Do you love cuddly clothing when it starts to get cold outside? Sweatshirts, Hoodies, and all that jazz? Me too! 5oo4 has an answer to that issue for you! This is the AnnaBeth Sweatshirt! I am working on cutting out my second one because I need this in a hoodie version ASAP! First off, I love a Raglan style top! I typically colorblock the sleeves for an added pop of fun, but this fabric was all I needed to make it amazing. Speaking of colorblocking, this shirt can be colorblocked! You can do the side panels as a accent or the sleeves or both! There are no rules when you are sewing for yourself.
In addition to the colorblocking options, you can add a kangaroo pocket to the front or hidden pockets if you choose to color block the side panels. 5oo4 is never shy when giving us options. Here is the entire list.
Short or long sleeves that can be hemmed or finished with a band
Regular sweatshirt top length or tunic length with a lower hem in the back
Hem is finished with a band
Standard cuffs or a NEW thumbhole cuff option
Crewneck or cross over hood
Regular bodice or full bust adjustment (FBA) bodice
Sizes XXS – 5X (see the last image for yardage and size chart)
See the awesome video of all of our tester’s designs here!
This shirt sewed up quickly and easily. I removed about 3 inches of length from the body of the shirt and 2 from the sleeves. After I made my shirt, the cuffs were sized slightly smaller to give a better fit. However, in my photos, you will notice my cuffs are folded in half compared to the original pattern. I always do this. I actually think it is a habit more than anything. I didn’t do a bicep adjustment as these sleeves are wide enough for me. If I planned to wear the hoodie over a bulkier shirt, I would add some room to the sleeve.
Fabric time!! OOMMMGGGG Brushed Hacci Sweater knit is everything that makes me happy. Animal print always makes me very happy. Them together and I am sooooo in love! I picked this fabric up online from Ksews. You can find her online at a group called The Material Girls. She shops the fabric markets and resells to people who aren’t near the markets. This fabric has a slight flaw which was a run near the salvage. It is still usable, but it is expected when shopping these groups. They typically will point out flaws. I am happy that I have enough of this fabric left to make either a scarf or try making a beanie hat!
As always this blog contains affiliate links which is a small commission I earn when you make a purchase from my blog links. Thank you for helping to support my sewing.
Surprise! Did you think we were finished with Mambo No. 5 out of 4 style? Nope, we have one more to go! The Luna… I know. I know. Luna wasn’t one of Mambo’s girls, but she plays nice with the Mambo girls! Also she is free and fast! Momma Mia got in on the Luna action and got her very first full circle skirt!
Since I have just made Momma Mia a Royal Blue double brushed poly Jessie dress, I knew we were about to take advantage of it! The DBP is a perfect match for the blue in the Chevron Liverpool I had on hand. Both fabrics are from Stitchin’ Pretties. The amazing Black and Blue Chevron isn’t in stock right now, but they have tons of other great things! Plus, today is new release day, so who knows what will stock! Stitchin’ Pretties has a one day turn around time and you will have your amazing fabric in no time flat! I love the quality of the fabric I have always gotten there!
I sewed the knee length skirt for Momma Mia and cut on the double fold so there are no side seams. I used the Liverpool fabric to make her waistband as well. For the edge finish…miles of hemming. That is how it is with circle skirts. I don’t mind hemming Liverpool fabric though as it has a nice weight and doesn’t fight me! Here is the full info on the options.
The included options:
2 lengths – “mini” (mid-thigh) and knee length
Fabric waistband that can be made with or without elastic.
Option for exposed elastic waistband
3 cutting options – double fold, single fold (give two side seams), single layer (perfect for colorblocking!)
Finishing options – hem, bias tape, or FOE
But WAIT!!
You may be confused as to why I am sharing the Luna during Mambo week, but it is for good reason! Luna fits all the mix and match options from the Mambo skirts. The pockets, the waistbands, and the suspenders! Yes, You have endless possibilities in the skirt world!
Are you ready to shop now? Don’t forget the epic skirt bundle deal for major savings and 20% off site wide! It is almost over, so don’t miss out!!
