Made by Me File/OOTDs: Four Recent Dresses!

Hey, all! This will be a photo-intensive post, but to ameliorate how much reading you'll need to do here, I will save the nitty-gritty details about construction and pattern/fabric reviewing to the posts on that I have made at either PatternReview.com or the Fabric Mart blog. Those links are scattered about. :-)

I hope all of you have been well. I have the night off from children and hubby (I am in Georgia with his family and they all want to go and get Krystal and see a movie, I gently declined both), so I am using it to my full advantage!

This is a dress I made in April for our annual auction at our school.  This year's theme was "My Big Fat Greek Auction," and it was recommended to wear dressy blue and white.  I think I accomplished that.  ;-)

The other years I have done the same, made up a dress to go with the theme.  Last year's was on Space, so I crafted a galaxy printed dress, and the year prior was Kentucky Derby, and for that I made a floral sheath and paired it with a light blue hat.

The dress is made using Vogue 1499, an Anne Klein pattern, that features a full, pleated skirt, and a fitted bodice with distinct seamed details and cap sleeves.

It was an easy make, but because I lost any stretch in my fabric by placing the border so it would run parallel to the floor, I had to be extra sure I was right about my size on my bottom half.  It fits, and it fits well, but if I gain any weight between my waist and hip, I will definitely be unable to wear it in the future.  (Must always ensure I get my steps in and swim!!!)

This dress is magic, I can see why Anne Klein has it in her collections. (It is also available in a yellow stripe and grey stripe!)  It is very fit and flare, so it truly emphasizes the waist, and if you use a border print fabric, you can make sure to place the print in a way that draws the eye to it.

The fabric was a leftover from Maggy London (her London Times line), and because I like to sleuth for designer fabrics and how they were used originally, I found this pin of the same fabric being used in a similar way.

I had a great time at the party, and the dress did well, as I felt comfortable and a bit carefree.

I wrote a blog post at Fabric Mart and did a review of this at Pattern Review, if you would like to see more on this make.

I made this dress for my June make for Fabric Mart.  I was unsure of where I would wear it, but after I was done with it, I decided it was comfortable and lightweight enough to wear to a winesday night a few weeks back.  It held up well, and didn't wrinkle at all, even though it was steamy and hot that day.

The dress is made from a silk double georgette, which is (to quote a lol sentence I recently read in a sewing forum) "the devil's favorite fabric."  It is a right B**CH to work with, and though I spare you the details on working with it here, you can read all about it over at the Fabric Mart blog (link is below the last photo).

For all of its work, the fabric sure is beautiful, and suited the pattern's silhouette quite well.  And because I underlined it in a light blue cotton voile, it was easier to work with (eventually).  It also was incredibly breathable and airy and feels fabulous next to my skin.

The pattern is a reprint of a vintage 1969 Simplicity pattern.  It is Simplicity 1059, and is an a-line shaped shift dress with a v-neck, and can be made sleeveless or with longer sleeves.

I knew I couldn't choose a pattern that was super fitted or had too many seams with the georgette, so this fit the bill perfectly.

This was a very simple make, and had I chosen another material (like a cotton lawn), I would have had a very quick make on my hands.  I definitely think I can push one of these out in a few hours given a less fussy material.

Apropos of nothing, this shot makes me laugh.  Angus wants to be in all my photos now.  I love this shot, it's one of my favorites since his recent turn as ootd photo bomber.

This dress was written up at the Fabric Mart blog.  The pattern was reviewed at Pattern Review, as well.

I was in Indiana with my bestie, Lynn, in May, and because I can't ever say no to the siren song of a fabric store, we went to Joann's where I spied this beautiful and luscious Nicole Miller (for Joann Fabrics) scuba knit. 

I had no plan for it, but I knew I wanted to make it ASAP, and probably in a dress.  I have worn it a few times since, including on a recent trip to Wisconsin (to the House on the Rock, which if you know this place, you will know my dress looks muted in comparison, lol).

