Raglan

Tween Capsule

My daughter has come into the size range where it’s hard to find patterns that are sized for her, this age range is known as the tween ages. Being a tween is when you’re no longer an age that is a single digit, but also not yet a teen. You’re probably thinking, yeah, I already know that. The other definition of tween is between, and in the PDF pattern world, there are only a fraction of the patterns available for between child and adult sizes.

When searching for designers, I found a lot that said they were tween, but many really only went up to size 12, which in my eyes doesn’t quite make it to adult size. For those who do, there aren’t a ton of different designs available. And with all honesty, if I’m going to buy a pattern for my daughter, I don’t want her to be at the top of the size chart, I want to be able to use the same pattern for a few different sizes.

With my daughter’s clothing she weighs in on these three things equally:

How does it (the fabric) feel? She loves anything soft, everything from Phee checks this box, so I never have to worry.
Do I like it? Sometimes I’ll show her patterns to see if she likes them, other times Pinterest when I see something cute. As long as she likes it, this box gets checked. I also like just going my idea, and seeing what happens, this works most of the time.
Is it comfortable? She refuses to wear anything that isn’t comfortable. I don’t blame her.

When working on her capsule I knew that she needed basics that she could mix and match together as well with any prints that she has. One things she lacks is solids, so adding these solids that don’t look basic are perfect for her.

Jumper and Basic Tee

Violette Field Threads Maddie Jumper in Black Stretch Twill and Hey June City Park Tee in White Rayon Spandex

She said she wanted overalls, but I kept seeing really cute jumpers/pinafores all over, so I really wanted to make one. I chose Phee’s stretch twill (black) because it’s durable and super easy to wash. It also doesn’t wrinkle, so she can change for PE if needed throw it in her locker and when she puts it back on, it won’t look like a mess.

Basic tees were definitely needed, and the City Park Tee was a perfect patch to Phee’s 13oz Rayon Spandex. She will definitely outgrow this t-shirt well before it shows any signs of wear. I love that the fabric is easy to sew because of its thickness, is super soft (which she loves), and doesn’t pill after repeated washings.

Joggers and Basic Tee

Hey June City Park Tee in Turquoise Rayon Spandex and Sofilantjes Domi Sweat Pants in Black Rayon Spandex

Surprise another City Park Tee in you guessed it, rayon spandex. Seriously, the best part of this outfit is these joggers. She put these on and couldn’t get over how soft and comfortable they were! And her favorite part is the pockets. I chose to use some scraps from my leftover tee to bring some color to the joggers.

Overalls and Fancy Top

Abby’s Overalls by The Wolf and the Tree in Charcoal Supplex and Sew a Little Seam Brynn Top in Orchid Rayon Spandex

She got her overalls, but she won’t be wearing these for much longer. Don’t forget to double check measurements before cutting your fabric and sewing. I thought I was using the correct size, but I actually cut out the pattern that I had from months ago. I promised her that I’ll be making her a bigger size though, because they are too cute and she’s not off the chart for these yet.

Phee’s supplex is my favorite when it comes to making bottoms for my daughter. I don’t have to worry about holes, as the fabric is super strong yet really soft.

When the Brynn Top was first released I was excited for all the different options. When we were on a flight I was looking at the pattern and she started oooing and ahhing at the different tester pics. I knew one way to let this pattern showcase itself was to use Phee’s solid rayon spandex and let the design speak for itself. I just love the way these sleeves drape.

Leggings and Knotted Top

Jalie Clara Leggings in Black 18oz Supplex and Sew a Little Seam Brynn Top in Light Heathered Gray Rayon Spandex, with Orchid Rayon Spandex trim

This girl loves leggings from Phee’s supplex, I think because it’s just like the Ivivva (Lululemon’s brand for girls) leggings she has. This also isn’t her first pair of Clara leggings, and I love how fast these are to sew since they don’t have a center front seam.

