Unlocking a New Sewing Level [a pattern review]

With each baby I’ve carried, my body has changed a little bit. My hips have grown wider, my belly softer – marked with stripes that are the evidence of these little loves. But this ever-changing body has also produced an ever-changing wardrobe. Under my bed I have clothing for every stage: pre-baby, post-baby, post-post baby. Because rarely do I find the perfect fit – the shirts that hide the belly that once carried my boys or the jeans that are the perfect balance of respectable mom-of-four-kids jeans, without venturing into “mom jeans” territory.

Last year, I made a promise to myself that I would sew more for me. I’m making more brave choices and not settling for ill-fitting clothes anymore. And with the help of the Women’s Bundle Up sale from Pattern Revolution, I’ve added two more lovely pieces to my wardrobe. In fact, I think I’ve unlocked a new sewing level!

I chose to sew two patterns from the Bundle: Terra’s Treasures Pier 7 Top and Winter Wear Designs Real Deal Jeans. (Both are currently available only through the bundle sale… they will be available later this month at their respective shops)

I’ve been holding onto this fabric (a peach skin from Girl Charlee that isn’t currently in stock) for awhile, but I just hadn’t found the right project for it. As soon as I saw this pattern, I knew it would be a perfect match! First of all, this print. THIS PRINT! So fabulous. The drape is phenomenal, and it feels so good when you’re wearing it! Dreamy, actually.

One of the things I adore about sewing is taking a pattern and modifying it so that it fits you perfectly – your body and your style. I love the pleats in the front – a great detail in the pattern that will likely make you crazy when using a fabric like this that’s slippery as all get out, but will be so worth it in the end.

I altered a few simple things about the Pier 7. I left off the sleeves and finished the armholes with bias tape. The pattern has two options for the waist: shirring or elastic. I chose the elastic, but finished the waistband with a method not offered in the pattern, giving it a slightly different look.

The pattern is really easy to follow, and I am definitely going to try it in a knit fabric soon. I know that this top will be really easy to dress up or to wear with…

My new skinny jeans! What??! I made jeans. JEANS!

Sewing jeans for myself has been on my sewing bucket list for awhile now. The pattern makes more of a straight leg jeans, and I wanted some skinnies, so I did a lot of alterations in the calves to get the perfect skinny fit. But now they’re exactly what I wanted! I constructed the pants a little differently than the instructions in the pattern. To be honest, I didn’t really look at them closely – I’ve made a lot of little-people pants, so I did my own thing once I had the pattern pieces in hand.

Now repeat after me: a muslin is your best friend. Definitely muslin before you cut into your good fabric. You’ll be able to check the fit and see what kind of alterations you need to make right off the bat, especially if you need to blend between sizes. I snagged this (freaking adorable) denim from JoAnn’s. I thought it was a great denim for my first pair, since it’s not super expensive. It’s certainly not the highest quality fabric, but they’re super comfy, and I think they’ll wear well.

Here I go, putting my booty on the internet again… but seriously, I love the way my butt looks in these pants! I always struggle with store-bought jeans, because well, I don’t really have much of a butt. This seems like it would be a good problem, but not when it comes to picking out jeans. Jeans are made for people with a booty! But after some minor alterations, they fit perfectly, and I’m pretty sure I may never go back to store-bought jeans again.

Let’s take control of our wardrobes! Let’s embrace our bodies and sew clothes that make us feel good about ourselves! Because as I said before:

You can find these patterns and more on sale at the Bundle Up Sale now through May 8th, and individually later this month.

And be sure to head over to Pattern Revolution and check out all the other Bundle Up tour stops, as well as reviews on each of the individual patterns.

 Disclaimer: I was given these patterns in exchange for this post. I receive no compensation from this sale. All opinions are my own.