This is made from McCall's 7122, which is a dress that features raglan sleeves, a slight a-line skirt, and a slight scoopneck.

The back was cut in two separate pieces, and though I prefer to sew up ones cut on the fold, this type of seaming means there is a gentle shaping, which helps shape the dress to the waist and the hips.  I really do like the shape of this garment, and have plans to make future dresses from this pattern.

The fabric is crazy, but as you all know, I like the crazy colors and crazy prints.  I am not quite to Pucci levels of crazy, but I appreciate the Pucci lovers out there for their unconditional love of the crazy.  ;-)

Nicole Miller has quite a few fabrics with Joann's, you can check them out here.

The pattern review is at Pattern Review.   

My birthday make!  I always like to have a special bday dress, and this year was no exception.  I had seen this fabric a few months back in one Julie's Picks (it's a member only fabric subscription service) and I knew I would have it and make it as soon as I could.

In the end, a comfortable, feminine dress was on order, and I really loved wearing out that evening.  I went to China Chilcano, which is a Jose Andres restaurant that fuses Peruvian food with Chinese and Japanese food.  It was amazing, and I really enjoyed my Pisco.  Yum.  After we went to see "The Lobster," a kind of terrible (probably in a good way) hipster movie at a super hipster movie theater.  BUT!  One of the actresses, Lea Seydoux, is a July 1 baby, too, so I was in the virtual company of a fellow 7/1 child.  (It's also the bday of Gigi of CA, my actual birthday twin Sufjan Stevens, and of course, CANADA!)

The fabric is a cotton stretch poplin, and features these little triangles in varying shapes and sizes abutting each other.  It is very distinctive.  The color is a deep brown/orange color and white, and I definitely do not have anything in this color in my closet.  Would I have loved this more in a different color?  Probably.  Am I better off having it in a shade I don't have anything in?  Yes, for sure.

Blurry shot, but it shows the adorable cutout back nicely.  This is why I made this pattern up, because it has this cutout.  It is made from Butterick 6351, and features a straighter skirt with an elastic waistband (back only), a tulip shaped crossover back bodice, and a button closure.

I had to line the skirt in a slippy fabric to ensure it didn't get caught on my underwear, but other than that, I kept to the plan of the pattern very closely.  I love this cutout.  It is very summer, and since my birthday is very summer, too, I couldn't think of a better choice for my (much older than I think I am) birthday.

Here's a closeup of the fabric.  Swoon.  So pretty and different.

After sitting for a while at China Chilcano, the dress became a bit crumpled, but it still did well overall.  I told my hubby to take a photo of me in front of the FBI building because I understand they are meant to raze one of my favorite buildings in the city (yes, I am one of fifteen fans of Brutalist architecture).

This dress was reviewed at Pattern Review.  :-)

I hope you all are having a great summer!  I'll check back in with you soon.

P.S. Boden fans, they have upped their sale to "up to 60% off" with an extra 15% off dresses and tops and skirt.  That's decent.  I just wish they had more in their sale, instead of shuffling some of the older spring and summer stock to "new and now."  The link to the sale is below and remember to use the code 3W5C for the extra 15% off those extra items that are eligible.

End of season sale! Extra 15% off Sale Dresses, Tops & Tees, and Mens/Boys Shirts., valid 7/7-7/1

OOTDs: Handmade May End and a Bit of NYC.

Thanks again everyone for your nice comments at the last post.  It really does help to know that I wasn't crazy for feeling bad about what happened!  Sometimes you get so mired in what's going on that it is possible to lose a sense of relativity.  :-)  Turns out a little outrage was okay.

Day: Thursday, May 28, 2015.

Where:  The play "Fish in the Dark" (starring Larry David--woo!), dinner at Braai (which features South African cuisine), and a tour of our friend's workplace after dark (many of the 44 floors).

