Summer sweatsuit sewalong
Welcome to the Summer Sweatsuit sewalong. This page is a collection of tutorials and blog posts to help you sew the Summer pattern. Some posts are from other sewalongs that have similar features and are also applicable to this pattern. Scroll down for blog posts with tips and tutorials for sewing with knit fabric.
If you haven't purchased the pattern yet, head over to the shop to download.
Hello sew-friends! Today I have a simple but oh-so-good pattern hack for you. For this hack, I'm taking the racerback tank top from my Summer Sweatsuit pattern and turning it into a maxi dress with a side slit. I released the Summer Sweatsuit almost exactly one year ago. I had planned to do some tank hacks then, but never got around to it. So, I’m really happy to finally be sharing this one with you. (Btw, check out the Summer Sewalong for lots of tips and hacks to the shorts patterns.)
Hello sew-friends! Today, I have another hack to the Summer Sweatsuit pattern. Last week, I shared how to convert the shorts pattern into jogger style pants and today I’ll show you how to hack the pattern to make wide leg knit pants. This is a comfy, relaxed silhouette, perfect for lounging around. Depending on the type of fabric, they could even look a bit stylish. Read on to learn more.
Hello sew-friends! In today’s YouTube video, I’m talking about fabric stretch percentage. If you've ever sewn a pair of leggings or a swimsuit, then you know how important stretch can be in your handmade garments. Read on and watch the video to learn all about fabric stretch, why it’s important, a bit about fabric stretch terminology and, most importantly, how to calculate fabric stretch percentage.
Today, I’m very excited to be bringing you a cool-weather friendly hack to the Summer Sweatsuit pattern. The Summer Sweatsuit was designed to be worn on the hottest days of the year, but that doesn’t mean that it’s not a useful pattern to have in your stash all year round. In today’s blog post, I’ll show you how to adapt the pattern to create your own knit jogger pants sewing pattern. Read on to learn how to hack the pattern to get your own custom jogger pants pattern.
Hello sew-friends! The Summer Sweatsuit sewalong is continuing with another video! Both the tank top and shorts from the Summer Sweatsuit are fairly easy to sew, so I decided to just do one video about each. Last week, I showed you how to sew the knit sweat shorts and this week will be the racerback tank top. I'll be reviewing the pattern pieces, and showing the step-by-step process of sewing the racerback tan top.
To learn more about the Summer Sweatsuit, check out the introductory blog post. To buy your own copy of the pattern, head over to the shop.
Hello sew-friends! The Summer Sweatsuit sewalong is starting off with a video! Both the tank top and shorts from the Summer Sweatsuit are fairly easy to sew, so I decided to just do one video about each. This week, I’m showing you how to sew the knit sweat shorts and next week will be the tank top. I'll be reviewing the pattern pieces, chatting a little bit about fabric and most importantly, showing the step-by-step process of sewing the shorts.
To learn more about the Summer Sweatsuit, check out the introductory blog post. To buy your own copy of the pattern, head over to the shop.
I used to be really scared to sew knit fabrics but after a lot of research and a lot of practice, I love sewing with knits. One misconception is that you need to have a serger (aka overlocker) to sew knit fabrics when in fact most conventional machines come with a variety of stitches that are made for sewing knit fabric. In this video, I share the tools you need to sew knit fabric, some tips for preventing your fabric from stretching and demonstrate the stitches available on a conventional sewing machine that can be used to sew knit fabric.
One reason people often recommend starting off sewing a skirt rather than pants is that skirts are usually much easier to fit than pants. That crotch curve can create all sorts of fitting dilemmas and one of the easiest to solve is the rise, also called the crotch depth or crotch length. In today’s video tutorial, I’ll show you how to shorten and lengthen the crotch depth evenly across the front and back. And as a bonus, I’ll show you how to adjust only the back rise. This is a really simple pattern adjustment to make and very useful if you are petite or tall (like me!)
Today’s video is a big one! I share my top reasons why pdf patterns are awesome (just in case you’re not already convinced). Then I share my top tips for how to successfully print pdf patterns (including the printer settings you need to make sure the entire pattern prints on the page). And finally I show how to efficiently assemble and cut the pattern. I even show you the techniques I learned in design school for safely using an exacto knife or blade. I’ve never cut off a finger using these techniques so hopefully it will help you and keep your fingers safe too!
In today’s blog post and video, we will be showing you how to make a full bust adjustment to the Lou Box Top pattern. If you haven’t already read it, we recommend reading our post and watching the video about selecting your size and measuring yourself. To recap that post, we recommend making a full bust adjustment to this pattern if your bust/full bust is 4 or more inches larger than your upper bust. This pattern has plenty of ease but during the testing phase, we discovered that if you have a full bust, the hem of the top may lift up and look uneven. A full bust adjustment will help solve that issue.
Because the Lou Box Top is designed for both woven and knit fabrics, we have two methods for how to do the full bust adjustment (FBA for short). The first method will create a dart at the side seam. The second will have no dart. If you are using woven fabric you can use either method. If you are using knit fabric, we recommend the method without a dart.
Knit fabrics are great to wear and fun to sew with but they can be a little tricky to handle. I was intimidated by them for a long time but with a lot of practice and a few tricks I picked up along the way, I’ve been able to conquer those stretchy beasts. Today, I’m going to share my favorite method for topstitching knit fabrics plus some tips and insight on why knits can be so bothersome. And don't worry, you don't need a fancy machine, this can all be done on a conventional sewing machine.
Tutorials for sewing with knit fabric
Today, I'm excited to share a new video tutorial for how to sew underwear using fold over elastic. I've sewn lots of underwear and it's a little tricky the first few times. So, I'll be sharing all of my tips and tricks to make sewing your own pair easier. With these tips and a bit of practice, you'll soon be sewing fold over elastic with confidence.
Hello sew-friends! In today’s YouTube video, I’m talking about fabric stretch percentage. If you've ever sewn a pair of leggings or a swimsuit, then you know how important stretch can be in your handmade garments. Read on and watch the video to learn all about fabric stretch, why it’s important, a bit about fabric stretch terminology and, most importantly, how to calculate fabric stretch percentage.
I used to be really scared to sew knit fabrics but after a lot of research and a lot of practice, I love sewing with knits. One misconception is that you need to have a serger (aka overlocker) to sew knit fabrics when in fact most conventional machines come with a variety of stitches that are made for sewing knit fabric. In this video, I share the tools you need to sew knit fabric, some tips for preventing your fabric from stretching and demonstrate the stitches available on a conventional sewing machine that can be used to sew knit fabric.
Knit fabrics are great to wear and fun to sew with but they can be a little tricky to handle. I was intimidated by them for a long time but with a lot of practice and a few tricks I picked up along the way, I’ve been able to conquer those stretchy beasts. Today, I’m going to share my favorite method for topstitching knit fabrics plus some tips and insight on why knits can be so bothersome. And don't worry, you don't need a fancy machine, this can all be done on a conventional sewing machine.
Hello! Today I’m very excited to share a hack for the Summer Sweatsuit pattern and a FREE pattern add-on. I released this pattern 5 years ago and it’s still one of my most worn garments for the summer season. I’ve shared a few hacks for this pattern over the years but this may be my favorite. This hack takes the shorts and adds a skirt on top. When I was younger, skorts were really popular and I really enjoyed wearing them. (I also wish I had kept a few of them!) This hack looks like an athletic skirt with a subtle A-line shape but has a hidden pair of shorts underneath.