The subtitle for this post is "Playing with Large Prints". I've had this pattern in my stash for several years, but never got around to making it. But when I got the new batch of
Swiss 4 way Nylon/Lycra knits, I decided to try it out.
Pattern Description: From Kwik Sew's Website,
The Misses' Pants & Tops are designed for two-way stretch fabric with 75% stretch. We suggest cotton Lycra¨, nylon Lycra¨, rayon Lycra¨, or swimwear fabric.
Misses' pants and tops. The very close fitting pull-on pants have flared legs in two lengths and a wide waistband with narrow elastic. The View A camisole has a shelf bra lining and elastic at the top edge and shoulder straps. The View B top has a V-neckline and armholes finished with self fabric bindings.
I made View B - the V-neck top and cropped pants.
Sizing: XS-XL. I used a Small for the pants and a Medium for the top.
Fabric Used: Swiss 4-Way Stretch in Lemongrass for the pant legs and trim on the top.
Panel Print Rayon Jersey in Turquoise/Brown/Yellow for the body of the top and the trim on the pants.
Needle/Notions Used: I used my serger for all the seams, so Stretch 75/11 needle. Other than that and Maxilock thread, not much!
Did it look like the photo or drawing when you got through? Yes
How were the instructions? I didn't use them, though I did glance at them. They are typical for Kwik Sew. In other words, very clear.
Construction Notes: The panel print I used for the top is a large-scale print. Working with prints like these can be tricky. Or maybe interesting is a better description. It gives you lots of leeway for creative layout. To really get a feel for the way it would look I traced the entire pattern piece - both sides. Kwik Sew's original pattern piecees are one half of the top front and back which are cut on the fold. That works just fine in a less complex print, but I wanted to see the way the entire piece would look. I tried laying it out in a few different ways. I knew I didn't want to center the large square in the middle of my front torso. So I tried laying it out with the panel band running down the center front.
Mmmm, no. I played with a couple of other layouts and finally decided to do a slightly offset one.
Because this fabric has generous stretch both in the lengthwise and the crosswise grains, I cut the back on the cross grain.
During the sewing process, I decided to do things a little differently from the way the pattern instructs. Kwik Sew's instructions have you sew the side seams and then attach the armhole bands. I decided to reverse that order. I attached the bands first:
Then I sewed the sides together.
Any changes? I used contrast bands for the top, made from the pants fabric. I used the borders of the panels from the top fabric as the waistband and hem treatments on the pants:
Likes/Dislikes: This pattern goes together in less than an hour. I like the style. The pants are brighter than I usually wear, but I can use sunny colors these days. I didn't dislike anything.
Would you do it again? Would you recommend it? Yes and yes. As I say, this goes together very quickly. I'd recommend it for anyone who has advanced beginner or higher skills. If you know your way around a serger, it's even faster to sew up.
Conclusion: A great exercise pattern. I'll get lots of use from this. I will probably make the longer pants in black and they'll be a staple in my workout wardrobe. Here are pictures of the front and back:
They call me mellow yellow... quite rightly!
The Chanel jacket is progressing nicely. I'll get around to setting in the sleeves later this week, then really, I will post pictures. It's just kind of boring to look at right now, you know?
Happy sewing!