Ease of Wear: (4 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.)  I wore shapewear under my dress since I knew that if I didn't, I would likely have bumps from my underwear, and since it was hot and humid (brought VA to NYC, I did!), it was a touch uncomfortable.  By the end of the night it was cooler, so it wasn't as bad then.

Outfit Details:  Floral Print Scuba Dress, Handmade from this McCall's Pattern; Sandals, J. Crew here (also worn here, few outfits down); Necklace, Boden.

Anecdote of the Day: I loved that Mr. Dina and I could get away to NYC for a day and a half and a night, without the kids!  While heading to see Larry David be his own over the top ridiculous self in "Fish in the Dark," we noticed our friend's building was a few steps from the theater.  My husband refuses to go on Facebook, so using my account, I took a photo of us in front of his building, and told the friend we were outside of his office.  In mere moments, he had come up to find us and my husband was very impressed (but not enough to actually join FB, mind you).  Later that night after having an insanely delicious meal of ostrich and biltong, the friend wanted to give us a tour of his building.  At 11 pm at night.  And since the tour was exhaustive, it didn't end until 1 am.  I was dying at the end and nearly fell asleep on the subway home.  The photo where I am seated on the white couch, btw, was on the 42nd floor.  I thought by going up that high late at night I wouldn't have the cold clammy hands of my terrifying fear of heights, but nope, I was so scared.  The whole time.  Such a wimp/flatlander...

INSTAGRAM HERE.

Day: Thursday, May 28, 2015.

Where:  Bus Ride to NYC from Arlington, VA, a gallery to see some Shag paintings, and the Meatball Shop for a late lunch.

Ease of Wear: (3.75 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.)  I look wilted in the above photo for a reason.  It was HAWT and I was so stupid to wear the Turner pants instead of changing into the shorts I had brought. 

Outfit Details:  Tee, Madewell (they have this muscle tee this season, no Français though, I am afraid); Turner pants, J. Crew here; Pre-Montreal Racer Sneakers, here at J. Crew (only grey left, though).

Anecdote of the Day: So what is up with gallery attendants being so snobby?  It is amazing.  I think of any retail environment, even if it includes selling really expensive original artwork, to be a place where customer service should be paramount.  Well the gallery we went to the ladies where absorbed with their computers and phones and couldn't be really bothered to answer any of our questions.  Here's the thing, though, Mr. Dina and I own three original artworks from Shag (they are smaller and we did save for them) but we clearly are good customers of his.  Seems a shame that they couldn't be bothered with us.  ;-)  Ladies, you had ONE job. 

Okay, I know some of you may work in galleries, etc., but my experience, more often times than not is that the people who work there are incredibly uninterested in helping us out when we come in, I understand we are not dripping in jewels or high end bags, but that is because the money we could use for that we save to buy artwork!  LOL.

(Well when we have money to save...the past few years have been a bit harder budget-wise.)

INSTAGRAM HERE.
Another INSTAGRAM HERE.

Day: Friday, May 29, 2015.

Where:  Metropolitan Museum of Art, Lunch, Garment District to shop, and a bus ride home.

Ease of Wear: (3.75 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.)  It was a fine outfit, and the top was super comfortable, as were the shoes, but I think the bus ride would have been better if I had switched to the Turner pants.

The shorts, btw, run a bit snug.  I had purchased a pair in an 8 and they fit fine, but I knew I would want to size up in the lighter color that these are, and am glad I did.  The 10 fits me very well but doesn't show off lumps and bumps as well as an 8 may have.  These shorts were very difficult to photograph well, I blame the color.

Outfit Details:  Top, Handmade from this Butterick pattern; Crepe Pull-on Shorts, J. Crew here; Pre-Montreal Racer Sneakers, here at J. Crew (only grey left, though); Necklace, J. Crew; Bag, Anthropologie.

Anecdote of the Day:  We went to bed at nearly 2 am after the long night out.  We woke up at 8.  I was so bleary-eyed the whole day, it really threw me off.  I really hand it to people who can go go go all day long and be great the next day.  Stunning ability that I wish I had.

