Made by a Fabricista: Cardigans and Culottes

Hello from the Midwest!  I hope that you are all doing well and staying healthy during this crisis.  We've been sheltering in place for 3 weeks now.  I have to say that being able to sew during this time has probably saved my sanity.  It's been a way to look forward and focus on creating something beautiful.  So, I hope that you have also been able to find solace in something that you enjoy doing.

In anticipation of lovely Spring weather, I decided to make some culottes, using the Named culotte pattern- Ninni.  I bought this pattern when Fabric Mart had it in the Bargain Bin a couple of months ago.

For my fabric, I chose two double knits- one plaid and one textured.  Here's the plaid version.  You can see that the legs are pretty wide, and they are very comfortable.

I chose black and white fabrics because I wanted to extend my red capsule wardrobe from last month.  Here they are with the red jacket:

But, I also felt in the mood for some yellow this month.  So, I made a tank top and cardigan from this sheer yellow viscose knit.  This is using Simplicity 8141 for the cardigan and Vogue 1049 for the tank.

The tank is two layers of the fabric, and the cardigan one layer.  This project was a fabric hog- I had 3-1/2 yards of fabric, and used it all for these two pieces.  For some reason, I don't think that 8141 was ever done in regular Misses sizing, only plus.  I'm right on the border, so I can use either size range.  If you can find a copy, there really isn't much fitting involved other than the back neck and the sleeve width, so I wouldn't hesitate to get it, even if you are not a plus size.

I was surprised at how well the tank fit me with no alterations.  This is a clever pattern- you can actually make the tank completely reversible if you want to.  I think I'll just use it as a lined tank, which is really quite useful, as so many knits are on the thin side.

I really love the cardigan.  It is very pretty in person- like an upside down daffodil.  Here it is with some full length pants.  The pants were a bone colored suiting fabric from a mystery bundle, using McCalls 7415- No Side Seam pants.

These were an unexpected favorite.  I usually want pockets in all of my pants and skirts, but these look so elegant and were so easy, that I'm okay with giving up the pockets.  I'm definitely making more of these pants when I find the right kind of fabric for them.

For the next set of culottes, I used a black faille knit that has a rose textured design.  I didn't have enough fabric to cut them the full width, so I made these quite a bit more narrow, and I think that they still work fine.

The cardigan is from an older Vogue pattern 2382 (circa 1999), and made from this cream textured double knit.

I had a problem with this one- it really looked like a lab coat at first, and during this time, I really didn't want to be mistaken for a doctor!  I experimented with a couple of different trims that I had on hand.  It was between some beaded fringe and a faux leather metallic gold trim.

So, I decided on the faux leather metallic gold trim.  To apply the trim, I used a double sided fusible tape, rather than sewing it down.  Since the facing was showing through, I placed the trim on the outside at the edge of the facing, so it's not as obvious where the facing is.

The buttons are a gold art deco design.  It makes it a little dressier than I had intended, but I still like it!  The t-shirt is also made from a mystery bundle fabric.

Here's a close up of the fabric so that you can see the textured design in the black culottes.

And lastly, I made a raincoat, using a Burda magazine pattern- 04-2019-101 from a coated denim.  Although the fabric was in my stash, the buttons that I used were from Fabric Mart- these are the Milly buttons.  I was excited to see a similar raincoat fabric in a Nordstrom coat- they called it a Lacquer Coat. 

I've ordered several varieties of the Milly notions, and have been extremely pleased with the quality. The fabric was tough to work with because it was really stiff.  But, it's lined and I actually love the sleeves- my husband called them "fluffies", so I am pleased with the result.

Burda Style Magazine 04-2019-101 pattern

Here it is from the back- it has a yoke and a center back seam.

I'm really excited with the new additions to my Spring wardrobe.  It may be next Spring before I'm able to wear all of these in public, but that's okay (as long as I don't gain too much weight- another side effect of sheltering in place, I am finding out!). They will store just fine until we are all safe to come out and enjoy being together again!

Here's a big virtual bouquet for you!  Please stay healthy and safe! 

Happy Sewing!

Ann 

SewBaby News