Another Brynn Top, as she had other feature requests which were too many to do all in one shirt, so I opted for two. I used some leftover of the orchid rayon spandex which works beautifully with this light heathered gray. If you can’t tell I also used it as a contrast on the side knot and the hem facing, which adds a pop of color.

Bonus Sweatshirt

Sinclair Patterns Demi (one of my favorites) in Oatmeal Cozy French Terry, Oatmeal Rayon Spandex, and Medium Pink 2.5″ Stretch Lace Trim

She’s finally in the size chart for Sinclair Patterns! I used the Petite size and shorted all pieces even more in multiple places throughout to get a pattern just right. I couldn’t be happier!

This sweatshirt was a labor of love for me. It all started with a Pinterest picture and I instantly knew I had to make it for her. The new Cozy French Terry is so soft and fluffy, so it was perfect for her list. The oatmeal cozy French terry and the medium pink lace look sooo good together!

There’s a few hacks I made to the Demi, I didn’t just add lace to the sleeves, I cut away part of the fabric from underneath the lace. I used a narrow zig zag to attach the lace while the sleeve was flat.

I also added thumb cuffs, because I know she loves them. I had some oatmeal rayon spandex in my stash, so I opted for that on the neckband, thumb cuffs, and bottom band. I’m so happy with the way this turned out.

Her Favorites

We all have our own favorites, but I just had to ask her what her favorite item was. She couldn’t give me a straight up answer, I think it’s because she likes everything so much. Instead, this is what she said:

Outfit: Jumper and Basic Tee
Top: Orchid Brynn Top
Pants: Rayon Spandex Domi Joggers

If you stuck with me this far, please let me know what your favorite outfit or item is. I can’t wait to hear what you think!

Note: This post may contain affiliate links to products. All opinions and thoughts are my own. I may receive a commission for purchases made through these links.

August 24, 2019June 15, 2020 by Stephanie Categories: Rayon Spandex, Stretch TwillTags: capsule wardrobe, Cozy French Terry, Girls, Hack, Jalie, joggers, Kid's Bottoms, Kid's Tops, Lace Trim, Leggings, Raglan, Rayon Spandex, Sinclair, Stretch Twill, Supplex, tween 1 Comment

Raglan Round-Up!

Before I get into the details of this post and why I took on the daunting task of sewing raglans from seven different designers, I want to give a little background about myself since I’ve been writing for Phee since December and haven’t introduced myself. I’m Stephanie, I’m a single mother, work full-time and teach yoga 2-4 days a week. I have my own blog at S-Renee Designs, so feel free to see what I’m up to there.

One of those questions I often see in the land of Facebook sewing groups often has to do with choosing a raglan pattern, and with just about every indie designer having one if not more raglan pattern, I decided to try out a few. I was initially shooting for 9, but soon realized that was crazy (and 7 isn’t). I started a spreadsheet with a list of all the raglan patterns I could find, turns out that list contains 29 different women’s patterns. At the end of the post I’ll share the entire list in case you’re interested.

Background Info

For each pattern I will let you know what size I made, how much fabric I used and what the required fabric length was. I am wearing the same bra in all images to keep the fit consistent, and in this bra I measure a 37”. When I started this project, back in late January I measured at 37” bust, 30” waist, 39” hips. I am also 5’6” tall, hopefully this gives you some insight on sizing.

I also wanted the fabric used to be the same, so that the fit would be the same throughout and not altered by the fabric’s properties. Each shirt is made from Phee Fabric’s 13oz rayon spandex. I love the thickness to this fabric and how soft it is. It also washes extremely well and doesn’t pill. Due to it being thicker than most rayon spandex fabrics, it’s easier to sew with than the thing stuff most people are used to when they think of rayon spandex.

View a spreadsheet with the specific details of each pattern.

