Friday, January 15, 2016

Friday Housekeeping from 2015, etc. (15-Jan-2016)

I don't have a pattern roundup post this week because we only saw one major new pattern release and an expansion pack (that I'm aware of). So, instead of a pattern roundup, I'm writing a housekeeping post. I've got a handful of projects from 2015 that I never actually blogged here. I had every intention of blogging them here, but at this point, they just feel like a lead weight around my neck. Consider this post mostly just a logging post for my own purposes.

Decades of Style: Decades Everyday - Three's a Charm Jacket

Before I get into the project log, I just want to give a heads up about the one new pattern that I saw released this week. If you follow them on social media, Decades of Style has been teasing their new unlined jacket pattern for a while, and this past week, it was finally released. It's also 20% off (use code JANUARY20) until the end of the month.

I love this and snapped it up. Decades of Style (and particularly the Decades Everyday line) get such great reviews from curvy sewists, and this simple jacket looks both like it should be easy to make and super versatile. You get the structure of a jacket, a nice open neckline, but none of the fussy jacket details.

Decades Everyday - Three's a Charm Jacket
Muse Patterns: Jenna Expansion Pack

Kat from Muse just released an expansion pack for her popular Jenna cardigan. The expansion pack gives an open neckline option (yay!) or the option of a Peter Pan collar. The open neckline option is actually a cardigan that I had in my head (with the shoulder ruching), so it's nice to see that Kat has drafted this for me now without having to try to hack it myself.

Muse Patterns - Jenna Expansion pack

Finished Project (from months ago): Blank Slate Denver Tunic

If you follow me on the Curvy Sewing Collective, I wrote this up back in October (ugh), with plans to do a more comprehensive post about my alterations, etc, over here. Clearly, I never got around to that follow-up post. After having this tunic in my wardrobe for a few months now, I can easily say that I love it. That cotton-lycra jersey is SO soft, and it hasn't been pilling at all yet.

Blank Slate Denver Tunic
Closet Case Files - Carolyn Pajamas

I made a set of Closet Case Files Carolyn Pajamas as my December project for FabricMart. I try to keep my posts over there fairly light and non-technical and didn't go much into my alterations for the pattern, which I had intended to do over here. Given that I finished these PJs nearly a month ago, trying to reconstruct my construction process just seems like a monumental task at this point, so I'm going to just let this one go.

I love these pajamas a ton and have been wearing them several times a week. I absolutely expect to make this pattern a few more times, and I'll try to share my alterations, etc, with you on the next pass when the info is more fresh in my brain. In a nutshell, this was a really fun pattern, and I found the fit to be expected per the sizing chart.

Closet Case Files - Carolyn Pajamas

Blank Slate - Pocket PJs

The Pocket PJs were Eva's Christmas pajamas this year. She's been hugely into Thomas the Tank Engine for the past year or so, so I made these from jammies from two different prints of Thomas-themed quilting cotton. I've used Blank Slate's Pocket PJ pattern for Eva before and really liked it, so it was a no-brainer for me to pull out this PDF again. She's grown out of the Pocket PJs that I made her last summer, so I made the new pair in a 4T rather than the 3T that I used last time. Yay for PDF patterns and just printing off a new size as your child grows!

Because she's Eva, and she never stops moving for photos, I don't have any decent modeled shots, so here are a couple of tormenting-the-cat modeled shots and a couple of flat shots.
Blank Slate Pocket PJs

Blank Slate Pocket PJs + petting the cat with a thing of dental floss

Detail shot

Full set - flat

Final Thoughts

It feels good to get caught up and to not have those posts hanging over my head. Things just got so busy around here at the end of the year that my personal blog was one thing that I had to let slip a bit.

On top of that, after going through a big year-end-push, my sewjo has been seriously AWOL. To try to not let it slide too much, I'm currently working on the SBCC Pinot Pants (a yoga-style pant) and one of the new HotPatterns sweatshirts. Cozy is a good thing in January.

19 comments:

  1. Thanks for the work you do on these pattern posts. I love 'em!

    That jacket is cute, and like you, I was thrilled with the expansion pack.

    You sewed so much stuff in the fall that I'm not surprised you run out of sewjo. And the robot costume had to be majorly tiring and trying. I like the jammies, and it is so hilariously she's using a dental floss case to pet the cat. He only looks minorly annoyed at the situation. Maybe he secretly wants to use it?

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    1. Ugh, yeah, the robot costume. And I have a feeling that if she sticks with wanting to be BB-8 this year, that costume is going to be even worse.

      As far as Silvio (the cat) goes...that's Sil. He'll put up with an amazing amount from her (and look annoyed while doing it), but when he's had enough, he'll move to somewhere where she can't reach him.

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  2. Love the PJ's. January has always been a recovery month for me after the holiday hustle and bustle. And this January, so far, has been pretty brutal with the celebrity deaths happening right and left.

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    1. "Recovery month" is a good way to describe it. :)

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  3. Haha- petting the cat with dental floss!!

    I snapped up the Three's a Charm jacket, too- it's adorable! I like that it's vaguely vintage-y, but the more modern/paired with jeans versions they posted on Instagram are what sold me!

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  4. I grabbed that jacket pattern too. Nice to see that option on the Jenna cardigan.

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  5. I wouldn't have looked at the jacket pattern. The drawings don't do it justice! I've just added to the pile of downloaded patterns that needed trimming and taping.... Your blog needs to carry a warning that you enable others to add to their pattern stashes LOL!

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  6. Those pjs are great, seems like you were very busy before Christmas. The tunic looks like it would go with anything. Louise x

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  7. I snapped up that jacket as well. Now if I could find more time! I have so much cut out ready to sew, ran into Niema today at JoAnn's and she twisted my arm into 3 pieces of Nicole Miller fabric (it's fabulous!), but other than grocery shopping and cooking - i haven't even been downstairs today!

    Your jams are all lovely! Nice job - and remember this is a hobby - do it when you are inspired and not because you have to or should. :) g

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  8. I love your pajamas! You make me want to make a pair for myself! I also appreciate your pattern posts and agree that you're an enabler. :) I can't wait to see your take on the Threes a charm jacket!

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  9. ADORE your pajamas. They really look amazing and high end and fantastic! :)

    I Can't wait to see your pretzel!!! I kind of want that one but will await your review.

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  10. Ok, SOOOOO want those pajamas !!! Must save some craft money to splurge on that pattern and fabric cost. You have me convinced I NEED them!

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  11. You win with the Carolyn pajamas! I especially love the piping around the cuffs.

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  12. Agree about the pajamas! The don't have my size though.

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