What I’ve been up to – Part 1 – Jalie

There’s no doubt this last year has been a busy and good one.  I started a new job in January and I was also heavily involved in gardening and piano this year so that’s kept me away from the blog….but not from sewing!   I’ve found that I’ve spent most of it making things that I’ll actually wear…versus things I think I’ll wear then don’t.  If I was to sum up the year in a single word, it would be Jalie.  Jalie for me is without a doubt the most dependable company that creates sewing patterns for the life I lead.  Here’s a sample of the Jalies I’ve made.

Anne-Marie tanks – These are my favorite workout tops.  They fit really well and are super comfortable.  I didn’t know what to do with this crazy peacock print, but it works well in athletic clothes!   The blue is the flouncy version and the pink is the more straight version.

Pika Tanks – I thought I would like these more…I find the bra to be a little small on them making them a little more difficult to get on and off, plus the bra gets all screwed up in the wash and you have to figure out how to turn it right side out.  While that sounds like a complaint, compared to a store bought work out tank, I LOVE these.  I love how they skim the figure…I just like the Anne-Marie more. These are like a 9.5/10 vs a 10/10 for the Anne-Marie.  The last one with the hearts was for my sister.

Cora and the Clara legging – these look so similar that it’s hard to tell them apart in the pictures.  I think that’s the clara in the pic above with the pink Anne-Marie.  I love them both, depending on what I want.  I think I’ve made each 3 times or so.  (and I just got some more fabric to make some more).  I think the pictures below are of two of my Coras.   This shot on my deck shows how I did the reverse stitching where you serge on the outside and then top stitch down with a zig zag.   It’s really hard to get pictures of pants…so sorry!  This is a sewing blog…not a fashion blog!  🙂 Thank Goodness! 🙂

Valerie Rash Guard – I made this but didn’t actually need to wear it on my vacation!  Oh well…next one!  I like the blue stripe on the side and I really should have sized up a little more from the waist to my hips.   Not bad for a 1st try though.

Gigi Bikini – I liked it…but honestly, I prefer my favorite Kwik Sew one. This was a fun diversion…but probably not one I’ll make again in the near future.

Julia Camisole – I love this top!!  I made two and wore them to death over the summer.

Jalie 3024 Dresses  – I made one of these….loved it so much that I quickly made a few more.  I added some sleeves to it and this is the perfect summer dress. I love the flounce at the bottom.   I find these dresses to be super flattering on me for some reason that I have yet to figure out.

Jalie 3425 -Raglan Top –  I’ve made a few of these for my mom and sis.  I just bought some fabric a couple of days ago to finally make one for me.

Jalie 2909 – Work pants.  I actually made three pairs of these, but unfortunately I forgot to prewash the fabric for the first pair, so they shrunk up ridiculously after 1 wash.  The second two I made from Joann Fabrics Refined Ponte.  That fabric is gorgeous and I highly recommend it for this or similar patterns.   Pants are really difficult to photgraph.  I did use a contoured waistband borrowed from another pattern and on the green pair, I made it just a little less wide.

 

Jalie 2488 – Thermal Socks.  I saw several of these made up in the Jalie facebook group and just had to try it!  I love these…the tricky part is finding good fleece fabric with 4 way stretch.  These were made from scraps left over from years ago, and I also made a couple pairs to give away, but I forgot to take pictures of those.  I’ve got my eye out for more fabric like this.  You really want something thick and fleecy so the seams aren’t too noticeable.

 

Jalie 2911 – Finally, I’ve made a few versions of this in the last month or so (and I have one more cut out and ready to stitch.  I’ve lost count of how many of these I’ve made over the years!  The top one here is mine, then the middle is my sister’s and the one with the design is for my mom (but shhhhhhh – she doesn’t know that yet. 😉 )

And that concludes the 2018 Jalie sewing!  I hope you enjoyed it.  Tomorrow I’ll do a tour of the patterns that I made that were not Jalie….and there were a few!

Happy Sewing!