The Greenstyle Lumia hoodie, well hello Greenstyle patterns!

I have been hoarding medium weight leftovers since making the Linnea pullover hoodie and realising I am totally claustrophobic in pullover hoodies, plus I hated the way I had pieced it.  When I saw this egregiously obvious Lululemon copy it was clearly gonna be the winner for these scraps, with some nice piecing potential for the birds, though let's not pretend it will replace my carefully curated Lulu hoodie collection.  I reviewed all the blogs and got some useful size info, from which I chose size 3. It's not necessarily what the size chart would have gotten me - I would have done C at the chest but graded up to E at the hips.  I don't think that was necessary and the reviews pointed me in the right direction, commenting that it is pretty roomy. 

I shortened the pattern by 2" at the shorten lines, everything dovetailed up perfectly.
My vision had been to use black fabric for the sides and lower back, but I realised I couldn't do that and use it anywhere in the hood and I thought it might be jarring with blue sleeves.  I also had blue ribbing, not black.  So I ended up using this double faced, quilted blue knit as the main supplement to the birds (I think it's by Mind the Maker) and only lined the hood in black.  

I enjoyed the instructions, and everything came together neatly without any issues.  The pockets are great, as they create inside pockets as well as outside ones.  Since I used rib on the cuffs and hem, I should have shortened it, but I didn't and they are too loose. 

As you can see I remembered that my fancy sunglasses make all my photos look better (at least to me) so I have added them back into my photoshoot.  

When I connected the first piece of blue and birds, I immediately knew I hated the combination.  I've gotten lots of feedback that other people think it's rad but I was totally turned off.  Welp, now I know!  I had two people vying for this but my housemate won the coin toss. 

This is a pretty roomy hoodie and I actually recommend using a heavier weight sweatshirting for it.  My fabric, which is french terry and the double knit, in my opinion, is borderline too thin.  I also see that to up the quality of the finish, a twill tape edge on the zip side is really needed. I keep putting off learning how to do that.  The instructions for this pattern have included that, so it was my laziness this time around.

I don't know if I have made any Greenstyle patterns before, though my friend Tessa swears by them, I keep saying to myself that I have enough activewear and don't need to make any. This is totally a fallacy.  I need to always make the things I like wearing so that the ones I make will take over my wardrobe!  I do have future plans to make some running tights and summer activewear, and I've had some activewear fabric stashed so hopefully that will all come out in the next few months. This has been a pretty exciting boost for me to try more of this company's offerings.

The itty bitty furry Arlo track jacket

Friday Pattern Co, stop two. 

This Arlo track jacket has been planned for a year, when I bought this fluffy Marc Jacobs fabric from The Fabric Store because I love it so very much, it has the best feel even on the inside.  The amount of fluff means it would be pretty annoying on a pattern with a lot of small fiddly spots, but for this it worked out nicely. 

The Arlo jacket has even been at the *top* of my sewing to-do list, but so little sewing happened so the list wasn't really moving.  I wear zip front hoodie type things all the time, so I really should put more work into making my own and getting the quality of them up to my standards!  

So the Ilford jacket felt small, even though it fit, and felt kind of useless, because that style is not really my thing.  

The Arlo has a lot of size options.  You can cut things at a short, medium or long length in the bodice and sleeves.  By the size chart I'm an XS chest, S waist, and M hip.  So I cut from XS chest to M at the bottom of the bodice piece, and then cut all the pocket level pieces as M.  I used the short length for the body, and the middle length for the sleeves.  I cut extra long pieces for the hem and the sleeve cuffs so I could use self fabric that doesn't really stretch much.  

Other than green fluff getting everywhere, this was an easy sew.  Oh, and except for how the fur got in the way and I couldn't actually see whether I was sewing the seam allowance.  That meant I sometimes had to sew things twice, but it didn't impact the final garment - if anything my seam allowances were scant and the jacket should be slightly larger than expected.  I didn't topstitch because the stitch lines would not have been visible and I didn't see the point. 

The pockets are quite neat and it's easy to get a good finish on them. Everything came together really nicely.  

 

However I had some deja vu once I tried this on.  Again, it just...feels small.  And that's before I mention the sleeves.  Everyone who reviews this mentions the sleeves and I really should have taken that seriously!  They are about 4" too short.  like, the sleeves end at my wristbones.  In the photos they somehow seem longer but I promise they aren't.  And I used length "M" sleeves.  

