kcw summer 2013 [day 4]
July 18th, 2013
I think this outfit looks pretty fantastic, if I do say so myself. It’s far from perfect, but it’ll do just fine.
striped banyan tee and yellow linen prefontaine shorts with beige bias trim.
The shirt was a breeze to sew. The pattern is Figgy’s Banyan tee and it is perfect for summer. I was quite pleased with how the collar came out. The hem on the other hand is on the wonky side. I’m still getting used to sewing with jersey. This striped jersey is from Joann’s and I actually like it a lot. It’s very thin, but the stripes are a bit textured and that gives the fabric some body (or structure or weight or something that makes me not curse when I sew with it). I used the blue colorway on a tee shirt I made for the handmade kids clothes swap.
The shorts gave me a run for my money. I think I sewed every single seam wrong at the start. They are constructed in a different way then I’m used to. I like to sew each leg separate, then put one leg in the other, and sew the crotch seam (if you don’t sew, that was a very odd sentence). In this pattern, you sew the front together, then the back, then sew those two bits together, and then the crotch. I think.
There weren’t enough pictures in the pattern for me and I got lost very quickly. But eventually it came together and they are cuuuute. I love the way the beige bias tape looks with the yellow linen. I just realized this is a whole Joann’s outfit. Sometimes, man, they get it right.
Have you seen the featured projects for kcw day four? They are good, check em out!
Great job, Meg! I would totally wear that outfit. Well, I don’t wear shorts, but you know what I mean. A winner!
Oh my goodness-spot on! I love that tee, and this is definitely an outfit I’d want to wear for myself.
Sarah M
Sorry you had so much difficultly with the Prefontaine Pattern, Meg. They are put together in a less than traditional way to apply the bias trim continuously and avoid waste. They do look super cute though.
oh that’s ok, Jill. I am a super visual learner and words get in the way of that. I’m weird that way :) That’s why I love Japanese patterns–I can’t even read the words! I am super happy with how they turned out!!
Cutest!!! Love this, but especially those shorts!
Perfect.
Ah those shorts! Can i get a pair in my size? So cute!
Fantastic outfit. I just love that color combo.
cute outfit! stripes and mustard linen? yes yes yes. I almost never find knit that appeals to me at Joanns. I know what you mean about being a visual learner. When it comes to sewing instructions, words tend to float through my head. But good pictures make everything stick.
this stripey stuff comes and goes at Joanns. Sometimes you get lucky and there is something other than the red one.
Love that mustard color! That shorts pattern is on my ever-growing ‘patterns to own’ list. Very ‘coolest kid on the block’ type of outfit.’ And yes, that neckline looks great!! Hemlines are much less noticeable anyway :)
I love this outfit! I’d wear it, too!
CUTE! Is that the tiniest pocket ever that you posted on IG? It’s adorable :)
Love both pieces. Something tells me I need some new sewing patterns!
Those shorts are so cute and I love that the shirt has so much personality to it, you know? Not “just a tee.”
I’m more used to the “one leg in the other” method too, but both the MADE shorts and Rae’s parsley pants do it the way you described here. My only issue is remembering which order to sew things in depending on which method is happening.
I sort of thought I was doing it the weird way, but I love it so much. Usually I scrap whatever directions are in front of me and just sew one leg and then the other. Not reading the directions is not always the greatest idea. :)
Love this outfit! The mustard shorts are so cute and look great with the stripe tee! I just love when I find great fabric at Joann – instant gratification :)
Hands down, this ensemble is pretty awesome.
This outfit is so cool! I really, really love gray and yellow together. Why doesn’t the Banyan come in adult sizes?! I would never have agreed to wear such an edgy silhouette as a kid, as much as I love them on kids now.
Actually, I’m curious to see what my sewing friends would make of this. Would you be interested in posting some pictures of these Kollabora, the online crafting and DIY community? There are a lot of cool clothes over there, but not many interesting kids’ ones. I think this outfit would work for any age, but I want to see what the others say!
I just made these shorts yesterday. I’m used to the leg-in-leg method too, but I’d still call myself a fairly inexperienced sewer so I still read, read and re-read instructions before I start a project and then re-read them again as I sew them, checking every step before I embark on it. It took a bit to get my head around, but I figured it out pretty quickly (and no mistakes – hey yeah!!!) They turned out exactly how I imagined them in my head before I went looking for a pattern, so I’m pretty stoked! Finished off the elastic tonight, so hanging out for morning to find out if they fit ok.
I now have another pair cut and ready to go. I’ve been using these super pretty scraps that someone gave me – offcut from dresses she was making for her granddaughter. Free fabric. Gotta love that!