INSTAGRAM HERE.

Day: Tuesday, May 26, 2015.

Where:  School Meeting.

Ease of Wear: (4.25 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.)  This dress is so soft and cozy, if only it was a touch longer when wearing it, I would have given this a bit higher of a rating.

Outfit Details:  Dress, Handmade from this Simplicity Pattern; Factory Raffia Boardwalk Sandals, J. Crew Factory here (I have worn these so many times already this summer, here, here, and here, for instance).

Anecdote of the Day:  I am an alumna of the school, a parent at the school, a sub at the school, and a parishioner at the church attached to the school, so I needed to be at this meeting to represent many categories of why I care about this school and what I want it to become.  It was eye-opening to see how the school is valued for different reasons.  It was also shocking to see just how much is expected from a school that probably doesn't have the funds to support all the things needed by the parents.  I sort of feel like there may have been a touch of too much navel-gazing going on and I really feel like it became a "what is best for my kid is what will be best for your kid."  Sigh.  How the focus group moderators are going to take all of that in and then get the info disseminated into eatable chunks by the powers that be, I will never know.  I tip my hats to them.
 
INSTAGRAM HERE.

OOTDs Only on Instagram:

Winesday with my brother (in a handmade top), INSTAGRAM HERE.

Little League baseball game (Rex's) (wearing handmade shorts), INSTAGRAM HERE.

RUSH (!!!YEAH RUSH!!!) concert (wearing nothing handmade but I was a girl there in a Rush tee-shirt, so that counts for something, right?), INSTAGRAM HERE and HERE.

Today's outfit (wearing a few cute pieces from J. Crew Factory, including the Raffia sandals again, though they didn't make it into the photo), INSTAGRAM HERE.

Okay, you all have a great night!  Hope all is well!

Made by Me Files: Preppy Roar! Fabric Mart Bundle Challenge (McCall's 6711 and Butterick 5922).

Before I begin this "made by me" file, Boden is continuing their mid-season sale (post I wrote was here), and from what I can see, the sale seems to be successful.  Neither of the items I am watching are sold out, so I may or may not participate.  They also started a "up to 30% off EXTRA off clearance items" this week, but because I have been so hyper-focused on getting better from my bout with the flu, sewing this project up, and the mid-season sale, I didn't even notice.  The extra 30% off prices are good, but only some items received that full percentage off.

Okay onto this week's Fabric Mart Fashion Challenge Sewing Competition entry, the Bundle Challenge.  A couple weeks ago I received a ten yard bundle from Fabric Mart (LOVE THEIR FABRIC BUNDLES, btw), and in the hyper-focus of trying to finish the challenge of that week (I believe it was the fit challenge with the sheath dress), I didn't even open it until I started the next challenge.  (Which was still too early, but I did abstain at least a week, normally those bundles are like candy for me--ooh, what pretty fabric has come my way this time that I get to play with and make something from?)

I received two amazing pieces of wool yardage, a white wool and a light tan/blue plaid.  I also received two pieces of knit fabric, a maroon horizontal rib knit and a "funky" crinkle animal print knit with a solid black nylon reverse.  In the package was also a piece of iridescent mint green poly, or possibly silk, can't tell from just looking at it (didn't have the time to fully investigate it since I knew it wouldn't play well with the others).  So I knew when Julie said to use four fabrics, I had my four ready to go.

When she mentioned a TWO-PIECE GARMENT, I was sort of "huh?"  I looked back at the bundle challenge from last year and the contestants in general made a two-piece outfit from their fabrics (coat/dress; top/skirt, etc.) but one made a three-piece outfit, and three made two-pieces that needed an additional garment from their own closet to fully create a look.  So I just went with what I think was the safest route and created a two-piece outfit with my four fabrics, using three for the top I created, and one for the pants.

The top is made from Butterick 5922, view A, with a collar, and with view B's long sleeves.