I have not decided whether to cut the sleeve cuffs off, add another sleeve piece, and put on new cuffs.  

Another unexpected oddity - the pockets go all the way to the side seam, of course, which makes the jacket feel kind of wide in that spot.  It doesn't bother me, but it's a thing I particularly noticed - maybe because this fabric is so bulky. 

It's getting into spring and the tight coziness of this jacket isn't as desirable as it was in the depths of freezing winter.  I just can't decide if it's actually too small.  Maybe I should make all unisex patterns by the Friday Pattern Co in size M across the board...

It leaves me with a pretty lukewarm feeling about these patterns, though at least I have no issue with the instructions, which are clear and have nice diagrams. 

Also, the A0 was quite rude, the sleeve occupied its own A0 page...that's a LOT of empty paper for one little tiny (and too short) sleeve.  

Closet Core Pietra pants, a review

 I was fabric shopping when I suddenly out of the blue had a hankering to make these. The fabric that drove this plan was a mystery-blend with stretch, heavy, purple.  I bought it at The Fabric Store.  I suppose it must be viscose as I won't buy polyester. 

I absolutely wasn't fazed by the stretch in the fabric.

I went forth and read a lot of reviews.  It was refreshing that there were even a number of blog posts!  The summary I got from the reviews is that this pattern has a relatively long crotch that fits nobody very well, and it's quite oversized if you go by the size chart.  I'm kind of dusting off my mental archives here and recall that Closet Core patterns are often pretty big and the size charts are not very accurate; my Ginger jeans were a size 4 and are too big around the waist.    

For some reason this all spurred me onwards.  Maybe because I was just on a boot-making course and after 4 days making something that was a constant challenge, I wanted the challenge of something I theoretically can do well.  So I pulled out my old crotch curve pattern - harvested from pants that were made to measure for me in Vietnam. I pulled out the Persephone pants too just in case because that butt is the best butt - but I decided that was too much change for one pattern (maybe next time.)

I made size 4.  My measurements are a perfect size 6.  (27-37)

The size 4 is roomy but not too too big, and remember, I used a stretch fabric. 

Ok but back up. Before I did that, I shortened the entire rise by 1" which by now is a relatively common adjustment for me, and was supported by how the crotch is too long for everyone.  Then I compared it to my crotch curve and cut a line into the front crotch about 4 cm and just overlapped it about 1 cm, to remove a wedge, flattening the paper of the pattern til it was mostly flat.  I can draw this if someone needs a picture? 

This will remove that extra wrinkle of fabric that always hangs in front crotches on me (I hoped.) 

It did - I could take a bit more, but it's not terrible! 

During the sewing, I encountered a kind of comedy of errors.  The fabric has a subtle difference between the right and wrong sides.  I think...I sewed the wrong sides of the back facing out and I noticed the legs twist.  But even before I did that, I was overlocking the seams and my overlocker blade pretty much died.  On its way down the death spiral, it took out the front seams in great monstrous messes (plus 2 overlocker needles.  I have never broken 2 overlocker needles before!)  This all led to some of the waviness in the front seam.  

I used the length of back elastic recommended by the pattern and it does seem a bit loose at present.  For the most part I followed the instructions, which I found satisfactory.  

When the final result lies on the ground it seems quite twisty.  On my body the pants initially also seem to twist, with the seams coming from the back around to the front, and they feel roomy with stretch everywhere.  My previous experience with pants that have some stretch content is that the elastic tightens on the first wash and the pants shrink for a few more washes, so I wonder if they will tighten up.  The fit seems reasonable considering that the pattern is meant for totally nonstretch fabric.  After wearing these around a bit instead of staring in the mirror I stopped thinking about twisty legs and the pants felt fine.  I had fun making these despite the debacles. 

I agree with one of the reviewers who commented that the pockets are quite high, but I can access them to put stuff in and they are big.  I will have to wear them a bit to determine if I think they are too high. 

