George and Ginger – Batwing Tunic

Na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na Batwing! For those keeping track that is the second time I have began a post here by saying that. I hope that is now stuck in your head because it has been stuck in mine for a few days now.

Bat Wings!!

I think it’s time to kick off Fall sewing season! I love fall and I love layers. I have written about that so many times here on the blog. Plus, this fall I am planning a geocaching road trip so that warrants a new wardrobe right? Even though it is still August and nearly 100* F outside, I am already wearing long sleeves to work so I don’t freeze to death!

This is the George and Ginger Batwing tunic. While this tunic is pretty awesome on its own, it also has a cardigan included in the pattern. It is like a 2 for 1 deal! This time, I only sewed the straight hem tunic version, but that cardigan is coming up soon so stay tuned! You could also make the included hi lo hem option! I really love pattern options!!

I have to admit, I have only sewn a few Batwing tops, but I feel like this one is my favorite. I really love that it has an overly slouchy fit and I already want another one. As I was figuring out which pattern I planned to use for this fabric, I knew I wanted something I could wear with jeans or dress pants, a skirt or even over a dress to mix up the look a little bit! I have been mentally thinking of garments which will be more versatile in my wardrobe. I have a lot of single purpose garments that don’t mix and match well with what I already have and I need to fix that. Which patterns are your favorites? LMK.

I used this midweight Black French Terry from Stitchin’ Pretties. It is fantastic, Friends! I love the weight and feel of it. I kinda need it in all the colors. I had a two yard cut of this and even though the Batwing Tunic directions said I would need 2.5 yards, it worked with my 2 yard cut! Success!!! In case you have been out of the loop for a long long time, SP still has their buy 2 continuous yards and get a surprise yard of fabric free! BONUS!

I made a few minor tweaks to my pattern. I am at the tippy top of George and Ginger’s “Old School” size chart so I added a little additional width across the belly and hip area. I didn’t want it to be fitted here since that was not the intended fit. For my next one, I will also add about .5 inch additional width around the cuff so it is slightly less snug on my forearms. The best part of sewing my own clothing is that I can made these adjustments and then the fit is spot on!

When I first became a tester at George and Ginger, I know I was going to have to expand my closet colors and prints because I am a floral girl at all times, so here we go…black. LOL I think the Batwing pairs perfectly with my Snakeskin pants! I made the pants too and they were actually the first episode of Refashion your Closet on my Youtube channel. You can watch as I make them here. (Please go show me some love, Friends!) That was a really fun make and I love the concept of the series. My plans for that series has been derailed by medical issues, but stay tuned! It is back in September!

With Spooky Season approaching now (It is Septemeber 1st, after all) is the time to get your fall sewing underway. I do suggest the George and Ginger Batwing pattern for you! Are you interested in a video on assembling this top or cardigan? I think that could be fun plus some plus size styling tips all in one video. Let me know as always. You can pick up the pattern here using my affiliate link. I can’t wait to see what you make!

Batwing Tunic and Cardigan

5oo4 – Valerie Top

Colorblocking makes me so dang happy! I love it because I love playing the mix and match game when it comes to my clothing. I toned it down for this top though and even used a solid…not my style at all!

I sewed the banded hem, short hemmed sleeves, and a regular neckband. I am sewing for spring….we are not close yet, but I am hoping for an easy winter. Here are all the options.

2 Bodice Options:
Regular or Full Bust (FBA)
Optional Pockets
Banded Hem
2 Sleeve Lengths: Short, Long
3 Sleeve Finishes: Hemmed, Cuffed, or Thumbhole Cuffs
4 Neckline Finishes: Neckband, Scuba Hood, Funnel Neck, Ruched Funnel Neck

I sewed up two of basically the exact same top during testing. The first one needed a little extra length for my body, so Momma Mia got one for herself! Twinning is winning right? Hers is a bit oversized for her body as she is a few sizes smaller than I am.

I paired my Valeria top with my favorite pair of Diane Joggers. You can click the link to view my blog post! This is such a perfectly comfy set now! I highly suggest it! Oh btw The Diane Joggers are currently 30% off, but only for a few day.