Today I am sharing skirt No. four of my Mambo Collection. This is Tina and she is uber cute and flirty! Does it even get better than polka dots and ruffles?? Seriously, that combo isn’t one I wear frequently because it has been reserved for overly girlie folks and I am not that by any means. However, the dark navy background color saved it from being too much. Like all the others, this skirt is made with a structured knit and features a high waist band.
This is the most blue I have seen this fabric look. Must be the natural light bringing it out!
My options for Tina are a little different that all my other skirts! This time I went long. I decided to make the Midi length and add the hem ruffle. I had 3 yards of this fabric that I have been saving and wanted to use as much of it as I could! Typically, I would add a ruffle so I didn’t have to hem a finished edge, but this fabric stitched so nicely I hemmed my ruffle! I added patch pockets to the front of my skirt as well. Funny Story… I am short and height adjusted my pattern at the proper line, but I didn’t account for my shortness when adding from my pockets. When I FULLY ASSEMBLED my skirt and tried it on, I could barely reach my pockets! Only my fingers tips could reach them. Oops! Seam Ripper to the rescue! I removed the waist band and then 1.5 inches from the top of my skirt, reattached the band and all is good now! So don’t be like Sequoia, double check the pocket placement sooner rather than later! I also mixed up the waist band on Tina, this is the cross front band. It is cute! I think it looks nice over my light colored tank with my cardigan. Don’t forget all the options for Tina and the rest of Mambo are interchangeable!
Handing fitting properly into my pockets. 🙂
Here is the complete list of options for Tina
The Women’s Tina A-line Skirt pattern includes the following:
Three Hem Lengths: Mini, Knee and Midi
Options include a Hem Ruffle, Patch Pockets and Suspenders
Three Waistbands: Scooped, Cross Front and Slim
Tutorial includes a link to an extensive Skirt Fitting Guide to get your best fit!
Women’s Sizes XXS-5XL (see the last image for yardage and size chart)
Surprise! Another Liverpool fabric!!! This amazing navy with white dot pattern came from Amelia Lane Designs! I feel that navy and white is a classic combo and looks great with “all the things.” This fabric sewed up nicely and is of great quality. ALD ships quickly and and offers great customer service.
Do you recognize this tank top? Yes! Virginia! The Virginia tank is 100% my go to when I need a tank top! You have seen it a dozen times on my blog. You can read about this version here.
As always this blog contains affiliate links which is a small commission I earn when you make a purchase from my blog links. Thank you for helping to support my sewing.
Next up, I am sharing Monica! This is my third skirt from the collection and perhaps it is my favorite! I love the pleated detailing on Monica. It gives a wonderful fullness to the skirt without added bulk and shockingly, I find pleating way easier than gathering. Plus with pleats, everything is even because the marking is included in the pattern. No fussing with adjusting gathers. Monica, like all of the other skirts in this collection, features a high rise waist and sews up fairly quickly and easily. All of the options in this collection are interchangeable. That includes pockets, waist bands, and suspenders.
I chose the mini length of Monica. I height adjusted 2 inches for my 5’1 frame and my skirt hits just at the top of my knee. I already have plans to make this as a maxi length. It is so pretty and very comfortable! I added the waist ties and made a bow at my hip. I also added in seam pockets because I don’t understand why people don’t want pockets in their clothing. 🙂
Here are all the options for Monica!
Three Hem Lengths: Mini, Knee and Maxi
Options include Waist ties and Side Seam Pockets
Four Waistbands: Basic, Tall, Encased Elastic and Contour
Tutorial includes a link to an extensive Skirt Fitting Guide to get your best fit!
Women’s Sizes XXS-5XL (see the last image for yardage and size chart)
This skirt pattern requires a stable knit so of course I had to use some of my precious Liverpool. I chose this vibrant hot pink background print for my skirt! I love the brightness of the colors. Even though it is fall here, I still need bright colors! This beautiful Liverpool is from Zinck’s in Berlin. I picked it up early in the summer and I have been hoarding it for awhile. I thought I would make a blazer with it, but it makes a perfect skirt! Don’t worry, I still have plenty left for a cropped jacket!