Reviewers with more engineering precision than I have commented on the plumb line of these pants.  From what I can see, the side panel is relatively straight, but the front panel curves outward.  I would read this as a combo of my overlocker mess, and maybe some design feature, rather than assuming it's a fail of drafting.  The seams on the front feel weird when I'm wearing these, but the fit feels ok.  I'll have to wear them around and see what I think, but I would definitely eventually be inspired to make an actual nonstretch pair and see what happens.  In the meantime, I am now inspired to fix the crotch curve on the Clyde pants! I have bought 2 lots of green suiting fabric so expect some more experimentation with dreamy Man pants so I can keep living my scruffy Menswear chic life...I have found a few patterns that are inspiring me to move away from the elastic waist pants and to up my game...after the Clydes...

Trish Newbery Carter Shirt Jacket review

 Literally not a single post in the internet about this pattern. Anywhere.  Really?? There are 7 posts on insta about it and they are all by the same person.  That's insane!  This pattern is like, invisible to the masses!  Where are people getting pattern inspo from these days?

I chose this for my more jacket-y shacket because it clearly could tolerate heavier fabrics, I liked the side slits, and the hood versatility meant in the future it might be hacked to so many interesting things.  I also really want the two front patch pockets plus side seam pockets in my shackets (that's like, the entire point!)  I made the Logan first (here) as the more shirt-y shacket and I love it but I do kind of struggle to fit it into my wardrobe much. 

This fabric is Italian, it is tweed on the outside but a mystery soft inner face.  It has a little bit of stretch to it.  I don't know where I got it, possibly Mood Fabrics when I shopped online a few years ago, but also possibly from The Fabric Store.  And what was I planning to make with it anyway?  It's been in my stash for a wee while and I presume I bought it with some plan I have since forgotten. 

Without any advice to hand I turned to the size chart. XS.  A little worried as the shacket seems to have no ease at the hips which on me can often lead to pooling in my lower back.  Indeed the instructions say Menswear fit: consider going up at the hip.  That's stupid, we are women, why are you making a pattern specifically that won't fit women?  Ok so S at the hip.  Regrets, should have done M.  

I wanted to finish this in a day and I didn't quite make it.  I took a lot of time on the details.  I broke out the very old and precious Liberty lawn for the hem facing and under the collar.  Spots I expected to be tragic mostly turned out ok - everything lined up the way it was supposed to.  This is not due to any help from the instructions.  They check every box entitled "what I hate in pattern instructions."  They are in a weird order, photos, done on coloured fabrics, and the words are not helpful.  I had to google how to do the sleeve placket because the instructions were so opaque to me.  

So I got it done, and now I had a button problem.  I've recently realised I need to just get rid of my donated button stash, because it doesn't provide, I waste hours looking for matching buttons and I still never have any.  I hate buttons, and my button stash actually makes things worse. 

I set this project aside until I could focus on buttons.  The fit is ok but it's snug on my hips, which is kind of ok because the fabric has a lot of stretch.  However, there's pooling in my back...the jury is out.  Will it pass my stringent judgment or will it be directed straight to the Someone Else pile?  The fact that it lounged on the floor for so long is kind of an answer to that question. I was actively avoiding dealing with this, and not just because it's really painful to do buttonholes these days.

I got some reasonable buttons and then continued to actively procrastinate until a friend showed up to visit me.  Her style is quite a bit different to mine and she's narrower in the hips than I am.  I stuck this jacket in front of her with my eyebrows raised and she fell in love instantly, in fact, she didn't even want the buttons.  I insisted on putting them on the sleeve cuffs only because they were gaping open.  

 

Sorry for worse photos than usual. I let my friend take them so I at least got them before she left.

My procrastination was a clear sign I didn't really want this jacket in my life.  The fit on her is much nicer than on me - again I should have gone up to M at the hips.  But also the style of this jacket suits her perfectly without the buttons on.  A win!  She has already sent me happy hotel selfies in her new shacket. 

 I wouldn't use this pattern designer again.  I'm not sure whether I would make this pattern again either.  There wasn't anything egregiously wrong with the fit on the chest or sleeves, I just didn't enjoy the experience.  It's probably a bad habit to want to try out another shacket pattern rather than improving on the two that I have...but you know, Tint of Mint Polina?  What's up with Tint of Mint patterns?  Are they another diy pattern designer with no experience and shitty drafting?  I admit I am very curious.  There's also the Axelle jacket...but it looks suspiciously like the Potter I'm already planning to make.