be good? or do you prefer stage by stage?
  • for faster projects is it better to be a step a day and finish within only a few days or one step per week over a few weeks?
  • do you mind if your blog reader has sewalong posts in it or would you prefer them in a separate stream you can choose to subscribe to?
  • white backgrounds for photos or it doesn’t matter?
  • does contrast coloured thread make you break out in hives or is it better to see the details with?

Is there anything I’ve missed out? Seriously throw your ideas out there, sewalongs are for you so I want to make sure I come up with the system that suits you the most.

Thanks for taking the time to comment and help come up with a solution!