Remember this top from Monday’s post when I said I would be sharing it later in the week? Yeap, another Easy Tee with a slight hack. Only a slight adjustment was made here. I cut the pattern at the scoop neckline and only added a band to the “scooped out” part in front. I then cut the neckband length for the crew neck shirt option and attached it like binding instead of bands. This allowed me to tuck the raw edges inside and then top stitch them in place. Now that I know how this fits, I would change a few things. 1. Start the bonus neckband a little lower so it isn’t right against my throat. 2. Maybe add some sort of stabilizer in the band to keep it from being sooo stretchy. and 3. Do better about top stitching. This beautiful Royal Blue Fabric is from Stitchin’ Pretties! It is a double brushed poly and is a dream to sew with! As a reminder, Stitchin’ Pretties ships within ONE BUSINESS DAY!!
Mambo No. 5 out of 4 style is back and today is RITA!
Rita was the first skirt in the Mambo Collection that I was able to sew up! Pencil skirts are hard for my shape and I had high hopes that Rachelle was going to get my fit right! If this happens to be your first time finding my blog, you may not know that I complain endlessly about my lack of hips and booty and that my stomach has been my fit nemesis forever. My body makes zero hints at having an hourglass shape! These issues tend to make pencil skirts fit oddly, but it worked out in the end. Upon printing my pattern, I knew there was a bit more “hip curve” drafted into the pattern than I would need. My “hip curve” is straight. I sewed up the skirt as is. As I expected, this pattern had a little extra fabric which was very easy to ‘pinch out’ to get a perfect fit. I am happy to report that by simply smoothing the curve of the hip, my fit is great! I love the fit and look of Rita. I love that it isn’t body con fitted, and that there is an optional walking vent.
Options for Rita
The Women’s Rita Fitted Skirt pattern includes the following:
Three Hem Lengths: Mini, Knee and Midi
Solid or Seamed Color Block Skirt (solid version has an optional back seam)
Three Waistbands: Seamed, Encased Elastic, Basic Knit
Tutorial includes an extensive Skirt Fitting Guide to get your best fit!
Women’s Sizes XXS-5XL (see the last image for yardage and size chart)
Rita comes with 3 length options and I choose to make the knee length with the walking vent. I suggest that if making either the knee or midi length skirts, you add the walking vent. Otherwise, you will have trouble walking…think penguin shuffling down the sidewalk. I choose to do the basic elastic encased waist band for Rita. My fabric is a semi structured knit with a texture similar to Liverpool, but not exactly. It also has less stretch. It is slightly slippery and a mid weight. I am pretty sure it either came from a yard sale or a give away table. I love the pretty pops of purple in these tulips!
Speaking up those “pretty pops of purple,” I did not have a single solid purple shirt in my stash. Actually, I have very few solid colored garments at all in my closet. I decided to sew up an Easy Tee top just to wear with my new Pencil skirt!
I have made the Easy Tee several times. I always sew a 4X bust graded to a 5x waist and hip. This time I did a FBA as I didn’t want my fit to be too snug. I also did a 1 inch bicep adjustment on the sleeves. I don’t feel super confident wearing solid colors. I feel like it draws attention to my curvier parts. I opted to make the tunic length top with a curved hem. My sleeves are a little closer to 3/4 length which I did specifically because it is fall here and it will be cold soon.
If you are familiar with the Easy Tee pattern, you will know that it doesn’t come with a center back seam. I had to add one in because I was short on fabric! I had used this pretty Double Brushed Poly for another 5oo4 top, Rosanna, so it was shy of the 2 yards I needed. By adding a center back seam, I was able to use 2 larger pieces of fabric that would have been added to my scrap pile. Just cut them as a mirrored set. I was careful to cut the front bodice first so I wouldn’t need to have a seam here. Before cutting my back bodice pieces, I added a 1/4 inch seam allowance. I chose this amount because I planned to serge the two back bodices together at the center back seam and pretend it was actually one bodice piece. If I had changed the bodice width, I would have needed to also slightly adjust the neckband. Once the bodice halves became one whole, I continued with assembly as usual! This tunic sews up quickly and easily. I am happy with my Easy Tee and the way it looks with my new Rita Skirt! It will looks awesome with jeans as well!
