Handmade Martini: Summer Sewing Round-Up

The temperatures have started dropping, so I've decided to complete a couple of projects left from the summer and then move on to cold-weather sewing! I've shared snapshots of completed projects on Instagram, but for review purposes, I'll go ahead and share them here.

SALLIE JUMPSUIT
First up, the Sallie Jumpsuit by Closet Case Patterns. I was a tester for this pattern and chose to use some ITY Jersey Aztec knit from Fabric.com. (It's still in stock!) The drape and feel of this fabric is dreamy. It's so slinky and comfortable. At less than $6 a yard, the quality is nicer than I'd expect, too. It's been washed and worn lots and has held up very well.

For this gargantuan post, I'll just dump all the photos for each piece, have a little review, then put one more photo after the review. Does that sound okay?

Stats:

Pattern: Sallie Jumpsuit by Closet Case Patterns

Fabric: ITY Jersey knit from fabric.com

Size: 2

Modifications: I lengthened the waist as per my usual.

Pros:

This pattern really does feel like pajamas, especially if sewn with a comfortable knit.
It's easy to get on and off.
The tie-back is a nice detail.
Pockets!
There are dress options.
All Closet Case patterns are stellar. I'm a fangirl.

Cons:

My husband didn't like it. I KNOW! It's probably the first thing I've made that he didn't like. I was flabbergasted because I feel hawt in it!

Thoughts:

It wasn't hemmed in these photos, and when I went to hem it, I cut it too short! The good news is it's knit, so I just left the hem raw.
Heather enlarged the armholes after our test, which is a good thing.
This style is comfortable, but not everyone is comfortable wearing it. I get that.

SELF-DRAFTED TANK
I live in tank tops in the summer. But I wanted a quality one - not cheap cotton but a nice ribbed fabric that would be soft and durable.

(These photos are likely out of focus. I dropped my camera off the tripod and the lens is not working properly. Waaaah!)

Stats:
Pattern: Self-drafted based on a RTW tank.
Fabric: a rayon/cotton blend from Let's Sew in Evansville. I'd buy this fabric in EVERY SINGLE COLOR, but unfortunately, this is the only color they carry.
Thoughts:

I made the armholes a little too high so there's some wrinkling, but I didn't want to have to layer it or risk showing my bra, so it'll do.
Undergarments matter. That's why I'll be making my own soon.
The double needle is my nemesis. Originally I hemmed this with the double needle, but the hem came out, so I went back and used a zig-zag. Around the armhole and neckband I stuck with a zig zag, and I think it's a-okay. (And secure!!)

GINGER JEANS

These are the biggies for this summer. I made two test versions, and this is the second one. (I'll explain why the back waistband looks funny in a sec.)

Stats:

Pattern: Ginger Jeans by Closet Case Patterns

Fabric: denim with 2% spandex from fabric.com

Size: somewhere between a 0-2-4. My measurements are 32-26-34, and I fooled with just about every area of fitting these jeans.

Modifications: Oh my. Well, for the record, they are the closest to great-fitting jeans I can imagine straight out of the "envelope." I used an old pair of my Seven for All Mankind jeans as a reference. I cut apart those jeans, compared them to the pattern pieces, and made changes based on that. Some of the changes:

lengthened the torso, pockets, etc.

widened the waist band

took in the waist

Changed the back pocket size and shape

added a little boot cut to the leg bottom

Thoughts:

The Ginger sew along is comprehensive and excellent.
I've been wearing these for a couple of weeks and just can't decide if I'm ready to cut into the Cone Mills denim I got in my Ginger Jeans kit. The fit is pretty spot on, but they sag down after a bit of wear. I've always had that experience with RTW jeans before my 7s, so I'm assuming it's because this fabric is cheap and the higher quality Cone denim will remedy that.
The waist was still a couple of inches too big, so I cut a slit in the waist band and added elastic to cinch things up. It's not noticeable under a shirt and makes them wearable.
DO NOT use cheap denim buttons! Oh my. Please don't. Learn from my mistake. Luckily I was able to rectify it.
I tried to distress these with sandpaper. It sort of worked.
Do I really like skinny jeans? I dunno. I'm more of a boot-cut kind of girl, and I like my thighs to breathe.

ALICE TOP

I've been admiring this top on the Interwebs since forever.

This version and this version were the ones I wanted to steal, so I tried to make my own copy instead.

Stats:

Pattern: Alice Top and Dress by Tessuti

Fabric: The bodice and sleeves are from a blouse my sister gave me. The white gauze is from JoAnn Fabrics.

Size: xxs. The Internets said to size down and THEY WERE RIGHT. I've got broad shoulders and almost always need an adjustment there, but I like that my sleeves don't stick out that much. So xxs it is.

Modifications: none. at all. yayyayyay.

Thoughts:

While I'm not sure whether this is flattering, I simply don't care. I like it that much, and so I've got fabric selected for 5 more.

The armholes are kind of a pain. You sew the sleeves together as a loop and then put them into the armhole openings. There's no easing, so you'd best have gotten your SAs exact. Which I never do. So, next time I'll sew the armhole bands together in the loop AND THEN measure them against the armhole opening AND THEN sew the sides together according to that measurement.

Why yes, yes I am holding a rubber baby mermaid in this photo

GERMAN SHORTHAIRED POINTER T-SHIRT

I didn't sew this shirt. I'm slipping this in because it's my new favorite t-shirt.

I found a GSP silhouette online, traced it onto freezer paper, cut out the design with an exacto knife, cut a big oval out of a large piece of freezer paper, and then ironed the oval and GSP onto the t-shirt.

Then I put a layer of freezer paper between the front and back of the t-shirt and sprayed bleach into the oval.