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Tuesday, September 06, 2016

Summer Sews

x factor tankini - maternity option - 5 out of 4 patternsWhile we shift my explosion of sewing/crafting supplies downstairs, I have been hacking away at a few pieces to get me through the summer. Because I'm running after my daughter a lot this summer, I felt a good maternity swim top was in order. I've been eyeing up 5 out of 4 Patterns for awhile, as they do quite a bit of on-trend Activewear (in particular check out the Agility tank, which you see versions of every day). After my bomb of a Bombshell attempt last fall, I had almost sworn off swimwear.  Almost.

They sold me on the pattern when I saw all the options the tank came with. One swim tank also comes with nursing and maternity options, AND also can be made as a bra - so essentially a nursing sports bra. Sold. Although I'm not happy with the binding on my muslin, and I've bought power mesh (aka power net) for my next attempt, it's very wearable. So much wearable that I doubt I'll make another maternity option, saving my intended fabric for a "regular" one next summer. My other favorite thing about 5 out of 4 patterns: no trim patterns. I always find trimming, assembling and taping PDF patterns the most tedious bit.

A slew of showers and birthdays at the end of August led me to try out Brindille and Twig's Super Slim Harems and Super Slouch Beanie as gift sets. I know I'm really late to the game on both of these, and I'm hoping to add a few pairs to my daughter's own closet so that she isn't entirely clothed in Maxaloones this winter. I found that the harem pants seemed to look a bit more ridiculous as the sizes increased, with the skinniness of the legs quite pronounced against the baggy harem bum. Must pay more attention to seam allowances. I made the slouch beanie unlined, and didn't do anything consistent to amend the hem line, just winged it.

As the space in which I will sew gets closer to being workable, I'm starting to plan a newborn cloth diaper stash. While there is a risk of wasting my time on diapers that won't fit or work well, and the subsequent frustration of not having time to sew up more that do actually work, I'm looking at it as an interesting exercise in cost effectiveness and upcycling.

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