Unless you spent the year 1999 under a rock, you know Mambo #5! Lou Bega shared his love for all the ladies in the song and that is exactly what is happening on my blog this week! A little bit of Mambo love every single day!
So as an intro, I want you to know all of these skirts come loaded with options. All of them should be made with semi structured knit fabrics such as Liverpool, French Terry, or Ponte. I also have an insider tip… All these waistbands and pockets are interchangeable between the skirts! This is where I could make a joke about a Mambo threesome, foursome, or moresome, but Momma Mia reads my blog, so I won’t.
First off, I am showing you all the skirts at one time! These are the patterns I plan to share with you this week. Yes, All Of Them! As a bonus, I am sharing all the shirts also! 4 out of the 5 are brand new!
If that is all you need to see to know you NEED this pattern collection then here is the direction link to the pattern! FYI Momma Mia’s skirt is already a dress pattern on the 5oo4 site, but it rounds out the NO. 5! All of the options work with it!
Tina is the half circle skirt in the collection! First I need to question why have I never worn a skirt like this before? Ummm hello! Dare I say this is pretty cute?! It totally hides my stomach and the suspenders are pretty fun!
I choose the wide waistband option with suspenders and height adjusted the skirt by 2 inches as I am only 5’1. This is the mini length and it is suppose to be at or near knee length. If you prefer a shorter mini, just adjust at the height adjustment line. I always say the best part about sewing, it making items to you exact likes and dislikes! Maybe short skirts and tall boots are about to be my thing!
I want to tell you how easy this skirt was to sew up. I made it from printing to hemming in only a 2 1/2 ish hours. I love sewing with Ponte fabric! I picked up this print recently from Sew Blessed Fabrics. It has a nice weight to it which means my sewing machine doesn’t try to eat it when hemming. It serges neatly as well. My biggest issue was top stitching my suspender straps. For some reason, my tension was a little wonky and caused one to get very wavy. I pressed it the best I could then figured when worn it would pull flat anyhow. I am honestly not one of those perfectionist sewists. I go with the flow. If something looks bad, I will fix it. Otherwise, wear it and love it! If i didn’t tell you, you wouldn’t have known one of my straps was a little wavy. I tell you so that when you are sewing, you will check your tension and make sure yours is laying flat!
This awesome red and black plaid is a ponte knit. It screams with 90’s grunge rocker vibes at me and originally I planned to make some pants. When this pattern test popped up, I knew I was about to channel my inner Avril Lavigne and wear a shortie plaid skirt with suspenders! Yep, I went there. I have no idea where I plan to wear this outfit, but even it it goes to the grocery store on a Sunday afternoon; it will be worn!
The Women’s Erica Half Circle Skirt pattern includes the following:
Three Hem Lengths: Mini, Knee and Midi
Options include Suspenders, Patch Pockets or Side Seam Pockets
Three Waistbands: Tall, Slim, Lace Up Front
Tutorial includes a link to an extensive Skirt Fitting Guide to get your best fit!
Women’s Sizes XXS-5XL (see the last image for yardage and size chart)
Plus don’t forget Mix and Match with the other Mambo pattern options!
Surprise, no solid black top in my closet other than a RTW tank that I pull out in a pinch. It isn’t a poor fit, but I now know how to get great fit! So what’s a girl to do??? If you said use your black double brushed poly from your stash, you would be correct. I found this on my Stitchin’ Pretties shelf, so I must have forgotten about it. I hacked a black top to wear with the new Tina! So in my mind, I had great visions of a Camilla, but worn backwards with that amazing cowl swooping down between my shoulders. That isn’t what you see here. Things didn’t go exactly as I planned, but this knot back top is pretty cool also. So let me explain how I got to it!
I used the Easy Tee bodice front and did a Full Bust Adjustment. Next I cut the front bodice from a Camilla top to give myself all that extra fabric for my cowl neck swoop. I graded the armsyces to match the Easy Tee so I could use those sleeves. I assembled the front of my Easy Tee bodice like the back of the Camilla should be assembled. blah blah blah As it turns out this doesn’t work out like I had hoped, but I learned a few things along the way. I plan to revisit this idea so stay tuned. Anyhow, I still needed a pretty awesome black top so I put this top on my mannequin and played around. I ended up cutting straight down the middle of the cowl and serging those edges. Then tied a cut knot! 🙂 Easy Peasy, right?
