Stripes and Solids for Winter and Summer!

I finished two projects today… and as I photographed them, I realised that they had more than a little in common! 

First up, some secret pyjamas…

This is a total fluke of a project. It started life as a Maria of Denmark Kimono tee that had sat unfinished for weeks… frankly, too boring to finish! Solid colour? Blah! 

This morning I had a stroke of inspiration. I chopped the shirt way down, and made a Nettie-inspired low scoop neck. I dug out some stripes and made a half circle skirt. (BTW, why is it that I can never picture whether a skirt is 1/4, 1/2, or a full circle until I see the pattern piece? Thank goodness for the BHL app.) 

Now, let’s be honest - this is some seriously shoddy sewing. The stripes on the waistband are wonky, the skirt is a bit too short, and I have to yank the back down to make the hem sit straight over my tush. The neckband is BAD - gapes open and I see right down to my bra. For all of those reasons, this will never leave the house! 

On the other hand though, it feels just right for lounging around the house on a hot summers day…

What’s the I’m doing on the porch? Reading your blogs, of course! (Also, lesson learned: Popsicles are not a good photo prop if you want to remain ladylike! No eating pictures made the cut. :P) 

Next up, my third (1, 2) Jalie 3355 hoodie!

(I think this collage makes me look like a one-person boy band, striking a pose!) 

This is some of the french terry that I ordered from Fabric.com recently, and at first the bright colour threw me off… but once I mixed it with stripes, I love it! I lined the hood, trimmed the pocket, and added Plaintain elbow patches. The stripes make the whole thing so much more fun to wear!

See?

What I like most about this hoodie pattern is that it’s a solid basic hoodie, not a tight “fashion” hoodie. It’s boxy, and it’ll never make me look thin… but dang, I wear one every night when I come home from work!It’s adaptable, too. My first version shrank shorter in the wash, so it’s quite boxy… my second one is a stretchy sweater knit fleece which I cut to be long enough to cover my tush when I wear it with leggings. This version has a slight high-low hem, and a bit more waist shaping at the side seam. I’ve got plans for more versions of this hoodie, to be sure! 

There you have it! Two different garments with solids and stripes… one for summer, and one for cooler weather. I’ve been thinking a lot lately about fabric mixing, and how to use contrast fabrics to liven up basic makes… more on that in a post sometime!