Vogue 9026 - Front sequin sweatshirt in gray

Scraps. We all have them – those pieces that are too big to throw away but not big enough to do much with. I keep thinking I’ll use some of mine to make something for my daughter. She’s tiny and her clothing doesn’t require much yardage. I never do, though, and they just keep piling up. However, these days it’s perfectly acceptable to use several different textiles in one garment. I had a rather sizable piece of sequin fabric left over from this skirt and I decided to make it into a sweatshirt. I ordered one yard of Mood fabric’s Cadet charcoal french terry cotton knit and the matching Cadet charcoal rib knit in the hopes that they would match the silver baby sequin fabric I’d used last month. The colors blended perfectly. I pre-washed it all, including the sequins, so I could launder this top easily.

The pattern is Vogue 9026 - now sadly OOP - only 1 year after its release. I really liked the slanted front seams and the V neckline which I've not seen on other sweatshirt patterns. I cut the small and had zero fit issues. The center front and center back seams were eliminated – not sure why they’re there anyway. I used the french terry for the body and sleeves and the rib knit for the binding at the neckline, cuffs and bottom band.

The bottom band was doubled in length, an idea I copied from Amy’s pink cowl top made last year. I also think this pattern would be cute as a short dress. Hmm..

These fabrics were such a joy to work with. Seriously, I’ve got to get more cotton knits. They behave and don’t slip around or stretch out like ITY knits do. They are also SO comfortable to wear and hide a multitude of lumps and bumps.

I used a longer stitch length and topstitched the rib knit down at every seam.

I used a bit of black tricot from my stash to line the sequin area. They’re sewn to mesh and I thought they might be see-through under the right lighting. I sewed the tricot and sequins to the terrycloth burrito style so I wouldn’t have to do any handstitching. This also contained any rough sequin edges that might irritate my skin.

I finished the sleeves and armholes with an overlocking stitch.

Dressform pictures:

This was a really fun project to sew up and it went together quickly. It also got me thinking about the fashion sweatshirt I made 2 years ago that I rarely wear. The body fabric is thick and quilted, which caused a bump at the hemline and just wasn't flattering. It made me look like a brick. So, while I still had this Vogue pattern out, I used the bottom band pattern piece and some leftover black ribbing (more scrap fabric) to band it. What do you think?

I like it much better this way, and will hopefully get more wear out of it.

I am having a ton of fun making tops lately and have another in the works that I'm almost done with. I still like the complicated designer patterns and using fancy fabrics but am really wanting to add some hand made items to my casual wardrobe.

Note: All fabrics used for the sequin sweatshirt were purchased with my Mood Fabrics monthly allowance, as part of my participation in the Mood Sewing Network.

McCall's 3830 - Silver sequin straight skirt

Just in time for year end festivities I have made something sparkly! A sequin skirt has been on my list for a few years now. This fabric was purchased months ago but has just been sitting there staring at me because I was procrastinating. Sewing with sequins is always extremely messy and time consuming. I finally decided it would be handy to have for New Year’s Eve so I stitched it up. Surprise! Because I chose a fabric with super tiny sequins, they didn’t need to be removed for the seams or darts, and I had no messy piles of them to clean up. I used Mood fabric’s baby sequins on mesh, which they carry in several different colors. I ordered a yard for this straight skirt and have plenty left over.

The pattern is my TNT (Tried ‘N True) straight skirt pattern, McCall’s 3830, which I have made a thousand times. I wanted to keep the sequins from catching on my blouses so I opted for a grosgrain ribbon waistband. I also fully lined my skirt with some silver china silk.

The back invisible zipper has to be gently pulled up to not get hung up on any sequins. It didn’t give me any problems to insert.

I’m on auto pilot when I make this pattern. If only all my sewing could be such a reliably good fit!

I had to add a band of fabric to the bottom of the lining since I cut it a little short. I always like my lining long enough to cover the top edge of the turned up hem. Then I do a sit-down test to make sure it doesn’t peek out.

The waistband is made using a 1 3/8″ wide petersham grosgrain ribbon that I stashed for this project. This is the 3rd time I've used this type of waistband finish and I love to do it. Next time I'll snap some pictures and post a little how-to here for anyone interested. I also sewed a 1″ wide ribbon in the same color to the bottom of the skirt and turned it to the inside for the hem. It was whip-stitched in place by hand. I didn’t want any scratchy sequins touching my skin or chewing up my hosiery.

Finding ways to use fancy fabrics in my non-fancy lifestyle is fun to me. I have it styled here for a casual date night or New Year’s house party with friends but it could easily be paired with a silver silk charmeuse blouse and heals to be cocktail party appropriate.

Note: Both fabrics were purchased with my Mood Fabrics monthly allowance, as part of my participation in the Mood Sewing Network.