Anyhow I am loving my first skirt from the Mambo collection, please let me know what you think in the comments! You can pick up your own copy of all these patterns while they are on sale by using my afflink!
The last few days I have been sewing up a storm! Actually the last 2 weeks, but I spent a 3 day weekend at a family sewing get together and had such a great time! I worked on everything from clothing to quilts and even had a request to sew a pair of bandless ear muffs. Think shower caps for your ears! Nope, not this girl! For the weekend count I finished a dress, a hoodie, 2 cardigans, 2 skirts and 14 quilt blocks. We were super productive and even cut out pieces for 42 quilt blocks each for 4 people while laughing, talking, and eating. This is our second get together this year! This is your warning, you are about to be buried in blog posts from me! Let’s gets started!
Happy Monday Funday, Friends! Today, I am sharing an awesome cardigan with you. I have made a few Eleanor Cardigans over the past year, but I think this one is my favorite! Wanna know the reason?? This fabric is A-M-A-Z-I-N-G! Hacci sweater knit is everything I love in fabric. Soft, cozy, and easy to sew. I ordered 3 yards of it from Stitchin’ Pretties and it is called Kathleen. As I was finishing up my cardigan, Momma Mia *may* have shown some interest in having something made as well. She lucked out this time, I was able to cut hers with only a quarter inch of fabric left at the last sleeve. Talk about a close call! So once again, #whatmommawantsmommagets !
She told me not to use this picture, but I think it is kinda great! #Whatbabygirlwantsbabygirlgets
So let’s talk about the Eleanor Cardigan. It is from 5 out of 4 patterns and has tons of options. Momma Mia is wearing the mid-thigh length and I am as well, only mine was shortened two inches. Both of us have the slimmer sleeve option and I hemmed all edges instead of banding. I really did not have fabric for that! Remember I only had 1/4 of an inch to spare. 🙂 After cutting and without adding the front bands, I can sew this basic version up in about 30 minutes! I love speed sewing. I love instant gratification projects! I sewed my cardigan on Friday of Sewing weekend and Momma Mia’s was made Sunday morning!
I love dressing in layers! I am so happy Fall is here again!
3 lengths- Tunic, Knee, and Duster
Regular long sleeves and “extra” long sleeve cut lines. Whether you’re like me and have long arms or you just like your sleeves to cover your hands, Eleanor literally has you covered.
Pockets big enough for your phone!
Optional belt loops and tie belt
2 sleeve widths – relaxed or slim fitting
Optional hood
Elbow button or snap cuff for rolling up your sleeves to 3/4 length
Apparently, you can’t have an awesome new Hacci Cardigan without an awesome new DBP shirt or dress to wear with it! I was lucky enough to get a perfect matched combo in my promo fabric this month and I fell in love with the colors! I will talk about my shirt more a little later this week so for now…
Momma Mia loves the Jessie Dress, so I sewed her one to match her new Eleanor Cardigan. She has been asking for solid items for months so she can mix and match things. I have been dragging my feet, but I really am a busy sewist! We both need solids in our closets, but I don’t love sewing with solids. I am usually drawn to bright bold prints, but when you get a great color, it makes a difference! Speaking of great color, isn’t this Royal Blue awesome? Again, this one is from Stitchin’ Pretties! At first touch, I loved the weight of them DBP. It wasn’t a thin wimpy fabric that clings in all the places if you know what I mean! With my 3 yards of Kathleen, I received one yard of this Royal Blue and I knew I was going to need a lot more!! I can make myself a tank top from yard, but I need a little more for a proper shirt! I ordered 2 more yards and thanks to Laura’s super fast shipping, I received my fabric 2 days later! Don’t forget, I will talk about my shirt later this week!