Sinclair Patterns Demi

Deisgner: Sinclair Patterns
Pattern: Demi Classic Raglan Knit Top
Size made: 6/8/8
Options: scoop neck, long sleeve, straight hem
Fabric needed: 2.25 yards
Fabric used: 1.5 yards Light Heathered Gray Rayon Spandex (fussy cut)

** Only Boatneck Raglan, also includes Wide Boatneck (off shoulders) **

Fit: In the fit pics, it appears as though I need a swayback adjustment, but this could possibly be corrected by reducing the size waist. Fit says it’s to be semi-fitted, but I feel as though it’s a little larger than semi-fitted through my waist and hips with my measured size and grading. Upper arms are a little loose for my liking with about 2″ of ease.

Notes: This was the first one that I made, and I’ve been wearing it for a few weeks. Still with the fit issues, I continue to wear it because Phee’s rayon spandex feels so good, so I’ve just been ignoring the baggy arms. I do plan to take in the arms and slim the body through the waist and hips. This pattern is full of neckline options, and has so many possibilities. I’m planning to make more of these after I adjust the fit.

Greenstyle Centerfield

Designer: Greenstyle Creations
Pattern: Centerfield Raglan T-shirt
Size made: small
Options: crew, long sleeve, straight hem
Fabric needed: 2 yards
Fabric used: 1.5 yards Turquoise Rayon Spandex (fussy cut)

** Plus size pattern available up to 62” bust **

Fit: The pattern states that this is a slim fit shirt, but only provides the bust measurement for sizing, therefore I went off my bust measurement. Additional measurements for waist and hips would be helpful for sizing in this pattern since it’s a slim fit, as the top is tight on me below the waist. I expected since the fit is slim, and it’s fitting throughout the body that the arms would be as well, but the upper arms are loose compared to the rest of the garment.

Notes: I was disappointed with this one, probably because all other GreenStyle patterns I own have fit really well. I’m betting if they added in measurements for the waist and hips to this this pattern, it would make this pattern fit better right off the bat, because then I would have been able to grade between sizes based off of my measurements. On another note, I do plan to make this again, making sure to grade up on the lower half, as I think it will make a great running shirt in circular knit.

M4M Women’s Lee

Designer: Made for Mermaids
Pattern: Women’s Lee Raglan
Size made: blue
Options: crew neck (although with my issues it turned into a scoop neck), long sleeve with bands, shirt length, straight hem
Fabric needed: 1 5/8 yards
Fabric used: 1.5 yards Periwinkle Rayon Spandex

** Fits as expected! / Great for Hacking **

Fit: With how mad this pattern made me feel putting it together (see notes), I really hoped that the fit would be horrible. So when I tried on the shirt, I was amazed with how it fit, it literally blew my mind, as I wasn’t expecting it at all. I know I still need a few fit adjustments for my liking, but sewn as is, it’s really good. The only thing I really don’t like is how short the sleeves are, and I think this is because I didn’t notice the pattern is drafted for somebody who 5’5” tall.

Notes: I had a really hard time attaching the neckband with a 1/2″ seam allowance. I ended up ripping out the neckband, cutting a new one to 80% of the length and adding back in. My first one I accidentally cut way too much off with my serger, so I tried to make up for the fabric that was accidentally removed by adding a slightly wider neckband. The notches do not match up on this pattern, so if you are like me and ignore instructions completely, take note of that.

Jalie Marie Claude

Designer: Jalie
Pattern: Marie-Claude
Size made: U (US8)
Options: crew neck, thumb cuffs
Fabric needed: 1.75 yards
Fabric used: 1.5 yards Cherry Rayon Spandex (fussy cut)

** Most Sizes – Girls size 2 through Women’s 22 **

Fit: The body isn’t super fitted even though I went by my measurements and it says it’s supposed to be fitted (I may have forgotten to measure my torso), and the arms are incredibly long, like super long. You can see in my photo of the raglans all hanging next to one another how long it is. I know it’s a thumb cuff, so it should be longer, but in RTW I often find long sleeved tops don’t have long enough sleeves. I do really like the fit of the body though.

Notes: I always love how Jalie doesn’t try to over explain everything, and the illustrations are detailed enough for me. I wanted to try out the thumb cuffs as they weren’t like any that I have tried before, I think this is a great way to do a thumb cuff if you are working with less fabric.