The pants are from McCall's 6711, which I chose specifically because they had pockets, a back zip, a waistband facing instead of a waistband, and would be easy enough to fully line in a blue cotton I had in my stash.

The top was sewn up in a size 10 at the neck, bust, and waist, with a *slight* grade out to a size 12 at the hips (only the very bottom couple of inches are the 12).  This shirt is shorter than a lot of sewing patterns out there, so for once I didn't have to shorten the top for my short torso self.  Yeah!  (Bear that in mind if you are a petite sewer!)

The pants were sewn in the size 14, whose crotch curve looked almost exactly like a pair of Burda shorts that I sewed up last summer.  These pants are meant to be more fitted, like a classic pair of cigarette trousers.  The model's are quite baggy on her, which I think is a combo of them being unlined, the fabric they used, and the fact that she is very thin and that the sample size they sewed up (probably a size 10, if what I have read of the big sewing companies is true) was too big on her.  Normally a 14 wouldn't work on me, but McCall's does run big, so I wasn't surprised, either.

Throughout this competition, no matter what Julie has given us, I knew that I would only want to sew up something I would wear again.  I have three little children, I sub in a school, and so my time is very limited for sewing.  I didn't *not* think I could make a look for me from the four fabrics, I just felt initially that it may not turn out enough like "me" to be wearable again by me.  I knew the pants would be fine, because plaid straight pants on a preppy person, well, lol, yeah, but the top, even with the cute collar?  Mmm.  That animal print had me worried.

Which is why although the above photo shows straight preppy...

The side starts to hint at something else less preppy...

And the back gives it to you straight up...

Yes, it is preppy with a roar.  Get it?  I know, I'll stop.  It looks fine.  Kind of a party in the back, business in front...I can dig it...and wear it again!

I didn't show you this picture so you all could stare at my butt.  Seriously!  I tucked the shirt in so you could see HOW PERFECTLY I lined up the plaid on the seams there.  It isn't that easy, really.  This fabric required me to spend TWO FULL hours cutting it out to ensure that all the seam notches and lines would match up (add to that the wool was a bit off grain in a few places, UGH double UGH).  I also spent a LONG time at the sewing machine after pinning the seams up very carefully (checking and rechecking that all the plaid lines were matching perfectly).  I used a walking foot, which ensured that my plaids did come out even, but I knew that if I put in the back invisible zip and the plaid didn't match up, my biggest asset (hardeehar) would look ridiculous in these pants.

And because I know how hard it is for me to find a pair of pants that actually and properly shows off my bottom, I am beyond stoked that I accomplished a pair of fitted pants, in a plaid wool, fully lined, just after getting over the flu.  Hallelujah! 

I do have plans to increase the thigh circumference on my next pair, since though 95% of the pants fit very well, the straight, horizontal lines there on the back (below the butt) signify a need for some extra room.  I have athletic thighs and slight saddlebags, so this doesn't surprise me.  From what I read, this is not a difficult thing to change on the pattern pieces.  Those lines, though, don't mean the pants don't feel great, they feel awesome on, and when sitting don't pinch, bind, or jab.  YAY!

*BTW, I am not going to be tucking tops into this pair of pants unless I am wearing a long suit jacket.  I specifically made these so I could wear tops untucked, which is why I specified I wanted a pair with no waistband so the waistband wouldn't irritate me when sitting down in them (my belly button is unnaturally high!).  I just HAD to show you all the awesome plaid matching, yeah!

**GREAT TUTORIAL ON PLAID MATCHING HERE.  

Pockets!  They are useable for me for my hands, but really too small for anything else.  If I make these again (probably, 'cause holla, they feel so good), I will likely make them a bit deeper and wider.

Fabrics all at once!

Front of the top is the horizontal rib knit.

Collar of the top is the white wool.

Back of the top is the crinkle animal print knit.

Sleeves of the top are the reverse black nylon from the animal print knit.

