I'm both extremely happy and frightened. I have created something amazing and I have also created a monster. Let's discuss. This past January I made my husband a tee for his birthday out of special, custom space-man fabric and obviously, before I made it, I made a "muslin" out of grey knit. So at this point, he had two shirts and kept exclaiming how comfortable and amazing the shirts were. So, being the awesome wife that I am, I picked up some Nike wickaway fabric from Simply by Ti fabrics and made him a new running shirt. Now his shirt count is up to three and he is "strongly encouraging" me to make ALL of his undershirts. He keeps hinting at how comfortable they are and how they don't shrink and how they don't come out of his pants when he bends over. *Siiiigh* I guess this is a good thing. :) I can mindlessly sew solid colors. Can I wait for his next birthday?

P.S. Getting him to take pictures is like pulling teeth. That has to be the deal. Let me take pictures and in exchange you'll get comfortable undershirts.

I got the Nike Wickaway fabric from Simply By Ti fabrics. This is the second color I've used. I sewed stride tights and used the same fabric in Cobolt here. I love it because it's very stretchy and breathable. It certainly feels premium!

I wanted to see how a true runner liked this fabric. My husband goes on casual Saturday runs. Turns out causal to me is about 300ft and casual to him has turned into 14 miles. These crazy Washingtonians. Running and being healthy. Tennessee asks, "What is that? Broccoli and running? Nope, I don't like that. Nope, I don't like that at all."

The pattern is Tadah Patterns Men's Slim Fit tee and I sewed a straight large crew neck option. This pattern comes in sizes XS to XXL and a V-Neck options, too. If you don't have experience with Tadah patterns, the drafting is very professional and there are all the expected pattern markings, etc. The instructions have drawings and are very clear. It's a "hold your hand" pattern which doesn't bother me in the slightest. If you know how to make it without the instructions, great! If you don't, there is plenty of info in the pattern to help you. The large fits great with no mods! Winning.

I LOVE this fabric and have used it for my own workout clothes. If you haven't sen it yet, it's thin, super stretchy, and very breathable. I think it's perfect for long runs! I looked at some of my husband's RTW workout shirts and I noticed that most of them had the seams cover-stitched down and so I tried my hand at it! I really love the look and the smooth feel to help prevent chafing but Devin said that he didn't really notice a difference. Switching from serging to cover-stitching may not be worth it if he can't tell the difference, but it was a fun look for this one.

Details

Pattern: Tadah Patterns Men's Slim Fit Tee

Size: Large

Fabric: Nike Wickaway in Navy from Simply by Ti

Model: My lovely husband <3

Yes. Summer is here. At least for the day. Also, happy day light saving! I have loved every moment of our sporadic Washington weather today. I even got to take some pictures at 4pm. Unheard of!

When a new-to-me designer asked for people to sew up some of her less photographed patterns I jumped at the chance to try a new designer and review my experience. I present the Macy Top from Sinclair Patterns designed by Oxana.

Part of my resolution this year is to sew all of my new clothes to help me create a cohesive wardrobe. Slow fashion = clothes I like and will actually wear. The Macy Top is a simple pattern that I've had my eye on for awhile. I'll keep saying it, I NEED MORE WORK CLOTHES. I work 5 days a week. I need work clothes. Somehow fun, skimpy, party clothes keep making their way into my closet, though. I have no clue how it happens. Same with fabric packages, they just keep showing up. If anyone has any ideas to make this stop, please contact me.

I'll tell you a bit about Sinclair Patterns, if you haven't tried them already.

-Most patterns are layered (she's working on updating the ones that don't have layers yet)

-You do have to trim the pages

-Wide size range US0-US22

-Every pattern comes in Petite/Regular/Tall so less modifications for you!

-Comes in Letter, A4, and A0

-Finishing techniques are professional

-Lots of pattern markings to make sure everything lines up perfectly

This simple cowl neck comes in sleeveless and long sleeve options. The top has a facing so the cowl doesn't show stitching when you lean over. (The fabric I used really shows the facing so I'm going to experiment with different fabric types to see what hides it best) The armcye is bound as well as the back neckline and she uses the facing in an awesome way to finish the side seams so they are so smooth! I also enjoy the modest neckline, it's great for work and a professional environment.

I used a charcoal modal from Cali Fabric that I purchased back in November. It's really lovely. This is my first experience with modal and it has such a nice drape and it's SO soft. I want all modal clothing now.

I sewed the US4 with no modifications. I based sizing off of my hips and waist, I should have blended to a US2 for my bust, but I figured that a cowl having a lot of drape by nature, would be fine being a tad big. I think for my next one I'll size down to a US2. It fits a little looser than I'd like around the waist and hips.

Sorry for the awkward angles! My photographer now has weekends off so I have to improvise!

I do hope you'll give Sinclair Patterns a try. I really enjoy her style and the fact that she uses professional techniques. I love to learn new ways of finishing items and I feel that if I keep sewing with Sinclair, I'll learn a lot of great techniques. You can find Sinclair Patterns here and Sinclair Facebook group here.