The Valerie Top is on new release sale and you won’t want to miss out. It won’t be on sale again for a good while. Don’t worry about your other half and kiddos, they have patterns as well. Don’t forget to bundle and sale!

Remember when I mentioned the 30% off Diane Joggers?? What I meant to say was the entire 5 out of 4 site is 30% off!! Yep! HUGE DEALS are happening for their 6th anniversary!

I think you for using my afflink. These links cost nothing extra for you, but give me a small commission on each sale.

Here is a small portion of my 5oo4 makes! Don’t miss out on their sale!!

Blog Tour: Working out with Rebecca Page

Hi! Welcome to my stop on the Working Out with Rebecca Page Blog Tour. If you are a regular reader here at SequoiaLynn Sews, “Howdy!” If this is your first visit, “Welcome!”

You may be thinking I don’t look like the typical person who shares clothing geared towards “Working Out,” and that is ok. Exercise comes in all styles and at all levels. Some people run marathons and some people may park farther from the store  to gain a few steps as they walk inside. No matter where you are in your level of fitness, you deserve super comfy clothing!  Some people find yoga pants and a tank to be their happy place, while I love sweat pants and comfy shirts. Don’t worry, all week long you will see some great clothing on the blog tour! So make sure you click all the links and see what Rebecca Page has to offer you! Oh yeah, there are also prizes!!! Keep on reading, Folks!

I picked a couple patterns that you may not even associate with any type of exercise, but they are perfect for it. Outside of sewing, I am obsessed with Geocaching and I love being in the woods so these two hobbies go great together. I made an ultra comfy cozy outfit for a walk in the woods. Let’s start with the Celine Trousers.

The Celine Trousers can be made from knit or woven fabrics which is kinda awesome! In case you didn’t know, there are a lot of Rebecca Page pattern that are drafted for both.  I knew I wanted to use this super soft and cozy French terry to make my pants. I had not made these pants before, but I jumped right in anyhow. I always suggest making a muslin before you cut your “good fabric,” but I didn’t have time because I am a procrastinator. If you have been a regular reader at my blog, you know that this year one of my goals is to master pants fit issues. These pants bring me one step closer. I can see a few adjustments that I want to make on my next pair, but am overall pleased with how these pants turned. I did a full belly adjustment because that seems to be one of my issues with pants fitting properly. I should have used a smaller size for the legs and used the belly adjustment to correct the fit. Next time, I will have these babies perfect! Another option that comes with the Celine Trouser is the stripe down the outer leg seams. With a lot of patterns, I am guilty of skipping the “options” because I am sometimes lazy and usually wait until the last minute to sew. I used a coordinating French Terry for this feature. I cut the stripe slightly wider than the original pattern suggestion because I wanted to be sure to have solid white stripes on the outside of my strip. I folded it in half wrong sides together (because the seam will be hidden and I didn’t want to turn the tube.) then serged the long sides together. I adjusted my tube so that there was white on stripes on the outside edges and pinned it in place covering the side seam of the pants. I stitched it in place using a lightening bolt stitch being careful not to pull or stretch my fabrics to prevent waves. These pants took me about 2 hours to make from start to finish. Not a bad evening project and so so comfy!

This plush French Terry is from Ksews AKA The Material Girls on Facebook! Honestly, Kailynn is awesome! I contacted her in a pinch last week because I was behind and I needed fabric ASAP! She shipped same day! I suggest you look her up on Facebook!!

My Paris top has already made an appearance on my blog, but it has been awhile and in a totally different context! Last time I paired the Paris Party top with the beautiful Arabella Skirt and was super adorable and dressy. Now I am wearing the SAME shirt with French Terry pants and looking oh so casual and cool! I love adding versatile pieces to my closet! I love that I can pair these two pieces together and look great, but it is still winter in Ohio and it can be cold so I always pack my Circle Cardigan in case it gets chilly!

