A Wintry Mix- McCall's 7057 Jacket and Ottobre Leggings 5/2014 #6

If you are from North America, you know how cold it was last week- temps dipping below 0 degrees Fahrenheit for several days.   It was so cold, that our furnace couldn't keep up, and all we could do was huddle together, eat hot soup, drink hot cocoa, and watch reruns of Gilligan's Island to trick ourselves into believing we're warm!

No, honestly, I have to confess I haven't watched Gilligan for many years.  A much more sensible thing that we seasoned mid-Westerners do to stay warm is layering.  Two layers of just about everything is really helpful.  I will note that my husband was walking around in a short sleeve t-shirt today, but he's neither sensible nor a true midwesterner, so you can't go by what he does. 

I find that there is nothing that compares to good old wool to keep in your body heat.  I luckily can wear it- I know that some people find it too itchy, but I will put up with a little itch, just to get that warmth.  I made this sweater jacket out of a wool boucle sweater knit.  I bought this from FabricMart last year in both a blue and a white.  Wish I would have gotten every color, as it is super nice.  The pattern for this jacket was McCalls 7057.

The pattern originally attracted me as something that could be worn as a lightweight fall jacket.  I made this last Fall, and it made the cut in my New Year's Clotheshorse Closet Purge. It has a hood, in seam pockets, and belt to wrap around you to keep it closed.

The design is really much like a robe, and I think you could easily lengthen this to a be a standard robe pattern.  You can make it with or without a hood, and I chose the hood.  Surprisingly, this is the one place where I had a problem.  The cover shows the hood wrapping nicely around the shoulders, which I thought was really pretty.

When I first made the hood, it wasn't big enough to go around my shoulders.  Luckily, I had enough fabric left that I cut a triangular insert to attach to the hood center back, which gave it 5 more inches. You can't really see it in the photos here.

Even though my fabric was described as a knit, it didn't have much stretch.  I would say that it was a firm knit, so perhaps a stretchier knit wouldn't have needed that adjustment.  And also, if you didn't want the off the shoulder look, it would have worked fine.

The pattern included a tie belt, but neglected to include the loops.  That was an easy remedy.  I cut a strip of fabric 10" x  2", folded it twice lengthwise, then stitched the folds in place.  Cut this strip into two pieces, and sew one at each side seam at waist level. This way, you can leave it open without your belt falling off!  This jacket is pretty darn thick, and I only have one coat that it will fit under, so it will probably end up being worn more in the house than out and about.

 
The rest of the outfit is me-made as well.  The leggings are from Ottobre Women's Fall 2014 issue.  Oh, do I love these leggings!  They have a yoke which is a little different than most legging patterns.  I've made it twice so far, and I think it will be a TNT (Tried and True) pattern for me.  

The long sleeved dress is made from a soft cotton interlock knit in  McCalls 6754.  This dress was originally a nude color which looked awful on me, but I dipped it in the dye bath after dyeing another fabric, and ended up with the pretty Robin Egg's blue color.  This dress has that skater dress silhouette that is so popular right now.  I love the shaping on the bodice, but be forewarned that the neckline is super wide.  Thus, the need for a scarf!

 The scarf is just 1 yard of chiffon that I got on the Hancock fabrics clearance table for just $2.50.  If I were more of a big spender, I should have gotten 2 yards.  But, cheapskate that I am, I got the one yard, cut it in half at the fold,  french seamed the pieces together, and narrow hemmed the outer edges. 

I do recommend all of these patterns, and will enjoy wearing them, especially on these cold, January days.

Stay Warm and Happy Sewing!

Ann