The Cottage Mama's Vintage Ruffle Pants Pattern

Several days ago, I promised to share with you more about the pants Ella is wearing with her Sewing Mama RaeAnna Bumblebee Top.  I've been sick with an awful cold and have fallen behind in my blogging! Please forgive me!

These wonderful, unique, great fitting pants were made using the Vintage Ruffle Capris pattern found in the new Cottage Mama book, Sew Classic Clothes for Girls.

When my husband asked me what I wanted for my birthday last month, Lindsay's book was at the top of my list.  I've known Lindsay for a while but finally met her in person a few months ago when she was teaching a class at the Martha Pullen School of Art Fashion.  I didn't take her class, but I did get a firsthand tour of her classroom which was full of her beautiful, one-of-a-kind creations including the garments used in her new book.  Seeing these pieces in person and then having to wait weeks for the book to be available for purchase was pure torture!  There are so many things in this book that I want to make, and I was super eager to get started.

The book finally arrived at the end of October, and I wasted no time reading it from cover to cover in one sitting.  I literally read every word and learned some valuable new sewing tips along the way. The first pattern that I just had to make were the Vintage Ruffle Capris lengthened roughly 4" to make my daughter a pair of Vintage Ruffle Pants!

The details of this design transform an otherwise simple pair of excellent fitting pants into something special.  These pants aren't baggy or skinny, but they are just right!  And the ruffle detail at the bottom is so sweet!

Now on to the unique front pockets.  I've never seen a design like this.  The scalloped edge paired with the contrasting fabrics make this design stand out among others.

And that rear ruffled pocket with that same little scalloped edge!  Love it!  I'm normally not a big fan of lots of ruffles, but these Vintage Ruffle Pants paired with the Bumblebee Top just make me smile.

Now to get busy deciding what I'll make next from the Cottage Mama's book Sew Classic Clothes for Girls--maybe a coat or the Ruffle Sleeve A-Line Dress. Decisions, decisions!

Thanks for stopping by today, and have fun sewing!

More Lovely Rita's and a New Bimaa Top

Well, we've made it to the last and final day of Pants Week on sewVery.  I really appreciate everyone that's been following along.  That said, I hit a big milestone for the blog yesterday--200 blog followers!  And as of this morning, I am only 15 away from having 400 Facebook Likes!

So, I announced on FB yesterday that when I reach 400 Likes, I'll host a giveaway here on my blog.  I've got a couple of ideas in mind of what to give away, so please help me get those 15 Likes on Facebook by clicking sewVery.

Now, onto the pants.  Today's feature is another great pair of Shwin & Shwin Design's Lovely Rita's Skinnies.

I guess I can't say enough about how much I like this pattern.  This is my third pair, and they just keep getting easier and easier to make, especially with the pattern design changes that Shauna made to the revised version.

This flowered pair of Lovely Rita's is made using some bottom weight fabric from Joann's that has a bit of stretch to it.  The fabric isn't very thick--it feels kind of like a twill to me--and is ideal for this pattern.

I used the 5T size again, and as you can see, they appear looser than the Lovely Rita Jeans I showcased in Day 2, but the only thing I did differently to this pair is add the button flap detail to the bottom.  So, I think the thickness of the fabric definitely affects the overall fit of the pant.

On all three pair of Lovely Rita's I have made, I chose to fully line the rear pocket rather than fold and press under the seam.  I think it is just so much faster and easier to line it.  On the other two pair of pants, I did use a contrasting fabric, but this print has a lot going on, so I just used the same fabric for the lining.

One of the changes that was made to the revised version of the pattern was to make the waistband have elastic all the way around.  Now, I know what you are thinking, cause I thought the same thing. But the way the front of the pants is cut, there is very little gathering, so the pants maintain their flat front appearance and fit.  I think she made this change to help keep the fabric from bunching up so much on the top of the bum.  As you can see in these pictures, they are contoured to Ella's little tush, and the waistband is high enough in the back to prevent her underwear from peeking out when she bends over.