Pants are from the so soft gorgeous plaid wool (still at Fabric Mart--well at least it looks like the same fabric!).

I smile because I did it!  I felt so good and accomplished after getting it all done.  :-D

The top is very "Boden."  They have a ton of Peter Pan collar type tops and dresses, and have even done some colorblocked versions in the past, so after completing it, the smile was also because I had duplicated my favorite retailer so well!

Collar detail with button.

I know that if you want a pair of pants to last a long time, you make sure they are lined.  I chose to fully make this lining (waist to hem) and added it right before the waist facing was attached.  I hand sewed the lining to the zip for precision, and also hand sewed the facing to the zip.  It would be more "tidy" on the machine, but less precise.  I also hand tacked the facing to the lining in a few spots to keep it from flipping up (though the facing is properly understitched, etc.).

Front Detail of the facing and lining.

The lining is also very soft against my skin and during the winter will add an extra layer of warmth.  I could have used a poly lining, but there is something kind of luxurious to me about using a cotton with wool.  Normally I prefer silky linings in dresses and skirts (like a poly would provide), but I don't have to wear these pants with tights, so the "slippy" feel was unnecessary.  I just wanted comfort and softness.  They will also extend the life of the wool, which is important to me as I don't really want to make another pair of plaid pants for a long while.  ;-)

That's all for now. 

This is the second to last competition.  The only way I will make it is with your votes!  So PLEASE, with loads of yummy sugar on top *and a preppy ROOAARR*, would you all mind throwing me some votes your way if you are so inclined? 

Talk soon!  I should be back tomorrow with the Boden Spring 2015 preview picks post, so if you have a few items you just love from the preview, make sure you comment in tomorrow's post!

Made by Me Files: Orange Rib Knit Tee (Burda 6910) and Ikat Shorts (Butterick 5044).

Before I start, I want to extend a very big thank you to everyone who left me a kind message, prayed for us, or reached out to me either by email or facebook or text.  All of your words and thoughts are very special to me, and are helping to "bind my heart," as one of the commenters wrote yesterday.  It is a slow process, healing, but one that I know will happen.  I wish I didn't have experience with heartbreak, but dealing with the awful certainly prepares you for whatever you are handed in life.  I sent the oldest two off to school this morning and part of healing will come from routine, and there certainly is nothing more routine-driven than school.  :-)  Anyhow, don't want to dwell too long on it all, but I didn't want to not show my appreciation for all of the love I have been shown over the past day and a half. 

A little while back I sewed up two summer pieces in very quick succession.  For me, this was a huge success, considering how slowly I typically sew things up.  Granted these two patterns are not especially hard to get cut out and sewn up, but considering it took me a month to sew up this skirt, I wasn't betting on actually getting these two pieces done in any timely manner.  But I got a little bee in my bonnet and managed.  ;-)

I will focus on the tee construction first and then the shorts, but I do want you to know that I am skimming over the nitty-gritty details of sewing it up and instead asking you to visit my pattern review for both items for more on the process of sewing, at this post I will focus more on the visual evidence of what was done, the styling aspect, and sizing info. 

Pattern Review for Burda 6910.
Pattern Review for Butterick 5044. 

I received the knit fabric for the top from Fabric Mart in a bundle.  I had about a yard and a quarter or so, and that was plenty for sewing up this top.  Keep in mind that the top is substantially longer when it starts out (it was probably around mid-thigh length before), so you need extra yardage for that so you can properly ruche the sides.

The shorts fabric is an ikat fabric I found as a remnant at Joann's.  I thought it was so pretty and different, and at $9, I knew I could play around with it without feeling bad if I screwed up.  In the end, I could have used a bit more fabric since I had barely enough to eek out a 3.5" inseam.  I had to do a very narrow hem on the shorts, and while it isn't awful, I know that a thicker hem would look better.

