Gloria Dress for Momma Mia

I am back with another 5oo4 make. Again this time, it is for Momma Mia. I am working on filling her closet up lately. This time, I volunteered her for a Gloria even though she typically doesn’t like the look of a peplum. She doesn’t like the seam across her belly while I personally love it. The Gloria pattern comes with my favorite peplum top and I have 4 of them. Not that 4 is too many, I am just spreading the love out a bit. Plus Momma Mia likes new dresses and she already had this awesome fabric. So let’s talk about her latest dress in her closet.

This is Gloria from 5oo4 patterns. It comes packed with options so Momma Mia had a few choices to make. First she agreed to a peplum, but I talked her into the short skater dress because there was enough fabric! I mean, why leave a 15 inch scrap of fabric when it can become a dress, right? Next, she wanted the elbow sleeves which is normal for her, but she was excited about the split sleeve option. These sleeves really only take about 10 extra minutes to hem, top stitch then attach to the bodice plus they are just a little fun detail.  As always, she prefers the high scoop neckline.

Here are all the options included with the pattern.

Regular Bodice and 1″ FBA Bodice pieces.

• Peplum, Short or Long Skater Skirt Lengths
• Peplum, Short or Long Hi Lo Skirt Lengths (with instructions on how to combine for a more dramatic Hi Lo effect)
• Traditional Sleeve with 5 Lengths: Sleeveless, Short, Elbow, 3/4 and Long
• Split Sleeve with 4 Lengths: Short, Elbow, 3/4 and Long
• 2 Neckline Options: High or Low Scoop
• Full Bust Adjustment Tutorial section
• Instructions on making the Gloria skirts without the bodice or adding a Circle Skirt to the Gloria bodice

This fabric is Liverpool. I love that Liverpool gives a little bit of structure to the skirt portion, but is still comfortable in the bodice and stretches with movement. It doesn’t really wrinkle and washes well. As I am typing this up, I am actually wearing a Gloria made of Liverpool that I made more than a year ago. It still looks as nice as it did when I made it! It really gives a dressy appearance to an outfit. This Liverpool came from Zinck’s Fabric Warehouse in Berlin, Ohio. This print is fun for spring in summer, but I think she can also wear some tights and be good to go for fall! I visit a few times a year and we picked this one up in spring after they did a huge stocking.

Overall, I think Momma Mia loves her new dress and will enjoy wearing it. If you would like to make a Gloria yourself here is my Aff. Link for your shopping pleasure.

You can follow all of my sewing adventures through the links below!

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Reagan Raglan

It has been awhile since I sewed up a Reagan Raglan for myself. This pattern was actually one of my very first sewing pattern tests. I had no idea what I was doing, but thankfully, the BSD team didn’t kick me out. They really helped me along. I have really learned so much since then. I love going back to my roots, so to speak, and sewing up some Bella Sunshine Designs. I love that their clothing always fits, the size range is consistent and all newer patterns include an FBA.

Bella Sunshine Designs has a pattern range from kiddos to almost a 60 inch hip and bust. I am wearing a 24 bust with the included Full Bust Adjustment. My shirt is graded to a 28 at the waist and hip. I decided to make the tunic length shortened by one inch. I did a bicep adjustment of 1.5 inches for this pattern and this is a pretty standard adjustment for me. I used the scoop neckline, mostly because I stink at V necks, but I do like the scoop best.

Let’s talk fabric. How fun is this black and white squiggle stripe? It is called Tabitha. I think it is fun and playful, but it is also slippery like swim wear….because it is SWIM FABRIC!! Yep, a super fun and squiggly printed swim fabric! Summer is winding down here in Ohio and really, I don’t do much swimming. This print was too fun to pass up though. I ordered it up from Stitchin’ Pretties and they still have some in stock! I only ordered 1 yard of it because I was actually going to make some fun underwear. I loved this fabric too much to hide it under my clothing though.

If you sew many things for a plus size body, you will know it is hard to make anything bigger than a tank top and underwear with a single yard cut. I decided I would dig in my scrap bin (Yes, Again!) and see if I could find some scraps. I ended up finding this dark green which happens to also be from Stitchin’ Pretties. Remember when I used it to make a Jessie top? You can view that post here. I was happy to have a scrap large enough to cut some decent length raglan sleeves. In case you never thought about it, they take a lot more fabric than normal sleeves.

I was able to just barely cut my front and back bodices from my 1 yard piece of fabric. I even had to dip into the selvage just a bit to make it work. I was mostly able to stay on track with my stripe matching although my stripes may be a little tilted. I didn’t even notice until I was sewing the bottom hem. Although when I was eeking by, I was willing to forego stripe matching if need be. I was going to get a raglan cut from this print if I had to do some kind of Harry Potter sorcery on it.