Ella loves the flowers on these pants and how comfortable they are.  The front pockets are functional but are mainly a design element, in my opinion, since they are so shallow.  She still likes having them to keep a Starburst on hand!

Ella is so happy I made her a Bimaa Top to wear with these Lovely Rita's, too.  This is the second Bimaa Top I've made using EmmyLouBeeDoo's Bimaa Sweater Pattern.  Here's the post to the first one.

I used ribbed knit with a bit of lycra or spandex in it for this size 5T purple/eggplant version.  The fabric is thicker than the fabric I used on the first Bimaa I made, but I think it works well still.  Again, as with the pants, the fabric type makes all the difference in fit.  Since this ribbed knit is a little thicker, the cowl neck is obviously thicker and bunches up more.  Also, even though I used the 4T sleeve length this time, the sleeves look a little long out of this fabric.  I'm not worried though.  It just means she can wear it again come Fall!

This sweater is amazingly simple to make, and the first Bimaa Sweater was the knit project that gave me enough confidence in sewing with knits to want to try other knit projects.  Sarah's website, EmmylouBeeDoo and her pattern have lots of helpful advice for using your serger to sew knits.  That information made a world of difference for me!  Thanks, Sarah!

And thanks to all of you who follow along on the blog and Facebook.  I can't believe how many friends I've made because of this blog.  I hope I get to meet more of you in person at Sewing Summit this year! Please recruit your friends to follow along on the blog and on Facebook, and when my sewVery Facebook page reaches 400 Likes, I'll host a giveaway!

Come back this weekend for a wrap up of all the pants I've made on the blog this past year and a half. You just might find something else you want to make!

Have a great day!

Veronica

Go To Leggings

Day 4 of Pants Week brings us to a great staple piece for every little girl's wardrobe--leggings!  For this pair, I used the Go To Leggings Pattern.

I needed a simple pair of leggings to go with one of the latest tops I've made Ella.  I can't share the top with you quite yet because it's to be revealed during a pattern tour in a couple of weeks.

To keep things simple, I made a basic pair of capri length leggings with a normal hem.  The pattern is one piece, so there are no side seams to sew!  Sweet!  I think I finished this pair is about a half hour.

For the fabric, I used a half yard remnant of a 95% rayon 5% spandex knit.  First words out of Ella's mouth when she tried them on were, "these are so soft, Moma!".  They are so silky and smooth feeling, and the spandex helps give them enough stretch to stay fitted all over while my active little girl plays.

So if you are looking for that perfect leggings pattern, then I suggest trying the Go To Leggings Pattern.  I haven't gotten brave enough to try out bias binding on knit, but when I do, I'm going to make Ella a pair of Go To Leggings with that keyhole opening in the back.  Those are just too cute for words!  Plus there are numerous other options to make from this one pattern:  capris, skort, skirt, ruched, side pocket to name a few.

Thanks for stopping by today.  Come back tomorrow for my fifth and final day of Pants Week.  I've got a great pair to share with you along with another favorite, my second Bimaa Sweater!.

Purple Riding Pants

Today it's time to show off the purple Riding Pants I made using Me Sew Crazy's latest pattern.

These pants take simple leggings and kick them up a notch by adding inner leg patches, a faux fly, and buttons to the leg openings.  I love details like this!

They are also fashionable yet comfortable enough for the active movement of a 4 year old.

These purple riding pants are made using denim jegging material and quilting cotton for the patches.  I'm fairly new to sewing with knit, and as Jessica mentions in her post about the pattern release, "these pants are perfect for the seamstress just getting familiar with knits!!"  I totally agree!  Following the pattern's easy to read large text and highlighted notes, I had no problems sewing these.  The pattern is also full of detailed photos and lots of tips to help you with each step of the assembly.