The Circle Cardigan alone has tons of options, but as a core piece in my closet is an all purpose cardigan! I wear it with jeans and tees, over sleeveless dresses, layered over tunics and leggings. I made this one more than 2 years ago and still wear it at least once a week because it is so comfy.

I have one last staple that I need anytime I am heading out. I need a cute bag to carry all my stuff in. Extra chapstick, a bottle of water, and my hairbrush are always on board and fit perfectly into the Toiletry Bag that recently released. It is actually still on sale!! This bag was quick to make, easily customized by endless options of quilting cotton prints, and just flat out fun! This pattern also comes in a 2 larger sizes which would make room for a change of clothes and sneakers!

Be sure to check out all the bloggers Working Out with Rebecca Page:

Monday 24 – Sarcastic Sewist

Tuesday 25 – Sew Much Charm, Sequoia Lynn Sews, Modestly Dolled Up

Wednesday 26 – The Graham Crafter, La Casa Cactus

Thursday 27 – Sewing and the Trivium, Patchwitch

Friday 28 – Blooming Skies

Saturday 29 – Let’s Go Hobby, Just Sew Something

Sunday 1 – D’coudre, Patchwork and Pastry

Plus, enter to win a prize! Daily drawings and one big winner at the end of the week!! Enter HERE ❤

 

I encourage you to take a few minutes to explore the Rebecca Page Website! I would love it if you clicked this afflink to get you there.

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 As always this blog contains affiliate links, which is a small commission I earn when you make a purchase from my blog links. This doesn’t change the price at all for you, but gives a small amount of the pattern price to me. Thank you for helping to support my sewing.

Love Notions Constellation Hoodie – Upgraded

I am so glad I was included in the Love Notions test group when they began expanding sizes! I have loved each of the items I have sewn and my latest is no exception! Their new size chart is inclusive up to 5x. I made a 4x FBA graded to a 5x. The Constellation Hoodie is absolute perfection and I will be wearing it a lot this fall and winter!

I chose the curved hem hoodie option. I loved the look of my very first thumb hole cuffs and was impressed by how easy they were and how neat they looked when finished! I have to admit, I was absolutely exhausted by all the sewing I did the weekend I made this one and had to force myself not to just do basic simple cuffs. Now that I survived the sewing weekend, I am glad I pushed through. The hoodie has been worth every single stitch!

Thumb hole cuffs deserve a thumbs up!

Here is a list of the important things that are included with the Constellation Hoodie.

This pdf pattern is rated for confident beginners

• Three hem options: curved hem, bound curved hem, banded hem
• Collar & hood options
• Clean finish techniques
• Two video clips- zipper installation & binding
• Cuffs with thumbhole option
• The half zip makes nursing a breeze
• A FBA (full bust adjustment) piece is included
• Trimless pattern format
• Layers
• Print at home
• In addition to the print-at-home file is a large format file for copy shop printing is included. This file will print on two A0 (33″ x 46″) size sheets. Be sure to instruct your printer to print actual size in black and white on their cheapest paper. We recommend PDFPlotting for printing the large format files.

I love when hoods are a 3 piece construction. It gives an overall better feel.

I was thrilled when I was assigned this test the Constellation and told that Sly Fox Fabrics was hosting my fabric for the test! I have been shopping SFF since I began making clothing and knew I was going to get some fabulous fabric! Best part of it was, I got to pick exactly what I wanted. The pattern called for a stable knit and I was leaning hard towards French Terry. I knew it would be extra soft and comfy cozy and perfect for a hoodie! For my main fabric, I decided on Baby French Terry fabric and the print is called Reverie. The website lists several coordinates and I choose Heather Sage, also a Baby French Terry. If you don’t know about Sly Fox Fabric, they always list coordinating fabrics with listings, they ship in one business day, and they include a color catcher with every order! This fabric sewed up perfectly. I loved every stitch I made. Go check out their amazing fabrics! You will love anything you order!

These pockets are soooooo perfect!

This pattern has a lot of working parts and a zipper, but don’t let it worry you! I promise the directions are well written, the graphics are helpful and YOU CAN DO IT!