Did I mention the Reagan Raglan is actually a FREE pattern? SCORE!!! You can pick this one up for free with the code available at the Bella Sunshine Designs Facebook group!

• There is also a ton of stuff on sale at Stitchin’ Pretties!!!

You can follow all of my sewing adventures through the links below!

• You can follow my blog by clicking the Follow button on the right side of my blog.
• You can follow me on Instagram by clicking here.
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Camilla Tunic

The Camilla Top and Dress from 5 out of 4 is back on my blog and I am still super in love with it.  Each time I sew this one up, it gets better! This is my third one and I can finally do it without the directions so I am counting that as a win.

I decided on this pattern because I had this stunning fabric from Stitchin’ Pretties! This fabric is an ITY and here is your link.  No joke, I have been drooling over it since it came out and finally ordered it! When it arrived, it was even more beautiful in person! I love ITY fabric because it is nice and smooth and always feels cool. So I sent a picture of my fabric to the Sarcastic Sewist and asked what I should make. She suggested Camilla right away! Lucky for me, I already had it printed and ready to use. This is also when I realized I hadn’t even blogged about my second Camilla. Stay tuned, it is coming.

I chose the ¾ sleeve length tunic. I sewed a 4x at the bust to a 5x. This pattern doesn’t have the included FBA which the newer 5oo4 patterns have. My tunic sewed up fairly quickly because at this point, I kinda know what I am doing. I also just put some small pleats at the cowl neck instead pinning at the marked spots which was a bit fiddly the first time. It may not even been quicker, it just doesn’t mess with my blood pressure. Once you have the cowl neck sorted it is all smooth sailing. A few passes with the serger and all is well.

Here is the list of all the included options with this pattern. 5 out of 4 patterns is sort of amazing because they always give me options, I don’t know I need. I actually wish I has enough of this fabric to make a swing dress. That would have been super pretty.

OPTIONS INCLUDE:

• Sleeveless, Short, Elbow, 3/4, Long, and Extra Long Sleeves;
• Shirt, Tunic, A-line Dress, and Swing Dress;
• Maternity option;
• Band option for each sleeve length, including thumbhole cuffs;
• Hem Band Option;
• Optional Pockets for Swing Dress; and
• Optional ruched sides of bodice.
  I absolutely love my latest shirt and can’t wait to get it out of the laundry basket to wear again!This fabric needs to be worn in summer! I needed it months ago!!

  You can pick up the Camilla pattern using my link here.

  You can also pick up this amazing fabric from Stitchin’ Pretties here.  

   

  There is also a ton of stuff on sale at Stitchin’ Pretties!!!

You can follow all of my sewing adventures through the links below!

• You can follow my blog by clicking the Follow button on the right side of my blog.
• You can follow me on Instagram by clicking here.
• You can follow me on Facebook by clicking here.
• You can follow me on YouTube by clicking here.
• You can follow me on Pinterest by clicking here.

This blog contains affiliate links.

Sydney Dress

The Women’s Sydney has been on my sewing table twice so far! The first time, I sewed the pockets in wrong TWICE. I threw it into a corner. I have some pieces, some parts are in the scrap bin, and I think there also may be a piece of it on the bookcase in my bedroom. So this time when Momma Mia needed a new dress, I decided I would make the Sydney again. I gave myself a little pep talk and set to work.

Momma Mia always requests two things when I sew for her. Elbow-ish length sleeves and the dress length should be around her calves. She was in luck, as these were both options for the Sydney dress.

We decided she will have the elbow length sleeves, Tea length dress and it would be a half circle skirt not a full circle. She also got the Jewel front neckline and the Scoop for her back neckline.  Here are all the options included with the Sydney Dress.

• Regular and Full Bust Adjustment (FBA) pattern pieces are both included
• Lift Up nursing option included
• Multiple neckline options!
  • The front neckline can be Jewel, Scoop, or V-neck.
  • The back neckline can be High, Low scoop, or V-neck.
• Fully Lined Bodice
• Short, Elbow, Three-quarter, and Long sleeves
• Multiple Skirt Options!
  • Half Circle – Peplum, Knee, Tea, and Maxi Lengths
  • Full Circle – Peplum and Knee Lengths
• Sizes XXS-5XL

  The bodice is fully lined which means it uses a bit more fabric than just a regular top, but the neckline is super neat since there is no banding, no binding, or no top stitching. I had a 4 yard length of this amazing brushed poly fabric, which I got from Sly Fox Fabrics, but ending up needing just a little bit more for one half of the lining. Thankfully, I have a well-stocked scrap pile! 

  Overall, this dress sewed fairly quickly even though it has a lot of steps. Pockets, lined bodice, sleeves, and a mile of hemline on this dress. It was all worth it, Momma Mia is happy and likes twirling around in her new dress!

  If you love the Sydney Dress too, you can pick it up here! I promise you will be glad you did!
   If you need some beautiful fabrics. go checkout Sly Fox Fabrics.