Hey June Lane

Designer: Hey June
Pattern: Lane Raglan
Size made: medium
Options: ¾ sleeves, curved hem
Fabric needed: 2 yards
Fabric used: less than 1.5 yards, as I used leftovers of the Periwinkle Rayon Spandex and the Dusty Pink Rayon Spandex

** Built-in Full Bust Adjustment **

Fit: The sizing of the Lane is based on your high bust measurement. The description says the sleeves are fitted, but I found them big, and for the 3/4 length they hit at an odd spot. I think once the sleeves are fixed this will be a great weekend shirt since I can’t wear a color blocked top like this to the office as it looks too casual. I do like the fit through the body. The neck is really wide on this top as well.

Notes: As I was sewing this, I noticed that the armcyes of the sleeve were straight while the armcyes of the bodice were curved. I wasn’t sure how this was going to go together, but it worked. It also worked for a good fit through the armcyes, which I wasn’t expecting. This reminds me of a baseball tee, which is a lot of fun.

Side note: I have owned this pattern since basically back around the time it first came out, in 2014. Since then the pattern has been updated at least 2 times, yet I had never made it. This version is the most recent version, and it’s well loved by many people. It was one of my first knit patterns I purchased, but then I got angry with knits when I tried to sew the Kitshy Coo Comino Cap Top and couldn’t figure out the sizing, so I gave up all knits then.

Petite Stitchery Runway Raglan

Designer: Petite Stitchery & Co.
Pattern: Women’s Runway Raglan Tee & Dress
Size made: medium
Options: long sleeve, front bodice detail, shirt length, straight hem
Fabric needed: 1.75 yards
Fabric used: 2 yards Dusty Pink Rayon Spandex, Light Heathered Gray Rayon Spandex scraps (I’m guessing that I only used 1.5 yards or less of the Dusty Pink, as I was able to still get a bodice for the Hey June Lane Raglan out of the 2 yard cut)

** Largest Bust at 53.5” and Lowest Price **

Fit: The Runway Raglan is more of a relaxed fit top. This is due to the bodice side seams being straight and not curved with the body’s curves. If you are looking for a raglan that is cut this way, this is the only one of the 7 that was designed this way.

Notes: I really liked that it had me hemming before attaching the neckband, when patterns do this, it pushes me to actually do the hemming and not put it off for a month like I’ve done in the past on garments. I like how the front bodice detail kind of dresses up this raglan. I can see myself wearing this with a skirt to the office.

New Horizon Riviera Raglan

Designer: New Horizon Designs
Pattern: Riviera Raglan
Size made: medium
Options: high-cut, crew neck, long sleeve, shirt length, straight hem
Fabric needed: 1.75 yards
Fabric used: 1.5 yards Olive Rayon Spandex (fussy cut)

** Smallest Bust Size at 29” and Most Options **

Fit: On the pattern pieces there’s an option for a standard raglan and a high-cut raglan, but the instructions don’t mention anything about what the difference was, so I decided to try this option. I’m not sure if this gave me a better fit, but according to the sizing info, which I looked more into after I cut my pattern, I should have gone with a full bust adjustment. I really like the fit on this one, but the arms have a lot of extra ease.

Notes: This is another raglan with a lot of options, you can even make a tank top with it! It’s the only one of the 7 that has a v-neck option as well. I really should have tried the v-neck, but I didn’t have the patience for it.

Raglan Reflections

I think I need to slim down on sleeves, as basically all the sleeves have more ease than I typically like, either that or I just have really skinny arms. Looking at my fit pictures, I’m starting to realize a few things. I most likely need a full bust adjustment (which I should have used on the Lane Raglan, since it’s built into the pattern), and I could also use a forward slope adjustment. Personally I have never been one to think I needed an FBA, but it’s looking that way in my pictures with the pulling of fabric under my arms pointing toward my boobs.

