Tag: Playsuit

Sewing for Someone Else

Sometimes ones mistakes can be put to good use for someone else.

Somewhere in the midst of lockdown, I impulse purchased a few lengths of fabric from the internet. When they arrived, I found that one of them had quite a lot of pink in it. I’m not a pink person, I hate pink with a passion, so I wasn’t going to use much of that fabric for me. However, my mother is a colour person. Bright colours are definitely her preference, so I decided to suggest making her a thing from that fabric. She was a bit scared because choosing patterns is not something she does regularly.

When she dropped by at one point, we started looking through pattern magazines and settled on the pattern. We chose Pattern 14 from Simplicity Naaimode 31, also known as New Look 6298. Measured her and decided on the size. I sewed it up and brought it back to her and it was.. very large. Not very appealing although the fabric looked good on her. So off for a second try I went, unpicking the raglan sleeves and neckline and took it all in. Upon return it looked much better. We’ll see if she ever picks it to wear, but even if she doesn’t, I had fun making it.

Now on that first visit, I also showed her the trial version I made for the party pantsuit. It looked absolutely horrible on me, but it was made of a stretchy fabric. She found it quite nice and put it on. It looked a whole lot better on her. So we decided that I would finish it and put a band of ribbing in for a waistband. That way my trial version would actually end up being worn (potentially). It’s nice to see someone else enjoy your failures by getting use of them.

Fire Playsuit

I have had a piece of stretchy stuff with a sort of fire-ish pattern on it, hanging on a hanger in my sewing room for a seriously long while now. Finding a pattern for it had never worked out so it was just hanging there. One day, I think a few weeks back? I figured I needed to get my act together and actually make something from it. I searched through my pattern magazines yet again and discovered an interesting looking playsuit-thing with a front zipper in Simplicity 27 – model 15. So I copied it onto pattern paper and got myself into gear.

I wanted the whole front to be firey and since the fabric was fire down the middle and black on the sides, this meant that the back of the suit would be completely black. Now, I’m not completely happy with this thing. The interfacing I used along the zipper is too stiff, the whole thing feels frumpy and the neckline is too low. I’m not sure of the length of the legs and overall just not really happy with it. Perhaps it will grow on my once I wear it a little, so I hope the good weather comes out to play and I can incorporate it into my Me-Made-May 18 pledge. If I figure I will not wear it, I might just donate it to someone else and/or goodwill.

Some items are just winners, some are losers but if you have some suggestions on how to make it look.. better, I’m all ears.

Summer Playsuit

Have you ever noticed that when it is very hot out, you don’t feel like making clothes for hot weather (or making any clothes for that matter)? When it’s not very hot out, it also does not feel right to make clothes for hot weather, afraid to jinx it or something. Saturday, after the enormous heat wave we have been having, I decided to make the hot weather outfit that I needed for the summer. I’d spotted a really cool patter in Simplicy Naaimode 24, a jumpsuit with options for length, pant-width and top style.

I chose to make the short version of the wide legged one, with the ‘A’ top, which is the one where the shoulders are not bare. I’d bought some white jersey with yellow flowers especially for this purpose. Also because I wanted to make something with a pattern that would be suitable for outdoors (octopuses really aren’t for everyday wear). So on Saturday afternoon, I set to work, ironing the piece of fabric. I finished the entire thing that night, apart from hemming and some other little things. It’s pretty comfortable so far. I made one change and that was to add belt loops, apart from that, it is as drafted size 34. It feels really quite big, but I guess that is what makes it comfortable.

I’m going to have to wear it out once it gets hot to see whether it actually works as hot weather gear, but I hope it will! I might make it again in the long-legged version, although I will take in the top then to prevent the gaping at the overlaps.