Easy Breezy Kimono Style Cardigan

Fabric: Polyester Chiffon from Joann's. The copyright info on the bias said marcus brothers design c2509
Pattern: Self drafted/followed a tutorial by elle apparel - I shortened the length and made my sleeves a bit wider.

It has been hot here in Colorado, I know it's not as bad as the humid heat the Midwest has, but when it's 100 degrees out and you're as close to the sun as we are it still isn't comfortable. Who wants to wear clothes in this weather? This past weekend I was thinking about how I wanted to just wear crop tops and shorts everywhere, but seeing as how I live in a small town and not a big city I'd probably just get weird stares. Normally I'd just cover up with a cardigan, but those just seem stifling in this weather. I wanted something that could be used like a cardigan but was lightweight and felt nice and airy. Enter the kimono cardigan! I hadn't really ever thought about making one of these but Caroline from Sewaholic posted the other day about things she wants to make this summer and on the list was a kimono. She posted three links: 1) a tutorial by elle apparel (which is what I used to construct mine), 2) an awesome cotton kimono cardigan by crab and bee, 3) two beautiful chiffon kimonos by katy and laney. I was hooked and inspired and the tutorial didn't seem too long and so I whipped this guy up in under 2 hours!!! A new sewing record, but it was good sewing, not the angry rush sewing I talked about a week or so ago.

I love how much drape this fabric has, and the wide sleeves. Except for when you get them caught on things

 

I think this is one of my favorite things I've ever made. I feel like I could and will live in this thing for the rest of the summer or maybe my life. It's super comfy, light, and airy. Even though it's really casual I feel like it could look dressy. I decided to finish all of the seams using a french seam finish since chiffon tends to fray, and the material is so see through I didn't want people to be able to see the hems through the fabric. A couple months ago I wasn't even aware of what a french seam was/is, which makes me feel like i'm really getting better at this sewing thing.



I really want to make another sheer version in black, and then a much longer solid version in a cotton batik if I can find the right fabric. I'm officially obsessed, and hope you all are too!

Fabric: Polyester Chiffon from Joann's. The copyright info on the bias said marcus brothers design c2509
Pattern: Self drafted/followed a tutorial by elle apparel - I shortened the length and made my sleeves a bit wider.

It has been hot here in Colorado, I know it's not as bad as the humid heat the Midwest has, but when it's 100 degrees out and you're as close to the sun as we are it still isn't comfortable. Who wants to wear clothes in this weather? This past weekend I was thinking about how I wanted to just wear crop tops and shorts everywhere, but seeing as how I live in a small town and not a big city I'd probably just get weird stares. Normally I'd just cover up with a cardigan, but those just seem stifling in this weather. I wanted something that could be used like a cardigan but was lightweight and felt nice and airy. Enter the kimono cardigan! I hadn't really ever thought about making one of these but Caroline from Sewaholic posted the other day about things she wants to make this summer and on the list was a kimono. She posted three links: 1) a tutorial by elle apparel (which is what I used to construct mine), 2) an awesome cotton kimono cardigan by crab and bee, 3) two beautiful chiffon kimonos by katy and laney. I was hooked and inspired and the tutorial didn't seem too long and so I whipped this guy up in under 2 hours!!! A new sewing record, but it was good sewing, not the angry rush sewing I talked about a week or so ago.

I love how much drape this fabric has, and the wide sleeves. Except for when you get them caught on things

 

I think this is one of my favorite things I've ever made. I feel like I could and will live in this thing for the rest of the summer or maybe my life. It's super comfy, light, and airy. Even though it's really casual I feel like it could look dressy. I decided to finish all of the seams using a french seam finish since chiffon tends to fray, and the material is so see through I didn't want people to be able to see the hems through the fabric. A couple months ago I wasn't even aware of what a french seam was/is, which makes me feel like i'm really getting better at this sewing thing.



I really want to make another sheer version in black, and then a much longer solid version in a cotton batik if I can find the right fabric. I'm officially obsessed, and hope you all are too!

Self-Drafted Dress Disaster

Laughing at my roommate coming in the room, realizing I was taking a picture and jumping into the closet to hide

 

I tried to semi self-draft a summery knit dress this Saturday and it was a complete failure. Maybe not a complete failure because it doesn't look that bad in the picture above...but it just didn't turn out as expected.

 

I had this red knit fabric in my stash for awhile, and I wanted to make a nice flowy comfortably dress for the summer. I used the Renfrew top pattern to sketch out the top, and then just cut out four rectangles for the bottom and gathered them together. I like the way the top portion fits and the way the skirt portion fits as well, but it's the middle portion where the top and bottom meet that I'm unhappy with. I'm not sure if the gathers of the skirt make it too heavy, but it pulls down on the top. I wanted the seam to be right at my true waist and it's lower down around my belly button which isn't flattering on my figure. It's also too loose. When I made the gathers on the skirt I gathered to the size of my true waist, but I didn't gather the top and I'm wondering if that caused it too loosen up.

I'm not sure if it's worth trying to fix or not. I could possible slash it at the waist and re-sew the skirt onto the top 5 inches higher. I think the bottom hem might then be too short. Another option would be to just ditch the top and add a tighter waistband onto the skirt. What do you guys think? Have you ever had a self-drafting disaster?

Laughing at my roommate coming in the room, realizing I was taking a picture and jumping into the closet to hide

 

I tried to semi self-draft a summery knit dress this Saturday and it was a complete failure. Maybe not a complete failure because it doesn't look that bad in the picture above...but it just didn't turn out as expected.

 

I had this red knit fabric in my stash for awhile, and I wanted to make a nice flowy comfortably dress for the summer. I used the Renfrew top pattern to sketch out the top, and then just cut out four rectangles for the bottom and gathered them together. I like the way the top portion fits and the way the skirt portion fits as well, but it's the middle portion where the top and bottom meet that I'm unhappy with. I'm not sure if the gathers of the skirt make it too heavy, but it pulls down on the top. I wanted the seam to be right at my true waist and it's lower down around my belly button which isn't flattering on my figure. It's also too loose. When I made the gathers on the skirt I gathered to the size of my true waist, but I didn't gather the top and I'm wondering if that caused it too loosen up.

I'm not sure if it's worth trying to fix or not. I could possible slash it at the waist and re-sew the skirt onto the top 5 inches higher. I think the bottom hem might then be too short. Another option would be to just ditch the top and add a tighter waistband onto the skirt. What do you guys think? Have you ever had a self-drafting disaster?