From this vantage point, both pieces look pretty decent on me.  The top is a really an interesting design, and while I can see where it is flattering, I had to really fuss with it to get it to look like this for the photo.  While wearing it in real life, I am not really noticing the fact that it fits not so well in the upper body (shoulder and neckline area), but I could immediately see the issues when I started taking the photos.  This photo is one of the only ones I took where the top looked the way it was supposed to based on the cover art of the pattern.

From the side.  The ruching is a cool effect but maybe one that is lost on my frame since I have a flatter chest and a narrow waist to start with...I think if I had more of a larger bustline, the effect would be more pronounced and flattering.  It's kind of sad (lol) that some of those ruching bits have a bigger bustline than what I have naturally.  ;-)

I like the back view best.  Since the ruching is intentional, the usual wrinkling I get from all my tees from my sway back (see this photo for proof of that) is there, but it is SUPPOSED to be there.  Yay!

The shorts look awesome from the back.  It is rare for me to like my back view in shorts.  I am going to sew this pattern up again just because I like the back view so much.  (With a few small changes implemented, though.)

Here is where you can best see how badly the tee fits me in the upper body and neckline.  I knew the tee would be a bit long and large on my body (even though I sized way down on this pattern--usually I wear a size 38 bust/40 upper hip, and in these I cut a size 36/38), but the neckline really surprised me at how large it was.  It appears that if I want to make this top work on me I have to size down to a 34, cut the neckline binding to a 30 or 32, and then make the rest of this in a size 36, with a shorter overall length.  Not so sure I am going to go there.

Having said that all, I am very proud of this tee, even if it wasn't a slam dunk in fit.  I was able to construct this top perfectly using my serger and my sewing machine, and on both the inside and outside, it looks ready to wear, which is pretty darn cool.

Inside view of the top.  Barring a tiny bit of tricot interfacing peeking through at the hemline, this tee looks a lot like ready to wear tees that I own that have the ruching on the sides (mainly maternity tees, fwiw).

To get the ruching to work, I had to sew the elastic onto the sides of the tee while stretching the elastic to fit.  My zig-zag stitch isn't perfect, but it does the job very well.

If you take any Craftsy courses, you may notice that I sewed this neckline on using Linda Lee's RTW application that she teaches in her "Sewing Fashion Knits" class, lesson 7 on edge finishes (specifically ready-to-wear bindings).  It worked like a charm, and looks like it is supposed to...on the top.  If only the neckline had been small enough to lay flat against the body.  (There is a lot of speculation that the neckline binding was drafted too larger for the neckline to properly lay flat.  If it were a bit smaller than the neckline, then it would lay flat.  I did cut this neckline one size smaller, and then added another inch on top of that just to be sure, but even all of that was not enough.  Sigh.)

My first attempt at twin needle hemlines was disastrous, so actually getting it to sew up properly was such a thrill.  Again, I used Linda Lee's awesome instructions on getting a great hem on knits from her "Sewing Fashion Knits" class.  Worked so well!

This is the inside of the lower hem of the top, the zig-zag is created when the twin needle goes up and down making the stitch on the other side.

While the shorts fit, I know that next time I need to add an extra half-inch to the pattern piece in the middle of the piece to get the shorts to fit better over my hips.  See, I had bought this pattern in the larger sizes and when I sewed up some pj shorts in the size L, they were MASSIVE on me.  So I figured I could sew up the M no problem.  Well, it turns out that my lower hips are just a touch too big for the M size, so I will just add that half inch of space to the pattern piece, and with an extra inch overall in the hip area, I will have a pair of shorts that will fit my frame well.

The pockets are fun and were very easy to add onto the shorts themselves.  Definitely make sure you mark where they belong, though...without those markings it would have been impossible to figure out where to add them. 

Okay, that's all for now.  Hopefully I will get back to sewing up my last pair of shorts for the summer soon.  Thankfully VA always has a fairly warm September/early October, so I should be able to bust those out at least a bit, even though I didn't get them sewn up earlier.