Tag: True Bias

Sunny for Summer: Orange Mave Skirt

I sew a lot of neutrals so I thought it might be nice to do something colourful for a change – the Mave skirt from True Bias in a bright orange, just in time for summer weather.

The fabric is an orange, smocked cotton voile from Our Social Fabric. Our Social Fabric is a Vancouver-based non-profit fabric store selling donated deadstock fabric and fibre arts supplies. Buying deadstock keeps fabric out of landfills, and the price is right. But a couple of other online shops currently have the same fabric in different colourways.

I used a white cotton batiste for the lining. The orange voile is a bit transparent. Batiste makes a great lining because it is so breathable. It’s great for hot weather clothing. But in this skirt, it also makes the orange colour really pop.

I went with the midi length for the Mave skirt. The pattern has a large number of variations. I would have preferred a maxi skirt, but there wasn’t quite enough fabric for that, especially since I needed to match the stripes.

I made a size 18 based on my waist measurements (as directed in the instructions) but I could probably go down a size.

The pattern is great. I didn’t make any changes. I’ve actually used this pattern three times now, but I have a bit of a blogging backlog, so this is the first one I posted. More to come!

I’m really happy with the results. This skirt is a lot of fun.

Summary

Pattern Review: True Bias Mave skirt, in size 18.
Fabric: Striped smocked cotton voile, in orange from Our Social Fabric.
Size: True Bias uses their own sizing system, but this is about a size 18 in ready-to-wear sizing.
Cost: Pattern: $16 USD. Fabric: $18.80.
Sewing Level: Easy.
Modifications: None.

Neon Blue Mini Hudson

This year, my only boxing day shopping took place at the fabric shop. I didn’t find much, but there was some gorgeous french terry in a neon turquoise for only 5$ a metre.

I wasn’t sure what to make so I let the kids decide and Kid No 2 and Kid No 4 chose pants. I didn’t have much in the way of knit pant patterns, especially not for fabric this thick, so I bought the Mini Hudson Pant pattern from True Bias.

Mini Hudson Pant sewing pattern from True Bias as sewn by The Finished Garment.
These were a really quick project.

There is a Mini Hudson blog hop going on at the moment if you want to see more versions. I’m not part of it, but since everyone is posting their mini hudsons, and I just made these last week, I figured I’d hurry up and post mine too. You’ll have to excuse me for showing up to the party uninvited.

Mini Hudson Pant sewing pattern from True Bias as sewn by The Finished Garment.
I made the size 7 and size 3.

This pattern makes a drawstring pant that works well with heavier fabric and is cut narrower near the ankle and wider at the hips. I used jersey scraps from two previous projects (coming soon to the blog) in black for my son and hot pink for my daughter. The pink and blue combo is a little bright, but if you can’t wear neon turquoise and hot pink when you are two, when can you?

The pants ended up a little big, but that’s a bonus in my book. The hipster styling isn’t quite as obvious for now, but it won’t be long before the kids grow up an inch or so.

Mini Hudson Pant sewing pattern from True Bias as sewn by The Finished Garment.
I used french terry for the pants and jersey for the trim.

These are really quick to sew and pretty foolproof. The only modification I made was to leave off the drawstring. Kid No 2 doesn’t like fiddly closures, even when they are just decorative and Kid No 4, at two-years-old, doesn’t need the hazard factor. And the only thing I would change in the future would be to make the waistband a bit wider, but just because I like that look.

Once again, these went right into regular circulation and so I didn’t get quite as many photos of the larger pants as I would have liked. My smaller kid was quite happy to mug it up for the camera though.

Mini Hudson Pant sewing pattern from True Bias as sewn by The Finished Garment.
So silly!

Summary

Pattern Review: Mini Hudson Pant from True Bias, available in sizes 2T-10.
Fabric: 

  • Neon turquoise french terry.
  • Cotton spandex jersey in black and fuchsia by Stenzo.

Size: 3 and 7.
Cost: Pattern: $8. Fabric: About $5 per pair of pants.
Sewing Level: Beginner.
Modifications: I left out the drawstring.
Results: Cute and comfy.

Mini Hudson Pant sewing pattern from True Bias as sewn by The Finished Garment.
These are really warm and comfy.