Ellie and Mac – Cuddle Tunic

This is a fun one! I love this fabric and the pattern that I used with it. First, let’s talk about this fabric. Of course it came from Stitchin’ Pretties. The owner, Laura shared it in the Facebook group and I immediately received a text from my mom that said as soon as it is on the website she needs me to order it. Umm Ok, Calm Down Momma Mia. She asked twice more if it was on the website before it finally released. 🙂 So I ordered Freida, the epic paint splatters on the charcoal background. I also ordered Francis which is on a lighter blue background. These fabrics are French Terry which is a dream to sew with. I love the weight of it too. Not bulky or overly hot. It breathes well and it is cozy. The royal blue was from my stash and is scuba which snagged way to easily even on my cutting mat.

Happy Birthday Momma Mia!

The pattern I used this time around was the Cuddle Tunic from Ellie and Mac. I really liked the style of this shirt and the way it looked when color blocked. I wanted Momma Mia to have a fun long sleeve shirt with a giant pocket for her Birthday, so this one fit the bill perfectly. I paired it with some royal blue scuba fabric I had on hand. I wanted this one to have a little bit of weight to it so it would be warm for winter. I made the tunic length with regular long sleeves. I added the cowl neck to this pattern too. I sewed an XXL for the entire pattern.

Options for the Cuddle Tunic

Short, long, and bishop sleeve options

Bubble, loose-fit style

Tunic & Dress length

Large front pocket

Momma Mia’s Birthday outfit wouldn’t be complete without matching pants.

I sewed up the Good Vibes Joggers. I hadn’t sewn this pattern before either. I read through the directions and fit chart. Momma Mia has one of those shapes that drop several sizes between natural waist and hips which makes things a little difficult to fit, so this was really a test run. This round I sewed the XXL front waist graded to a large. The back was a straight large. Note to self: the front waist/belly area is a little large so next time, maybe a large front and medium back. The length is ok, but maybe I will remove 3/4 inch of length from the hip to knee area which will help with the baggy knees and eliminate the saggy ankle area. Since this was a test run, I didn’t add pockets or the contrast stripe. I used the elastic waist and the ankle cuffed pants length.

The pattern includes these options.

Zipper welt pocket option

Side stripe option

No trim pattern pages

Five length options noted in description

Two waistband options

Pattern Afflinks cost you nothing to use, but I receive a small commission for sharing my feelings on the pattern.

The Cuddle Tunic On Sale for $4.97

The Good Vibe Joggers On Sale for $4.97

Fabric

Stitchin’ Pretties where the fabric is quickly shipping and the customer service is awesome! They still have the buy 2 yards get one free deal happening!

The Fitting Experiment – Sabrina Slims

The Fitting Experiment – Episode 1

 

Background: I am hanging out with some new bloggers friends and we are calling our adventure, The Fitting Experiment. Our goal is to test out patterns that are drafted with a large size range to determine if the pattern has a great fit across the board. We are looking at comparing the fit across the size chart, construction techniques and directions, included options, and anything else the bloggers want to chat about. With some friends, we began this group because there is so much talk about size inclusiveness and why it is important. I was getting some strong feelings towards the entire topic and as a larger size person, I know it is more difficult for me to find a pattern drafted in my size compared to someone who is a size medium, but honestly everyone struggles. If a pattern companies “Block” isn’t suited to your body it won’t matter what size it comes in.  Through this experiment, maybe you will learn a little bit about fitting patterns to your shape. One of the best things about sewing is knowing how to correct these issues and get a great fit. Our hope is that you can see and maybe learn how to better fit your handmade clothing.

 

The Mission: This is our first run, a test drive if you will. we have been delayed for a knee injury and the flu so far, but we made it! I suggested the Love Notions Sabrina Slims while it was still in the size expansion phase. Since the re release, it has become a great seller and loads of folks are sewing up some awesome pants! First off, I want to mention we have 8 bloggers who have sewn and reviewed the Sabrina Slims and we are all different sizes and shapes! The fun thing about that we are all so different- short, tall, thick, thin, and we are doing exactly what we love! The only rule for the experiment is to sew the pattern up and blog about it. We quickly had our bloggers on deck. Love Notions was super generous and provided all the bloggers with the pattern, plus two extras to give away to our readers. As an extra bonus, they gave us a discount code to share with our readers to get the pattern for themselves!

 

The Experiment: I keep talking about my mission to get great fitting pants and I am soooo close! So I am sharing my 3rd pair of Sabrina Sleeves with you today. I made two pair in testing and improved on the fit with each try out. I will tell you a secret, LN’s wrote a pants fitting guide that is truly amazing! Even the seasoned sewists have commented on how extensive it is. This pair of trousers is made with Liverpool. I love Liverpool fabric for my “dressier” garments. I like that they hold their shape and is so comfortable. So between my first 2 pair, both made in Ponte, and my third pair in Liverpool I am loving the process. Here are those 3 photos side by side.

Round 2

Round 1

Round 3

 

As you can see each pair has been slimmed down slightly through the seat, hip and thigh areas and the fit is getting better. I think my next pair I will add about 1/2 inch to the calf area to reduce the pull lines I am seeing there. Other adjustments I made –

Full Belly Adjustment 100% needed as my belly size doesn’t match my booty size.

Smoothed down the curve of the hip. I don’t have womanly hip curves at all.

Shorted length above the knee and below the knee. Removed 1 inch from the rise.

The Results:

These pants are about to become a staple in my wardrobe! They are so comfy! I even added butt pockets! For me, pockets are life. If I love a pattern, I will sew all the pockets.  I paired my Sabrina Slims with a Love Notions Laundry Day Tee…in the tank version! I blogged about it here.

 

 

A special thank you to Love Notions for sponsoring The Fitting Experiment bloggers with patterns so that we can share our thoughts with you. Love Notions has kindly provided a 20% off shop discount code for all our readers. Please use this code at checkout: FittingEXPSabrinas

In addition, Love Notions has given us TWO copies of Sabrina Slims to giveaway. For a chance to win, comment below. For more chances to win, comment on the other blogs too! You can check out their posts below:

 

• bigflynotions
• Diskordia’s Curvy Sewing
• SequoiaLynn Sews
• Petite Font
• Liviality
• Jong Design
• Jot Designs
• Stitched by Jennie

If you love the Sabrina Slims pattern and can’t wait to see if you are a winner, Use the code above and click here.

Here are all the options that come with the pattern!

• Cigarette slims pants pattern
• Pattern pieces for 2 different pant styles: solid front and back or seamed front and back as well as 2 maternity waistband options and three hem styles: plain, zippered and split hem
• 2 pages of slims pants inspiration photos from pattern testers.
• Cutting guide and the ability to print just your desired size(s) with the Adobe layers feature and a print chart to print the needed pattern pieces.
• 14 pages of bright and clear step by step color illustrations and photos.
• Downloadable fitting workbook designed specifically for the Sabrina Slims
• Large format file for copy shop printing
• Projector file for those using a projector in their sewing
• Glossary of needed sewing terms.
• Troubleshooting guide.

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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.