Made by a Fabricista: Hello Fall

My sewjo has definitely been lacking due to trying to shelter in place. Back in March when we started working/schooling from home my sewjo had a little spike as initially felt like I had a bit of extra time in my day. Sadly, it didn't take too long to lose that extra hour I'd gained due to not commuting. Add to that the fact there's no where to go so when would I wear these makes. Lastly I, like many, have gained weight the last few months (that's not totally Covids fault) and sometimes I hate sewing for a size I'm not so happy with. 

Picking up skating helped a bit because I could sew and wear new makes to social distance skate events, but what really kicked me back into high gear was the arrival of fall. Usually summer is my favorite season to sew for, but during this time of staying home cozy loungewear and comfy separates are really speaking to me. So when I was looking for fabrics this month I selected three double knits to make some easy to wear fall looks. 

This imperial blue raised striped double knit caught my eye first. I really love a bright, bold blue. I love double knits because it's weight makes it easy to sew and helps hide some curves you may not want to show, which is the downside of thinner knits, like ITYs or jerseys. The raised stripes reminded be of a black bodycon Calvin Klein dress I used to have so I decided to recreate that. 

McCalls 6886 is my go to for fitted knit dress so that it what I used. My old dress was sleeveless with a mock turtleneck, but I decided to add sleeves to this one. I essentials sewed the crew neck, with the mid length and the short sleeves. 

When I selected this glen plaid double knit I was thinking of a cardigan to wear with the dress. However when it arrived I realized the weight and stiffer hand would be great for pants and I was torn. Thankfully with some careful pattern piece placement I was able to squeeze out a cardigan and pants. For the cardigan I used Mimi G's Annie pattern and omitted the buttons because I plan to wear it open. If I change my mind I can always go back and add them.

The pants are Harper trousers by Designer Stitch. I've made these a couple of times before so I knew I'd like them. The only issue I had was that I didn't realize until after I cut the pieces that this double knit didn't have any vertical stretch, but luckily I had made an adequate back crotch adjustment so these are wearable.

Last up is this leopard double knit which had a textured jacquard feel. This knit is very stretchy and a lightweight, but I think I can wear it even when it gets cooler with thick tights and a cardigan. I love a leopard print so I had to have this one. I used the Designer Stitch Jasmine dress, because the I love the unique pockets. To make sure you notice them I used black ponte for the pocket band. 

Well that's all my makes this month. 

Tiffany

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