You can follow all of my sewing adventures through the links below!

• You can follow my blog by clicking the Follow button on the right side of my blog.
• You can follow me on Instagram by clicking here.
• You can follow me on Facebook by clicking here.
• You can follow me on YouTube by clicking here.
• You can follow me on Pinterest by clicking here.

This blog contains affiliate links.

Agility Tank and Dress

Did you know that one of 5 out of 4’s most popular patterns is the Agility Tank? Did you know the Agility tank just expanded its size range? Yep, now it comes in sizes up to 5x which matches the size range of newer 5 out of 4 designs.

For testing, I made my first ever sports bra. I have only purchased one sports bra in my entire adult life and that was because I needed a racer back to wear with a shirt on my blog. I hated it BTW. I don’t like sports bras for general everyday wear because I require a lot of support in the bust area. I ordered some mesh to sew into my bra, but as it turns out all mesh is not created equal. The mesh I received was more of a mesh overlay compared to a supportive mesh even though it was labeled power mesh. If you order mesh for sports bra use, please make sure it is the sturdy stuff.

So let’s talk about my tank dress with built in bra. I used a heavier cotton lycra for the bra portion and added the clear elastic through the straps and neckband as the pattern recommended. This did help somewhat with support, but again a strong power mesh would have helped more. I also did a little height adjusting. I removed 1 inch from the back racer before attaching the back T to the back bra strap. I also removed 1 inch from the front straps to help hold things up and in. My overlay dress fabric it a rayon spandex, I believe. I picked this up on a garage sale table at my quilt guild meeting last month, but I know it is from Joann’s because I have used it before! I loved it then and now. It is super soft, like the softest fabric ever and the colors are so vibrant! Loving that my cone flowers and phlox are blooming!

I made the 4x graded to a 5x as usual with 5 out of 4 patterns. I chose to make the Racer T back style but you could make the strappy option if you prefer. I also choose to make a dress, but you could do just a bra option or a top length. I removed 2 inches from the skirt to adjust for my height. It is still a little longer than the designer intended as it should hit mid knee. I just did a regular hem, but you could choose bands or drawstrings. So many options. I always say that is why I love 5 out of 4.

So here are all the options…

THE WOMEN’S AGILITY TANK INCLUDES:

• T-back sports bra
• Strappy back sports bra
• T-back or strappy back overlay tank with a drawstring or banded hem
• T-back or strappy back tankini overlay (lower cut sides, so skin shows beneath bra)
• T-back or strappy back overlay dress
• Every option can be made with nursing access!
• Maternity pattern pieces

While putting together this tank, I made a video for my readers. This time I am showing you how to use the Stitch in the Ditch foot to neatly hide top stitching lines. Since I am doing this on a sports bra, there isn’t a lot of room to do top stitching so I decided I wanted to hide my stitches. I used a straight stitch slightly lengthen to do this. Here is the embedded clip.

Thanks for watching!

Do you want to give the Agility tank a try? This is the link to the pattern so you can pick it up while it is on sale!!!

This is my affiliate link! I think you for supporting my sewing!

Have you checked out 5 out of 4’s brand new website? It looks amazing, it is easy to navigate and now has a search feature!

You can follow all of my sewing adventures through the links below!

• You can follow my blog by clicking the Follow button on the right side of my blog.
• You can follow me on Instagram by clicking here.
• You can follow me on Facebook by clicking here.
• You can follow me on YouTube by clicking here.
• You can follow me on Pinterest by clicking here.

This blog contains affiliate links.

Michelle- Basic Tee and Tunic

Back to the Basics with 5oo4. Did you check out the basic tanks a few weeks ago? They are pretty great and here is the second release in the basic top set. This is the Michelle. Michelle can be a top or a tunic length depending on which you prefer. It is has 4 different sleeve length options.

Some people may be wondering why 5oo4 is creating the basics line when they have so many amazingly detailed and jam packed with option patterns. The reasons are actually pretty great! The basic line is being designed for two reason. First – They are simple and easy to follow patterns designed with the beginner in mind. They include written directions, pictures, and also videos to help you have the best chance at perfect assembly.

Second- Everyone needs basics. Basic tees and tanks are perfect to layer under sweaters and cardigans. Basics are made so quickly you can make them in every color just in case. 🙂 When you are new to sewing, it is easy to become overwhelmed with the options that are included in some pattern. Sometimes, less really is more. Also I love when a pattern is the perfect frame for pattern hacking. You already know the fit will be good, you can use it to put your spin on it.

The Michelle includes these options.

• Regular front bodice OR FBA (Full Bust Adjustment) front bodice
• Three sleeve lengths: short, 3/4 or long.
• Two hem lengths: top or tunic
• Sizes XXS – 5XL

I sewed up the 4x FBA graded to a 5x, tunic length with 3/4 sleeves. I picked this fabric up about 2 years ago at a thrift store, but the selvage edge says it is from Joanns. 

