A Jalie Bikini: 3351 Swim Shorts and 4136 Crossover Top

Pattern Background

Jalie 3351

This pattern can be used for either running or swim shorts. It has a wide waistband, side panel pockets, and built in briefs.

Per Jalie, the waistband hits around the navel for kids, a few inches below the navel for teen and smaller adult sizes, and got up around the navel again for the larger adult sizes.

The size range goes from F (2T) all the way to FF (women’s size 22/ euro 52).

This pattern is out of print now so it is only available as a PDF.

Jalie 4136

This fully lined bikini pattern has both a scoop neck and crossover versions for the top. The bikini bottoms include both a lower rise version and higher waisted versions, one of which has a self fabric tie detail.

Size range goes from 2T to 2X. Like with a lot of the newer Jalie pattern releases there’s also a PDF only version that goes from 2T to 5X, and a plus size version for 1X-5X.

Fit and Alterations

Jalie 3351 Shorts

Per my hip measurement I made a size CC. The ease was perfect.

I added 2.5” of height to the center back seam, tapering to nothing at the center front. I also added 3/8” width to the front inseam for my fuller thighs. When I was adding the elastic I sized down a couple of sizes per the elastic cutting length chart. They feel snug and secure without digging in.

After making a test version I lowered the rise 1”. They sat at the navel and just seemed too big and matronly when worn with a bikini top. They would have been fine if worn with a rashguard top or tshirt.

Jalie 4136 Bikini Top

I made a size Y. I sized down to a W for the band. I compared my underbust measurement to the size chart and W was the closest matching measurement, so that’s what I cut.

Fabric and Materials

I used a Lycra purchase from the Elingeria sometime back in 2012 (yes it has been sitting in my stash all this time). I didn’t have quite enough (these were scraps from another project from long ago) so I cut the side panel, waistband facing, and brief from a white swimwear fabric I found on Amazon. I should have read the description better because it’s kind of shimmery and I prefer matte fabrics for swimwear, but so little of it peeks out that it doesn’t really matter.

The lining for the crotch was a swimwear lining recently purchased on sale from Emma One Sock.

The 3/8” braided elastic was from the Amazon seller Mandala Crafts.

For the bikini top I used a swimwear lining fabric from Payless Fabrics on Amazon.

Construction

Jalie 3351 Shorts

The instructions are excellent and I had no issues. I really like how the waistband is constructed. The facing is cut shorter than the outside waistband, which causes the seam where the elastic, outer waistband, and waistband facing meet to be folded entirely to the inside. This completely eliminates bulk at the upper edge of the waistband, and if you’re using a different fabric for the waistband facing it won’t show through at all.

I will say that my life was made significantly easier when turning up those hems for the pockets and hems by using Design One fusible stay tape. This tape is exactly 3/8” wide so if you apply it directly along the edge you get a nice guide for folding the hem before removing the paper. I just doubled it up to make it 3/4” wide for the front and back shorts hem. It not only made turning up the hem far easier on this slippery synthetic fabric, but also made cover stitching way easier. The final result still maintained its stretch. 10/10 recommend!

Jalie 4136 Bikini Top

Like with the shorts, the instructions were excellent. I particularly liked the band construction. You zigzag the elastic to one edge, fold the other edge of the fabric up around the elastic snugly, zigzag again, trim, and then sew it directly to the rest of the top. Very neat and completely eliminates the elastic rolling inside during wear or laundering.

Conclusion

I’m extremely happy with the shorts. They fit and feel great! I wanted something I could confidently wear to the beach while playing with my little boy and these are perfect for that. Unlike with a skirt they won’t ride up in the water, and you get plenty of coverage if you’re self conscious about your lower half (which I definitely am post baby). The brief is full coverage and stays in place really well.

The bikini top feels secure and comfortable to wear. I think I am a 36C now (not sure since I haven’t worn a proper underwired bra in years now) and I feel like it gives good support. I have plans to make it as a bra top as well, because my toddler still nurses on occasion and the crossover styling makes that very convenient. (Jalie actually has a post on converting this pattern to an unlined bra top, though I would likely do a lined version for extra support.)

Jalie 4451 “Claudette” Shirt

Pattern Background

Jalie 4451 is a long sleeve shirt with a back yoke, two back tucks, and standard sleeve placket. The cuffs and collar band are angled off instead of rounded at the corners. You can also make this in shirtdress length with a shaped hem and self fabric tie belt.

The pockets and flaps for the shirt are pointed shape. The shirtdress pockets and flaps are square shaped, with larger square patch pockets at hip level.

Fabric and Materials

I used a single napped cotton flannel recently purchased from Fabric Mart. Sometimes flannel thickens up a lot after washing/drying which can change the drape, but this maintained a very soft hand.

I used fusible knit interfacing for the front placket/pocket reinforcement/pocket flaps/sleeve placket. Not a huge fan of the plasticky feel of the backing, but it works for soft stabilization. For the collar, collar band, and cuffs I used a lightweight woven interfacing. I’m not sure but I think it was Pellon SF-101 Shape Flex.

The buttons are from WAWAK. I find they are the best value, you can get 144 for less than $7 and it’s not such a gamble on quality like buying from Amazon.