During this process of sewing 7 shirts, I came to the realization of why I hate hemming. One is that I hate pressing my hem on sleeves and shirts when in the round. To get past this, I started looking up my hem allowance before sewing the front to back, as well as the sleeves, and pressed the hem up the required amount. This then left a crease in my fabric which made the hemming process go so much faster.

Lessons Learned: Take all measurements next time. If an important measurement isn’t included, then measure the pattern pieces and compare to something I already own.

View all raglan patterns found here. Raglans from this post are listed on the first tab of the spreadsheet, and the remaining raglans are on the second tab.

Note: This post contains affiliate links to products. All opinions and thoughts are my own. I may receive a commission for purchases made through these links.

March 21, 2019June 17, 2020 by Stephanie Categories: Rayon SpandexTags: clothing, Jalie, made for mermaids, New Horizon Designs, pattern round-up, petite stitchery, Raglan, Rayon Spandex, Sinclair, Women 2 Comments

When February’s theme was announced (using a variety of fabric bases), I took it as a challenge, and my ideas just kept rolling. I ended up with 3 solid ideas, but backed up to 2 as I was becoming frustrated with one and I began to realize that in the end I wouldn’t ever wear it other than for the pictures that needed to be taken. Instead, I dove head first into my other ideas, the first I’m sharing with you today, and the other I will share later in the month.

One thing that came to mind was fishnet tights using the black wide mesh with The Wolf and Tree’s Gazelle Ladies’ Footed Tights pattern. The pattern comes with pieces for both fabrics that have only a 2-way stretch and also fabrics with a 4-way stretch, as well as petite, regular and tall lengths. Due to the amount of vertical stretch in the fabric, I found that after sewing one leg, I needed to move the crotch down 2 inches. If I would have realized this to begin with, I would have used the petite length. Since there is also greater than 30% horizontal stretch I used my size down in the hips so that I wouldn’t have to worry about them moving.

The pattern calls for 1.75 yards for the footed tights. I measured the length of my pattern piece, as I knew I could get both legs in my size with the fabric folded selvedge to selvedge, and found that 1.5 yards would be plenty, with extra, for the low rise option. I used the yoga waistband, but made it 3 times the height, making this out of the black circular knit.

Gazelle has a ½” seam allowance, this is so that you can use French seams, which I do love, but they were not going to work for this mesh. I opted to use a narrow 3 thread serged seam on all of the mesh to mesh seams. After completing each seam, I then moved my blade out farther, so that I could sew an additional seam to reinforce and capture any edges that were missed without cutting the stitches that were already there. In the center of the crotch, where the 4 seams join, I went over that a few times to make sure it would hold. I then attached my waistband with a regular 4 thread serged seam.

I used to wear fishnets all the time, I was one of those punk girls in high school, I had black boots and plaid skirts. The worst was catching my tights on something and having them snag. Oh, and I wasn’t cheap with my fishnet tights, I think I paid $15 for DKNY ($22 from Macy’s site now) because they fit the best. I feel like these are going to hold up so much better than those did, and the price is basically the same.

Because I wasn’t going to take pics in just my tights, I decided to finish off a few other things I had on my list to make. The Liv Skirt (German pattern) was made with supplex, I ended up reducing the amount of fabric at the waist by 2” because it was too big, but now I know better for next time. This skirt was literally made in 10 minutes (cutting and sewing), as it’s that fast. I wanted a contour waistband, so I used the waistband from my GreenStyle Strides, and it fit perfectly!

I’ve been searching for the perfect raglan, so I have set out to try a handful of raglan patterns from different designers. This one is the Demi by Sinclair Patterns, with the scoop neck and straight hem made from light heathered gray rayon spandex (I am seriously obsessed with Phee’s rayon spandex if you can’t tell already). This pattern has a lot of different neck options that I want to try out including an off the shoulder option. The pattern has options for petite, regular, and tall.

