Pattern Test: Love Notions Legato Jeans

 

Who likes shopping for jeans? Yeah... me neither. So when I heard Love Notions needed testers for their new jeans pattern, I thought it would be a great opportunity to create a custom fitted pair. And I did! I first made a muslin in a stretch camo print. They fit pretty well except the rise was too high. 

 

For my next pair, I chose a lightweight stretch denim and opted for the petite sizing. 

 

On to my final pair, for which I used a medium weight stretch white denim (or maybe simply twill?). By this time Tami, the Love Notions designer, had tweaked the fit in various ways and it was almost perfect. It had just a wee too much fabric below the seat so I took the crotch seam in just a bit and I now love the fit. More details about my various versions 👇🏼 

 

Muslin #1 - Camo stretch twill

My first pair was regular rise with full seat. They fit pretty well although the rise was too high. I struggled a bit with the zipper application but Tami prepared a video and added some addition written instructions and illustrations . Very helpful for future attempts!

Muslin #2 - Lightweight blue stretch denim, petite rise, full seat

Petite rise corrected the height but alas, I neglected to take into account that the lower rise meant I needed a longer waistband. These might look like they fit well and they did! Except I couldn't breath. 😆  After switching between topstitching thread and regular thread a bunch of times, the lightbulb went on that I should break out one of my other machines for dedicated top stitching. DUH!! I decided to finally use my Featherweight 221 (acquired at least 5 years ago) and was very proud of myself as I googled to figure out how to adjust the tension and fiddled with it until I was happy with how it looked. It worked great on the blue denim using topstitch thread and a jeans needle. Subsequently used it on the final version.

Initial attempts:

Perseverance: 

Final version: medium weight white stretch denim / twill; standard rise and flat seat

Initially, I cut halfway between full and flat seat but turns out flat seat was just fine.

Some of the fitting photos for final version:

Conclusion, the weight and amount of stretch of your fabric will impact the finish. Start with a bit of extra ease in the crotch and side seams to allow some flexibility in fit and BASTE first! You can always take in the seams to get the perfect fit.

Stay tuned for the next version…

Pattern Test: Designer Stitch Phoebe

I was very excited to test Designer Stitch's latest pattern - the Phoebe top and dress. It has a vintagey vibe and is quite versatile.

 Description from pattern:

The gorgeous new Phoebe Top or Dress is the epitome of VINTAGE STYLING but with a modern twist!

Featuring a fabulous front circular neck opening held by a 2 piece shirt collar the Phoebe can easily transition from a work day through to drinks and dinner after work.

I styled a business version but Phoebe can also be a sexy evening dress or a casual summer dress.  Constructed from a stable knit plus a woven for the collar, you are only limited by your imagination. I loved all the other versions created by testers!

I started with the top to check fit and thanks to the eagle eye designer Ann Grose, we perfected the fit to be used in my dress. The top fits well enough to wear but I really love the fit of the final dress.

As you can see in this first photo below, the upper bodice was too snug so I added some width and also re-positioned the dart a bit upward to accurately point to the apex. I had enough fabric to recut the front so the last three photos reflect the alterations. I still had a wee bit of pulling so for my final, I added just a smidge more width.

I highly recommend this pattern to create a unique look. I included a link below if you're interested in purchasing the pattern. It's on sale now to celebrate the new release.

Link to Purchase Phoebe Pattern