We’re on the cusp of spring here (although there was also a blizzard this week. Actually, it’s the end of April and we’ve had four blizzards this month), but truly hot weather is still a month or two away. Hopefully, anyway. Because earlier this month (during the first, or was it second, blizzard) the twins talked me into making them track suits.
Or is it loungewear? I’m not sure. But they found some pieces of stretch velvet in the stash, and requested matching outfits.
The patterns I used are Kwik Sew 3498, which I bought sometime around 2013 for Syo, and that old standard Jalie 2805, which I guess has now been replaced by the Tina (Jalie 4672), though the only difference I can see is that the Tina has a nice scoop neck view as well.
Both of these patterns had two big things going for them: they are quick, simple sews, and I had versions traced off in the right size. In particular, I must have made the XS version of the Kwik Sew pattern for one of my nieces, although I have no memory of this, since I had it traced out already but Syo was at least in the L size when I bought the pattern. Anyway, yay past Tanit!
All I had to do was carefully re-add the flare I had removed from the legs when I first traced it out, since apparently flares are back in fashion, at least among 6-year-olds.
Now, R’s set is a bit cropped, which was her preference, but also necessitated by the fact that the bit of velvet she had chosen was only about .7 of a metre—just enough for the leg length I actually cut. Well, cropped except for the sleeves, which she wanted extra-long to cover her hands. I also folded down the width of her XS pattern pieces to remove about 1/2” from each, 2” overall, which got it to just the right width I think.
T’s version was the XS at full width with about 3.5” of additional length added. The fit is great, but I do wish I had taken just a bit more time with the waistband, as she wanted the V-front option, and I didn’t quite nail the insertion in the velvet. At least partly because, well, velvet, which likes to creep everywhere. Hand-basting may have been in order, but I was attempting to bang these out in a couple of evenings. Haut couture, they are not. Anyway, it doesn’t seem to bother her. I also took about 1” off the hem of the shirt when I hemmed it, at her request. I wish I’d made the pants a smidge longer, not because they really seem too short but for the sake of longer wear, since presumably we will be getting summer at some point.
Anyway, here’s hoping these aren’t fully outgrown before next fall, but at least they’re getting a very satisfying amount of wear right now.
Tanit-Isis Sews 