According to the pattern's sizing chart, Ella wears something between a 4T and a 5T, so I decided to use the 4T and lengthen the pants by an inch and a half.   This worked out perfectly for a great fit on Ella!

So, there you have it--Purple Riding Pants!  My third installment of Pants Week here on sewVery! Come back tomorrow for more pants inspiration!

And if you like both of the tops that Ella is wearing with these pants, be sure to visit next week to read more about them!

St. Patrick's Day Shirt & Ruffle Pants

Well, another holiday is almost here, and it's the perfect excuse for me to use my embroidery machine to stitch up a cute design for a t-shirt for Ella.  Oh, and of course, she needs some new ruffle bottom pants to go with the shirt.  Right?  I'm sure my daughter is in no need of new clothing, but I just love sewing and making fun things for her to wear.  You know what?  She really loves it, too!

Anyway, I stitched up this shabby four leaf clover from Planet Applique in 10 minutes using my Brother PE770 embroidery machine.  I think this is the simplest embroidery project I've done yet!  The only thing I wish I had done differently is position the design a little higher up on the shirt, but oh, well!  It's still adorable and perfect for St. Patrick's Day!

I used medium weight (Pellon No. 40) cut away stabilizer on the back, plus I doubled my fabric by using a piece of white flannel behind each print to give the edges more fluff when they were snipped.  I've tried using other fabrics like white cotton or muslin, but so far, I prefer to use the flannel.

Now it's been forever since I've made Ella a pair of ruffle bottom pants, so I took this opportunity to whip her up a new pair to match the St. Patrick's Day shirt.  I used McCall's M6530 pattern, View D.

These pants were made using the size 4T length and the size 5T width and stride measurements.  I also added a second ruffle by cutting it out 1" shorter than the pattern ruffle measurement and in the same pink fabric I used on the t-shirt.

Finally, I hemmed the ruffles using the rolled hem settings on my serger.  Stitch a label on there and call it done!

These were super easy and fun to sew together, so I know I'll be using this McCall's pattern again and again.  Ella loves these pants and already wants another pair!  Great!  More sewing for me!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!  Linking up at the parties shown below as well as others listed here.


  

     

Lovely Rita's Slim Jeans and Matching T-Shirt

This has become my favorite outfit for Ella--a pair of slim fit Lovely Rita's jeans and matching appliqued t-shirt.

A few months back, I tested the Pleated Penny top for Shauna of Shwin & Shwin, and as compensation, I was allowed to pick one pattern for free from her shop.  I chose the Lovely Rita's slim fit pant for girls.  

I picked this particular pattern out of all the wonderful, unique designs she has to offer because most little girl's pants patterns are for wide legged, ruffle bottom, elastic waist pants that aren't fitted at all.  This design is such a nice departure from that norm and is a lot of fun when you add contrasting fabrics to the pockets and pants cuff.

I made Ella's pants using size 5T and with stretch denim fabric as recommended in the pattern.   Shauna's pattern was filled with easy to follow instructions and helpful photographs which made constructing these jeans a cinch.  I did change one thing though.  I lined the rear pockets with the floral fabric.  This was easier to me than ironing and hemming the edges of the pocket.  Plus it added another cute detail.

The only problem that I had with the pattern was with the front pocket pattern pieces. I cut them out according to the pattern, but the side seam edge curved inward and did not extend out far enough to match up with the pants leg side seam.  The only solution was to recut the pocket pieces.  I made a note on my pattern to be sure to extend those edges the next time I make a pair.  

I thought the jeans were going to be too big for Ella, but in fact, they fit her quite nicely.  The Lovely Rita's slim jeans are great for running around, climbing, and playing in general.  And they are very stylish!

I bought more stretch denim the other day to make her a second pair.  The next time though, I think I'll make them without the lined cuff and buttons. Now I just need to find the time to sew them together!

Not sure what Ella is doing in all these pictures, but I see that she's having fun poking her lips out!

