Jalie mashup swim tank

It's that time of year again! School is out in a few days and my kids are looking forward to lots of swim, sun and playing outside. Logan needed new swim togs this year, and while he found some cool Minecraft trunks he liked, we came up empty for a top.

Mom to the rescue. Logan specifically wanted a tank top, not a sleeveless shirt. And I wanted it to be wicking polyester so it would dry quickly and be comfortable in the heat. Neither requirement was an easy one...

The fabric turned out to be the least challenging. After searching at my usual favorite spots and coming up empty, I just did a Google search and found an impressive line of wicking jersey at Wazoodle. They had a range of colors and weights to pick and choose from. I went with the classic Minecraft color scheme of black and green. Shipping was fast and the quality is excellent, so I'll be shopping there again.

The larger challenge was the pattern. Boys tank top patterns fizzle out after the toddler sizes and Logan isn't quite big enough for mens sizing yet. Even Ottobre failed me! Logan was very specific about wanting a tank top and not just a sleeveless shirt. So, I had to get a little creative. I decided to start with the ladies racer back tank by Jalie (3245). But since it has decidedly feminine lines, I used the Jalie Nico raglan tee to get a more masculine shape, blending the two patterns together at the underarm. And since I was hacking up a couple of patterns anyway, I decided to do some color blocking and add mesh side panels for comfort. All in a day's work.

Logan is very happy with it. He loves the way it looks and fits and says it is very comfortable. I even got a hug from my not physically demonstrative boy. I think as I look at him that the armhole could be slightly lower, but really, it's a pretty good fit.

The fit through the back is pretty good though, and it looks well proportioned overall.

On the side, I added 4 inch wide panels of athletic mesh - the sort with large holes that jerseys are made of. It gives the tank some more breathability as well as a cool sporty look. I also color blocked the front and back with green on the lower 6 inches of the tank, and used the same green jersey for the neck and armhole bindings.

I got my Cricut in on the party for some finishing touches with a creeper face and Minecraft logo. I used a silicone HTV that has a slick feel. It's a cool texture that goes with water play well. I also coverstitched all the seams, both for a touch of contrast stitching, and to be sure the insides were nice and soft. No itchy seams!

It was a little more patternwork than I have been doing lately, and it was nice to use that part of my brain. Logan loves his tank, so that's the most important thing. I had fun making it, too.

Jalie 3670, the Loulouxe skort (and a bonus raglan tee)

I took a lot of action shots of this cute little number. It is made for movement!

When Jalie announced this Spring's pattern release, this one actually didn't register on my radar. What was I thinking? It's adorable! But I'm not a sporty girl, so for some reason I just didn't see the cuteness potential until one of the ladies on the Jalie Facebook group posted one she had made for her daughter. I ran to the PR website and ordered the pattern (and a few others, ahem) immediately and sewed it up the next day.

So, here we have the Loulouxe skort, Jalie 3670. It's designed for comfort and style when running and biking, but it is also totally perfect for the playground or your bestie's backyard.

Myra's Loulouxe is made from a combination of digitally printed jersey (from Kitchy Coo) and solid pink interlock from Chez Ami. The pattern is designed for stretch knits with 60% stretch (like spandex and supplex knit), which these don't have, but it worked fine without size adjustments.

How cute is that flounce in the back?! The Loulouxe features a colorblocked skirt, with integrated shorts. The front skirt has a slight a-line for ease of movement, and the back is a full flounce, which is cute as well as functional, since it accommodates running, biking or playing equally well.

The shorts are nice and snug, with the option for a pocket or two. The size could easily be altered to fit a larger phone or device, but Myra's mp3 player fits just right as drafted.

I added a buttonhole to the top of the skirt to allow the headphone cord to pass through so Myra wouldn't have to put it under the skirt. If your devices uses bluetooth, or you're using the pocket for other things, you wouldn't need that, but Myra likes the functionality.

Other than adding the buttonhole, I made a few pattern changes for fit. Myra has a forward tilted waist, so I raised the back waist and lowered the front. That's a standard change for her. I also added 3/4 inches to the skirt length to make it school appropriate. Since it's designed as a sport skirt, it is quite short.

To complete the outfit, I also made Myra a raglan tee using Jalie 3245. I shortened the sleeve to a cap length (using the length of the cap sleeve on the Sweetheart top) to make it summer friendly. I also added a  vinyl decal to the front of the tee, just to break up all the candy print in front. And because I love my Cricut.

Myra and I are both pretty thrilled with the outfit. Cute and fun, but also functional. Jalie wins again!

Jalie 3245 for two!

After making Myra's sweet dress, I wanted to do something quick and easy, which this would have been, if it hadn't been the craziest week ever. Fortunately, I finally got a chance to sit down to the machines and whip these out.

The pattern is Jalie 3245, which I bought after seeing all the amazing tops Gillian made with it. I'm not really a tunic girl, but I like the way this is semi-fitted, but has a relaxed vibe. And I especially like that Jalie patterns come in a zillion sizes, so Myra could have one too!

She likes that idea. Myra has gotten quite picky about her clothes, so these days I've been very careful to get full approval for items before I start sewing them. This one was a surprise, so I am beyond thrilled that she loves it and thinks I am the best mommy ever - at least for the moment...

So, the pattern, Jalie 3245, is a raglan style tee/tunic, which also features a racerback tank/tunic. The sleeve is semi-fitted and elbow length. The neckline is bound, which I did on my coverstitch binder, but Jalie includes excellent instructions for knit binding on a regular sewing machine.

Both tee and tunic styles feature a shaped hem in the style of a baseball tee, which is a pretty fun feature. The hem allowance is 3/4 inch, which is about the deepest hem reasonable with a curve like this. I think the next time I make this I'll only use 1/2 inch hem, just to make it a bit less annoying to sew.

The fabrics I used are from the Laguna Cotton line at fabric.com. These two were coordinates, so the color matching was done for me - yay! I also decided to add a fun graphic snow leopard decal to the front of the shirt - done in HTV with my Cricut. It was challenging to layer all the colors, but I love the finished look.

Myra and I are both pretty happy with our shirts. I'll definitely be using this pattern again.