So now I want to let you in on a bit of a surprise! Not only did Love Notions increase the Constellation Hoodies size range to 5x, but it is only on $5 feature!!

If you are ready to take advantage of this epic sale, here is a link for you!

If you want to wear some amazing fabric, Here is Sly Fox Fabrics link.

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 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.

Chapman Cardigan – An Update

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!

The Chapman Cardigan can be picked up here for $3.85 while on sale for the release

All patterns at Ellie and Mac are currently marked 40% off no codes required check the entire site out!

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!

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Copy Cat – 12 looks, 1 pattern, no repeats – April

Can you believe we are already 6 months into this year? Time is zipping by way too quickly for me.  I am back with another round of the Copy Cat Series. In case you are just tuning in, I am copying Stephanie from The Sarcastic Sewist. She is using the Diane Jogger pattern from the 5 out of 4 pattern company and hacking it to make 12 different looks. I am totally copying her and blogging about the journey.

For April, she made shorts! I think it was still snowing here in April, but now that June has arrived and it is toasty warm between the rain showers. I used the Diane Joggers which are now my most used pants pattern to make these shorts. I don’t wear shorts very often and if I do it is around the house. Maybe if I start making shorts as cute as these, I will start wearing them out and about.

So this round, I used French Terry. You may notice this print looks a whole lot like the first pair of Diane’s I made in January! You would be correct. This is a different colorway and I honestly didn’t even notice until my shipment arrived on my doorstep! I was distracted by the awesome golden mustard shade of the fabric. It was pretty and soft and FT is super easy to sew. I picked this fabric up at Stitchin’ Pretties and it is called Maisie. I love that they are ninja fast on the shipping and run tons of great sales! Speaking of sales…30% off EVERYTHING right now. Join the Stitchin’ Pretties Facebook group for the code. Also Laura is celebrating the 1 year anniversary of the company so loads of good stuff coming!

So for my shorts I made a size 4x in the waist and graded to a 3x.  I am finally super happy with my fit and do not require elastic in the band to keep them up. This is the first pair I made that I didn’t need to slim down the legs. I added 2 inches to length to give myself room to roll and hem. I folded my shorts to the inside which is opposite of what Stephanie did. Again, I added front inside pockets instead of the original patch pockets included with the pattern.

I styled my new Diane Joggers with summer in mind. Tank top, sandals, flashy jewelry and a high pony tail! Kinda a fun look if you ask me!

 

Here are the details for the Diane Joggers. These are included, but don’t forget all the fun hacks!

Women’s Sizes XXS – 5X plus all these options

• 3 rise heights (low/maternity, mid, and high)
• Shorts, Capri, and Long cut lengths
• 4 leg finishes – cuffed, hemmed, drawstring, or elastic
• Information for both hemming and using bands (hello no hemming!)
• 6 waistband options – Encased elastic, drawstring, Knit, Yoga Foldover, Contour, Maternity (underbelly)

Do you need to have this pattern in your wardrobe RIGHT NOW?? Here is a link for that!

You have already seen this tank several times. I do love my Virginia Tanks!! Here is an entire collage of Momma Mia and I  wearing forms of the Virginia Pattern in the past year. I do love it very much!  Plus I just delivered a new one to Momma Mia Last night! Here is the link to buy it yourself!

 

Stay tuned right here because my next post is going to be a picture guide to making yourself some of these amazing pockets!

Don’t forget my blog contains affiliate links. This means I may receive a small commission when you purchase a pattern through my links. This does not change the price for you at all!

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Copy Cat: 12 Months, 1 Pattern, No Repeats

I am copying the heck out of my Sew Sista, Stephanie! Stephanie AKA The Sarcastic Sewist, is doing an exciting, year long blog series using the Diane Joggers from 5outof4 Patterns. She will be using the pattern options as well as hacking the original design to make 12 different pants to cover every possible need you have in your wardrobe. You can read her original post here. 