To go with these cool pair of jeans, I appliqued a double flower design with the letter "E" onto a t-shirt using my new embroidery machine.  I think I am finally getting the hang of machine embroidery!  Check out some of my embroidery/applique work here.

Ella has loved wearing this outfit so much that she has worn it at least three times this past week!  Guess I better get busy making that second pair!  Now if I could only figure out how to make these in my size...

  

Thanks for stopping by!  

Oliver + S Class Picnic Blouse and PANTS

Hello, everyone!  Hope your week is off to a good start!  Mine is so far...

Today I'm sharing with you my latest completed project--an Oliver + S Class Picnic Blouse and Pants set.

Yes, I said pants and not shorts!  If you are at all familiar with the Oliver + S Class Picnic Blouse and Shorts pattern, then you know it is for a blouse and pair of shorts like the ones I made here this past summer.  Ella loves her shorts outfit, so I thought I would make her a fall ensemble using the same O + S pattern but make pants instead.

First, let me talk to you about the blouse.  After taking Anna's class on details at the Sewing Summit, I decided to add a few extras to this blouse. Notice the hunter green piping along the front as well as the two blue buttons.  Plus, I sewed a band to the sleeve edges in the same fabric I used for the front and back facings.  I think these details definitely enhance the visual interest of this blouse.

Isn't this girl just precious?  

Ok, here I must admit a mistake I made in sewing this blouse together.  I mixed up the front and back facings and didn't realize it until I already had the piping and buttons sewn on!  There's not much difference in those two pattern pieces, so I choose not to take it all apart and redo my work.  I honestly can't tell a difference in the fit, and my bet is that you never would have known it either!

Now, on to the pants.  I used my size 5 shorts pattern pieces as a guide in creating the new pattern pieces needed for the pants.  This included the shorts front, back, front facing, and back facing pieces.  I am not going into any great detail on how I created these, but I will say that I used a pair of pants that fit my daughter well as a go by for determining the length of the new O + S pants.

The trickiest part of converting the shorts to pants pattern is the adjustment of the front piece inside seam.  It is angled, but you can't simply extend that angle out to the length you need.  Instead, you'll have to just play with it and adjust the angle the best you can.  It's really no big deal.  Mine worked out just fine.

Where I had a little problem, however, is that I was working with limited fabric, something like just under 3/4 of a yard of denim fabric which was 60" wide.  In order to get the pants front and back and facing pieces all cut out of the denim, I had to make the facing pieces slightly narrower than the  pattern specified.

I did not take this into account when cutting out the waistband pieces, so my front waistband ended up being roughly 1.25" too short!  My solution was to add that little square piece of denim to the middle front of the waistband.  I think it kind of looks like I meant for it to be that way!  Don't you?

The most difficult part of the assembly of these pants was sewing all the way down and then back up the facing pieces.  I did not anticipate this when I decided to make pants instead of shorts.  If you decide to make a similar pair of pants, I would suggest sewing half way down each side of the facing piece from the top then sewing half way up each side of the facing piece from the bottom so that your seams meet somewhere in the middle.  It is very difficult to sew down that narrow leg tube shape and not get a nice smooth seam.  I went very, very slowly and constantly checked to make sure I wasn't getting any other fabric stuck under the presser foot.  Let's just say it was a tense few minutes of sewing!

And then I forgot to sew the tags in while I was sewing on the waistband.  I do this all the time!  Do you? Anyway, I improvised and sewed them onto this little strip of fabric and then sewed it into the pants.  It looks pretty sloppy from the inside, but the outside is nice and neat since I sewed directly over the seam. If you are interested in sizing and care labels, read my post here.

While this outfit is not girly looking at all, it is a great outfit to wear for playing and exploring the outdoors. Plus, Ella can wear these pants with pretty much any t-shirt or other blouse as long as the waistband is covered. She loves the outfit and says it is super comfy, so even though it has a few little mistakes, who cares! As long as she's happy, I'm happy!  And I'd say she looks pretty happy!