The top looks great as is, although it looks like I need to make some changes on my next one. It appears as though I need a swayback adjustment, but this could possibly be corrected by reducing the size of the back through the waist. Fit says it’s to be semi-fitted, but I feel as though it’s a little larger than semi-fitted through my waist and hips with my measured size and grading. Upper arms are a little loose for my liking with about 2″ of ease, by this is something I’ve found with a lot of knit long sleeved tops.

As time goes on during the next month of making my raglans, I’ll learn more about the fitting of them and the differences, so I’m not going to share a complete pattern review on this until I’ve completed my journey of raglans.

Note: This post contains affiliate links to products. I may receive a commission for purchases made through these links.

February 3, 2019June 15, 2020 by Stephanie Categories: Fabric TypesTags: clothing, Fabric Types, Raglan, Rayon Spandex, Skirts, Supplex, Techniques, Wide Mesh, Women 3 Comments

Let’s take it slooooowwww

Another holiday season has come and gone and now the post holiday lull…but it always seems short lived. We are always rushing – to school, work, the gym, grocery store. Rushing to start a project and then rushing to finish. After December and what felt like non-stop rushing, I vowed to try and be more present. I admit, it’s not easy. We live in a fast paced world and we are constantly “on.” So when I realized that Valentine’s was just around the corner, I started to panic! “I need to make something!” “And something for Dante!” “And finish the other 9 projects from last month!”

So much for the lull! But I remembered my decision to slow down. And now was the exact moment. I did want to sew, but did not want to just make something for the sake of crossing off my list. I wanted to create something that I would enjoy making and wearing, without rushing!

My first thought was that I wanted something that made me feel “sexy” – it is Valentine’s Day after all and while it does not have to be lingerie, I want something that makes me feel great! So off to Pinterest I went (or even better, to my amazing Pinspiration finding friend, Whitney!) As soon as I saw this picture I knew I had to recreate it – comfy, a bit polished and super cute! Added bonus for me was that it didn’t scream “VALENTINE’S DAY!”

I also wanted comfort (I always want comfort in my clothes, lets be real!) – from fabric that felt good on my skin in a style I would enjoy wearing all the time. So of course I knew exactly the fabric, Phee Fabrics rayon spandex, easy to wear and washes up perfectly every time! There is a ton of rayon spandex out there, and I know I have written about it before, in my first blog post, but Phee’s is in a class all of its own! Let’s not forget all of the color options – right on trend, allowing me to build a wardrobe.

Full confession – I don’t really like raglans! GASP! BLASPHEMY! FOR SHAME! I’m not even really sure why I don’t like them, but I decided to try the Runway Raglan from Petite Stitchery & Co. since it has some insert detail at the shoulder and even a V shape color-block sleeve option (I will definitely try them out soon!) This is the Cherry Rayon Spandex with an inch added to the sleeves for my long arms.

For the joggers I wanted to use a more slim fit pattern and the Brassie Joggers from Greenstyle Creations were perfect. I added 3 inch elastic in the cuffs by serging it in the round (pictures below). This way I could push them down or pull the cuff up a little and they would stay put and keep the shape like some RTW I have seen. And guys, this is the first time I have ever used my coveted Phee rayon spandex for bottoms and I have no idea why!?! These pants are the definition of comfort!

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For the cuff, I tried it first on my regular machine, but it is too structured to pass under the presser foot all the way for 3 inches. Instead, I created a center crease on the fabric by folding the long, wrong sides together of the cuff. I lined up one long edge of the elastic to the fold and turned the fabric and elastic into a tube, right sides of the fabric together and elastic wrapped around that. Next, I serged along the short end being sure to catch the elastic in the seam. Turn the fabric right side out encasing the elastic. The seam is a little bulky, but does not bother me when I am wearing them at all.

Thinking about being present and taking my time, both of these projects took me about 3 hours just to sew (plus time to cut patterns and fabric). Usually I would have sewn them both up in half the amount of time, but I wanted to go slow and be present. I used Stay tape on the pocket, wash away hem tape on the shirt, top stitching on the neck band, pressing seams as I sewed and adding in the wide elastic for the cuffs.