Back to the Jessie Dress…It recently got an update and now includes a full bust adjustment. I wanted to sew her a dress during the update, but ran out of time. I love that 5oo4 has been updating some of their pattern with this. It really it helpful and it really does save me the work! Momma Mia’s new dress has long sleeves and a scooped front neckline. I free hand cut this neckline as she didn’t want it at the normal “scoop” level. I just had to remeasure the opening and band that size of band for it. She never wants a scoop neck in the front. We planned to add the criss cross detailing that is normally at the back of Jessie to the front, but she liked this one as is. Her dress length was determined by the length on 1 yard of fabric I had. I cut her sleeves from the leftovers of my top.
Here are all the options included with Jessie
3 bodices: Regular, FBA and Maternity
4 hem lengths: Top, Tunic, Short Dress, and Knee Length Dress Lengths
5 Sleeve Lengths: Sleeveless, Short, Elbow, 3/4, and Long
Multiple Back Options: High, Low Ballerina, Racerback Insert, and Strappy Back where your imagination is your only limitation!
This is my first blog post with photos from my NEW camera! Dang what a difference in quality and color! It will take me some time to figure it all out, but I am looking forward to learning! I am planning on taking a photography class in about 2 weeks and I really looking forward to it. I am super excited about the possibilities! What do you guys think? Better photos? Things are looking up!
You can follow all of my sewing adventures through the links below!
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The Ellie and Mac Chapman Cardigan just got an update! I have admired this pattern for well over a year, disappointed that it wasn’t in my size. When I saw the tester call pop up for the size increase, I signed up immediately. During the test, a few extra options were added including sleeveless, pockets, and an additional tunic length option. It was also updated to a trimless format with a more streamlined directions written! If you have previously purchased this pattern, don’t worry, you can download it for free!
The new size range now goes up to 6x (67 inch hip) as this is the new size range being offered by Ellie and Mac. I sewed a 4x bust with a 5x waist which is my usual size! I love that so many designers are working towards more inclusion!. Ellie and Mac has added 2-3 sizes to their pattern range in the time I have sewn for them, it is still nice to see. Aside from grading between sizes, the only change I made to this pattern was shortening the sleeve length by 1 inch. I could have removed another inch and still been ok on length. I worked hard to match up my stripes for this pattern so I am pointing it out for you to look at them. 🙂 In typical EAM fashion, this cardigan comes together fast and you will be wearing it within a few hours. Sometimes, I really just need something fast to get me going. I am confident I am not the only one who feels that way.
My fabric choice is a French Terry that I recently got from Sew Blessed Fabrics! I adore the colors in the rainbow striped print fabric! If you don’t know what French Terry is, let me try to explain. It is a super soft, comfy fabric which is perfect for sweaters, cardigans, and joggers. Think about comfy sweat pants. FT is easy to identify because the “wrong side” of the fabric looks like loops of thread. Note: There is also a reversed French Terry where the loops are on the “right side.” I used a dark gray solid double brushed poly for the bottom and front bodice bands. I love the contrast of the gray with the rainbow stripes. Plus I didn’t have a single color that was a spot on match for my stripes in my cardigan.
I have already worn my Chapman Cardigan out in the wild several times and have received several compliments. I bet you will also! This photos were taken while geocaching in Medina County, Ohio. It was such a perfect fall day. I wore my cardigan the entire day, even though I had only planned to wear it for pictures. On another side note, this should be my last blurry, dark, slightly out of focus photos as I have upgraded!! Prime example of what should have been a beautiful photo, but the camera ruined it below! I finally decided to get a Canon Rebel T1. The Dslr will be new to me and I am sure there is a huge learning curve, but I plan to fill a seat in a photography class next month! I can’t wait! I have really be dragging my feet on sewing and blogging because my photos continue to get worse and worse. I should now be able to take beautiful photos and better videos! Wish me luck!
Do you need a cozy cardigan for the cooler weather? Come check out the Chapman Cardigan while it is on sale for new release!
As always, I thank you for using my affiliate links. If you purchase this pattern using my link, I will receive a small thank you commission from the designer. This helps me to purchase sewing supplies and keep my blog going. Thank you.
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.
Holy Smokes! I made a coat! A jacket, actually, but it is like a coat! This jacket is a first for me for a few reasons.