Still need to see some more Michelle?

• Check out this great highlight VIDEO of all of our Michelle testers!

You can pick up the Michelle pattern from this aff link while it is on sale through the weekend.

You can follow all of my sewing adventures through the links below!

• You can follow my blog by clicking the Follow button on the right side of my blog.
• You can follow me on Instagram by clicking here.
• You can follow me on Facebook by clicking here.
• You can follow me on YouTube by clicking here.
• You can follow me on Pinterest by clicking here.

This blog contains affiliate links

Hazel Top, Tunic, and Dress

Bella Sunshine Designs is back and this pattern is exceptional. I love it so much! I made two during testing and they are both perfect! I love when that happens. I made my dress version first because I wanted to wear it to a quilt show the next day. I didn’t quite make that dead line, but I finished that afternoon. I then immediately began a second one.

As always Bella Sunshine Designs is size inclusive. This means her sizes go up to a Women’s size 30 which is an upper bust and hip of 59.75 inches. This pattern comes in top, tunic, and knee length dress options to fit all of your needs. There are also multiple sleeve lengths available.

Typically, with most patterns I require a bicep adjustment, but not this pattern. This is a very roomy Dolman, even after the drawstrings are added, I still have a great flutter effect. Bonus for me because now it is even quicker to make! Dolmans always sew up sew quickly since the sleeves are cut out with the bodice. Perfect for the last minutes sewist!

First up: The Dress.

I used this stunning floral print from Sly Fox Fabrics to make my Hazel dress. They have a 30% off sale happening right now! This fabric is a very lightweight Rayon Spandex. With my height adjustment, I was able to squeeze this out of a two yard cut of fabric. I did the lower cut neckline which is pretty, but I little wider than I love. Perhaps, if I used something a little sturdier for the band it would have pulled in a bit. I used the matching fabric for the drawstrings. These I sewed narrow tubes, and turned them with a tube turner to make them easy. A bodkin made threading the tubes through the channels easy as well.

Next up: The Shirt.

I have been hoarding this stars and stripes, named Becky, print from Stitchin’ Pretties since early summer I believe. This is also a Rayon Spandex, but a heavier one than the floral print. I would compare the weight and feel to a jersey. I couldn’t decide what I wanted to make with it, until now! I know this would be perfect for a Hazel tunic. I planned to pair this tunic with dark washed jeans for a neater look.

You can pick up a copy of Hazel here Bella Sunshine Designs.

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Also today only is the $5 Sunday Sale on the Emmaline Dress from Bella Sunshine! Here is my orginal blog post review for the Emmaline Dress.

Here is the Aff. Link for you to pick it up while on super sale!

Simple Dress vs.

Chevron Dress

Before I wrap this up, let me guide you over to the House of Curves. We now have a blog that is up and running. Myself and Becky, another curvy sewist, did a review for the BSD Hazel pattern and for some extra fun, We are giving away a copy of the pattern. So go check it out here!!!

As always this post contains affiliate links.

Sheila Top

5 out of 4 has continued with their basics line. The next pattern is Sheila. Sheila is a top or dress depending on which you prefer. I sewed the dress version which turned out lovely. I love that even though this is a basic pattern it still has a few options, one of which is a full bust adjustment. Trust me, if you need one, it really is a game changer in the look and fit of your clothing. 

 

So let’s run through the options first. 

• Regular front bodice OR FBA (Full Bust Adjustment) front bodice
• Two Hem lengths: top or dress
• Three Sleeve Lengths: short, 3/4 or long
• Sizes XXS – 5XL

I sewed up the dress length with a height adjustment for my 5’1 self. I used the 4x bust with the included FBA. I graded out to the 5x waist and hips. I used the 3/4 sleeves for my dress as this fabric is heavier in weight and these colors are putting me in a Fall frame of mine.

So let’s talk about my fabric. I dug deep into my stash to get this fabric. This is a heavier weight knit, possibly an ITY. I ordered it last year from I am Sew Blessed. I love that this fabric is heavy enough that it doesn’t blow up in the wind, it isn’t see through, and is smooths things out a bit. All 3 things are good to have when making a more fitted dress.

• Check out this great highlight VIDEO of all of the Sheila testers!

You can pick up your copy of here while it is on sale. 

Also go check out 5 out of 4’s brand new website! It looks amazing, it is easy to navigate and now has a search feature!

You can follow all of my sewing adventures through the links below!

• You can follow my blog by clicking the Follow button on the right side of my blog.
• You can follow me on Instagram by clicking here.
• You can follow me on Facebook by clicking here.
• You can follow me on YouTube by clicking here.
• You can follow me on Pinterest by clicking here.

This blog contains affiliate links.