Wine and Chocolate

Happy Fall!  Wine and Chocolate- two of my favorite things that go together so well! It's no wonder that I would be drawn to them as colors in my wardrobe too.  In my last post from August, I had shown you my sewing plans gathering fabrics in browns and reds for making some clothes for September and October.  I actually completed everything over the Labor Day weekend, but September has been too darn hot to even contemplate taking pictures of everything!  Finally, we've got some beautiful cool weather, so now I can show you! 

This dress is a rayon lycra knit, and I used New Look 6525 for the basic pattern, but just 3/4 length sleeves. I really like the variations in this pattern, and I can see it  becoming a TNT (Tried and True) style for me. 

One thing that I changed was to add a knit neckband.  The pattern instructions want you to use bias tape, which is never going to look as good on a knit fabric as a neckband will.

I also added some patch pockets, which you can see a little better close up.  I left the raw edge of the fabric on the ruffle, instead of turning it under, as I thought it would be a little easier to sew this way.

 You may be wondering, "Hey, where's the wine?  You promised wine and chocolate!".  Well, here it is- a cardigan from a sueded knit and using Simplicity 8740.  This is the back view, where you can see that I used a little elastic to draw it in at the waist.

For my next piece, I used the same New Look pattern, but shortened the ruffle by half, added pockets, and used the long flared sleeve option.

I've been wearing it around the house today, and didn't find that the flare was getting in my way at all.  Sometimes, these crazy sleeves on styles lately make it hard to actually do anything, but perhaps the slit helps to keep them out of the way. 

For the ruffle on this one, I just gathered it, and sewed it so that the raw edges are on the inside.
The pants are a nylon lycra activewear knit using a basic legging pattern from New Look 6529. 

I used the mid length arm on the cardigan, so the flared sleeves can pull on through.  I tried it initially with the full length, and the sleeves were just getting bunched up and it was uncomfortable, so I switched out the short cuff for the long one.

For my last top, I still used New Look 6525 with a rayon/lycra striped knit jersey, and lengthened the bodice portion about 2 inches, leaving off the ruffle entirely.  I used the same legging pattern for the wine pants, but used a ponte knit this time. 

Here is the top length with the cardigan. I find it hard to get the hood to lay nicely with this one, and if I make it again, I'll probably use the other view without the hood. 

I think my favorite is the dress.  I'm going to Germany next month to visit my daughter and hope to take all of these pieces in my suitcase.  Because they are all knit, they should be comfortable to wear while traveling.  I replaced my original purse with another one that I found at our resale shop that was a bit roomier. 

My daughter lives in the Rheingau region of Germany which is known for it's vineyards, and Germany is famous for it's chocolate, so I will surely be drinking wine and eating lots of chocolate while I'm wearing these too!

Happy Sewing!
Ann