Her look was created with French Terry for the bottoms and DBP for the top. So I knew I wanted to do the same. I also knew that since I have never sewn this pattern before, I would want to make a muslin. A muslin (or a toile) is basically a mock up of a pattern made with the purpose of testing fit, determining personal adjustments, or even practicing unfamiliar techniques. You don’t use your high dollar fabrics or fabrics you need to make look good for a promo (my situation). At times, pants can be a bit tricky to get right even if an amazing designer has drafted them. My issue is that I have a large belly, no hips and no booty. When I take my hip measurement into account, I am put solidly into a size 5x with these pants. I am also lucky enough to know that The Diane Joggers, The Zen Pants, and The Molly PJ’s all have the same rise. This means that when measuring from the front waist band, between my legs, over my booty and up to the back waist band, all three of the patterns were created equal. Since I tested the Molly PJ set, I knew that making a 5X would have me swimming in fabric. With Molly, I tried making a 4x and grading my legs to a 3x. This worked well for me. My Molly fabric was DBP, so it has more stretch than French Terry. Because of this, I didn’t want to grade down to the 3x for my legs. I needed these pants to have their intended look, which is fitted, but not skin tight and I needed them to look good in public.

These Diane Joggers are a straight 4x. I only adjusted for height. These are my mock up pair and I only removed 3 inches from the length. When I tried them on it was clear that I needed to remove about another 2 inches so you can see the cuffs I worked so hard to put on. 🙂

I choose to add the pockets since this is a copy cat and Stephanie made pockets. I used a decorative stitch on my regular sewing machine to decorate the pockets. I used the wonder tape which was suggested in the pattern and in Stephanie’s blog post. It honestly did make this so easy. Here is photo of my decorative stitching. I like the loop to loop design with the polka dot print. You can also see that I topstitched along the top of the pocket and made the drawstring casing for the waistband.

I used this Gray French Terry fabric as my muslin. I picked this up months ago from Rosa at Sew Blessed. As always, her prices are low and her inventory changes almost weekly. I knew I wanted a solid top to wear with these pants so I wore my Paris top that I recently made to wear with my Arabella Skirt. The Coral solid looks lovely with the darker gray in my pants. I was lucky enough to have these flip flops which are nearly a perfect color match!

Since overall, I was happy with the fit of these pants, the only change I made was removing 2 more inches from the length. I am only 5’1. This will most likely always need to be done when I make pants.

These are my second pair of Dianes. I am obsessed with this fabric. It is French Terry from Stitchin’ Pretties. The print is called Hallie and here is the direct link to it. I love how it looks a little bit vintage and a whole lot of pretty.  My shirt here is Molly. Yes, Molly is a PJ top, but it is also a neatly fitting basic T-shirt which comes with a Full Bust Adjustment. I added several inches to my sleeves (remember Stephanie shortened hers) and did a Full Bicep Adjustment. I also added 3 inches to the shirt length so the world wouldn’t see my belly. My fabric is this Dark Hunter Green from Stitchin’ Pretties. My boots are covering my cuffs here, but I did shorten my length and they no longer pool around my ankles. I wanted to be able to wear this outfit to work, so I dressed it up a bit with boots and added some pretty jewelry my friend, Tonya, gave me.

These pants have a drawstring waist. I used a long narrow piece of my French Terry to make the tube. If you make tubes, Tube Turners will save you so much time and frustration. I was able to turn this narrow piece in about 30 seconds. I used an elastic bodkin to pull it through the waistband and that took about another 30 seconds. I double knotted the ends of my so they wouldn’t easily pull through my waistband. I am very happy to report that these pants stayed up all day! I was worried that they would slip down and fall down as the day drug on. NOPE, didn’t budge!! I am such a happy girl!

Let’s get you some pattern links. All of these patterns are sized up to 5x.

Diane Joggers

Molly Top and PJ Pants

Paris Party Top and Dress

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This blog post contains Affiliate Links. This means that when you make a purchase from one of my blog links, I receive a small commission. This doesn’t change the price for you, but is a little Thank You to me! It also helps me to buy more fabric to show you new and upcoming patterns. So thank you!!