Reason 1. Umm It is a jacket… sewing game leveled up!
Reason 2. A new to me designer.
Reason 3. Said Designer is expanding their size range deeper into the plus size market.
Reason 4. My first time sewing Flat Fell seams.
Reason 5. This is the first time I’ve sewn for a designer when I didn’t see pictures from any other testers during the process.
Did I mention that I made a coat err.. jacket!!
Let’s talk about the Sienna! The Sienna has just released from Closet Case Patterns. The design was inspired by vintage French workwear. This jacket is super comfy and I am really happy with the outcome. That being said, there were a few adjustments made to the pattern after my test. The shoulders were moved in slightly and the sleeves were slimmed down a bit. The center back seam was shaped a bit to reduce the bulk in the back. These adjustments have improved the overall fit and feel of the Sienna and I can’t wait to sew up a new one!
The Sienna comes in 3 different lengths and several options for each of them! I sewed up the mid length. I loved the drop shoulder style of this jacked with the notched out collar detailing. I think that collar really adds a professional look to the garment. Can we also take a minute and talk about the pockets, huge roomy pockets and lots of them! I sewed two giant pockets on the outside and one on the inside! I added a front chest pocket on the outside too! There is even an option for sleeve pockets!
I sewed up View B with the non-pocketed sleeves. Overall, the pattern sewed up neatly. The directions with photos were well written and easy to follow. Like I said before, this was my first go with Flat fell seams and I am happy to report that aren’t difficult at all. They are a little time consuming, yet, so…worth…it! Flat Fell seams are a neat and tidy way to finish seams and are perfect for this unlined jacket. If you aren’t aware, flat fell seams are the seams you see on your jeans.
The jacket is held closed with an attached belt. It, too, was easily constructed with only fabric, interfacing, and a set of D rings.
Fall has arrived in Ohio! The thermometer just hasn’t accepted that yet! I hate to burst your bubble thinking these are lovely fall photos, but just between us, it was 91* as I was climbing this tree. I donned my newly sewn Aspen Vest and knee high boots for all of you, my readers. Risking heat stroke for the love of sewing!
Let’s start with… It is $5 weekend at 5 out of 4 and this round, I was lucky enough to be one of the sewists! This is my first time making the Aspen Vest and was very happy with the outcome. I chose the most basic version of the vest as I wasn’t sure if my skin would tolerate the feel of this fabric. Ugg, It didn’t! This is a wool fabric from my stash, but I can’t remember where I got it. I actually think it may have been at a my quilting groups yard sale. It is wool or wool blend, I don’t know. It is like the itchy sweater your mom made you wear when you were too young to protest. My fabric has zero stretch (the pattern calls for 10%) so I went up to the 5x in the bust even though I typically wear a 4x at 5oo4. This gave me a little wiggle room and room for an extra layer or two of skin protection. I have ultra sensitive skin so I am just a wimp!
The Aspen was a fairly easy sew even with the zipper. If you are new to zippers, don’t worry, 5oo4 really does have great directions. Between the written directions and the photos, you will not have any trouble. You are given the choice to sew in the zipper the regular way or bind the edges for a neat clean finish. MY next one, I will definitely do the end binding for the cleanest finish possible. Also zippers are scratchy and also annoy my skin so I LOVED the addition of the “Zipper Guard.” It honestly took about 3 minutes and saved my skin a little bit more. Why doesn’t every company do this? I am also seeing that my hair covers the zipper guard in every photo I took so let me explain it. It is basically a half circle of fabric that wraps around the top of the zipper so that the zip doesn’t touch your skin. 🙂
If you like to all the options 5 out of 4 is known for, here is what is included with this vest-
-Solid or Colorblocking,
-Zippered Chest Pocket with optional flap,
-Zippered Hand Pockets,
-Lined front panels
-Zipper Shield
-Fully finished interior to really help take your sewing to the next level.
-Quick and easy method (without binding) for zipper installation or a more advanced fully bound zipper
-Available in sizes XXS-5XL.
I think I forgot to mention there are matching men’s and child’s matching vests as well! Have I convinced you to add this vest to your fall wardrobe? Yes? Here are your links
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