Size/Alterations

Based on my measurements I cut a size Y for the best/shoulders/sleeves, a W for the waist, and BB for the hips and hem length. From there I added 1” length to the sleeves. I probably only needed 1/2-3/4” extra length but I always go long with flannel because I feel like no matter how much you prewash/dry on hot, it still ends up slowly shrinking over time. I also added 3/4” width to the sleeves at the bicep and elbow, tapering to nothing at the cuff. I’m not sure the extra width was necessary but RTW shirt sleeves are usually too tight so I always err on the side of adding more room. It can always be trimmed off if necessary.

Construction

Cutting took me quite a lot in both time and extra fabric due to trying my best to pattern match the plaid.

When it comes to shirts I find there often a few different ways of accomplishing the same thing, so while I give the instructions a glance I often depend on instructions from a variety of resources.

For the collar and collar band pieces I trimmed all seam allowances down to 1/4”, with the exception of the seam where the collar band attaches to the shirt neck. I just find it’s easy to manage both seam allowance accuracy and bulk with 1/4” instead of 3/8” seam allowances.

I use the thread method for collars now. It involves some precision getting the thread and your needle in the right position but once you turn out the corner it comes out so much sharper than if you trim and then push it out like most sewing instructions have you do. I use this same method for cuffs and really anything else where you need to turn out a sharp corner.

I used Pam Erny’s tutorial for shirt sleeve plackets. Her tutorial is probably the best out there. Something about splitting the placket piece into two where the slit is instead and keeping the folded edge squared off instead of angled helps me get a more professional end result.

I sewed all the buttons on using my new button sewing foot. It certainly makes the process much quicker, but I prefer the function of a hand sewn button as you can add a shank when sewing to make things sit smoother, especially when it’s a thicker fabric like this.

Conclusion

I’m pretty happy with this shirt and plan on making the shirtdress length version in the future as well. I just wish Jalie included short sleeve length as well as full length sleeves with the pattern, since it seems like it would make such a nice summer dress.

Second Jelly Roll Rug: Cottage Bloom

Fabric: Cottage Bloom from Craftido.

A few different things about this one from my first one.

I finally bought replacement legs for my Janome’s extension table, so I had that properly set up this time instead of it being balanced on some books. I also worked on my dining room table when it came time to zigzag the edges together. As the rug grew I was careful to push away anything that could bump up against it, like the chairs opposite from me. What a difference it made! It was much easier getting a flat rug this time.

I decided to try to blend the thread colors with the fabric instead of using one color like I did for my first one. I like the more subtle look.

I also applied Gotta Grip-It rug fixative to the bottom after sewing. I have mostly hardwood floors in my house, which is downright dangerous when paired with a jelly roll rug. For my first rug I bought a rug pad to put underneath but didn’t like how it kept sliding out, so I decided to try something more permanent. With Gotta Grip-It you just paint on a thin layer and let it dry. It paints on white but dries clear, and once it’s finished drying it creates a tacky finish on the bottom of the rug. Aside from texture, the only indication Gotta Grip-It is there is a slight sheen.

After trying it on this rug, I am in love. It really keeps the rug in place! No rug pad sliding out, and the rug can still be washed.

With this particular rug I didn’t do a great job rounding the first few corners, and as a result they’re kind of squished. I was working with my toddler playing around me and wasn’t able to press as I went, so I just did my best with my fingers. I do think in the future it is worth taking the time to press as you round the first few corners.

Sew Can She Boxy Zipper Pouch

Pattern Background

The Boxy Zipper Pouch, available for free from Sew Can She, is a small zippered structured pouch with optional side tabs and side pockets. All but the side seams are finished with self fabric binding. Approximate finished dimensions are 6” x 4.5” x 3”.

Materials

Suggested fabric for the exterior and interior is quilting cotton. I used a 100% cotton shirting from Fabric Mart which was left over from making my son a shirt a few weeks ago.

Suggested materials for the interfacing are foam stabilizer, quilt batting, or fusible fleece. I used Bosal In-R-Foam Plus single sided foam stabilizer from WAWAK.

The zipper was part of a #4.5 handbag zipper assortment from Amazon.

Construction

I never quilted anything before and felt like this was a low risk project to start with. I started off by fusing my foam to the lining, and then sprayed the other side of the foam with quilt basting spray and laid the fabric on top of it. Then I quilted it on my Juki TL-2010Q, choosing to do a 1/2″ diamond pattern.

Sew Can She has a pattern piece available for download, but also gives guidance on how to draw the pattern directly onto your fabric using a ruler. I chose to take her advice and drew lines directly onto the fabric after quilting it. I’m not sure if the binding was supposed to be on the bias or not, but I always cut my binding on the bias so that’s what I did here too. Rather than cut to the lengths specified I just cut strips and then trimmed them down to the correct length after stitching.

While you have to scroll through a zillion ads, the pattern is free and there’s plenty of photos showing step by step how to construct this pouch. By the time you’re done you get a nice little bag with a clean finish inside. However when it came to adding the binding by the zipper and tab my Juki started to struggle with all the layers where the zipper tape and teeth were, and I had to slow way, way down and baby it through this part. If your machine isn’t the most powerful I would recommend skipping the side tabs to reduce bulk in this area.

Sew Can She recommends either zigzagging the raw edges after sewing the side seams or binding them. I had just run out of bobbin thread so instead of doing binding I finished them on my serger.

After I was done, I found I had to fold the bag by the corners and give it a little press with my iron to help guide it into a true box shape.

Conclusion

While I find the tabs handy for zipping and unzipping, I don’t find the side pockets terribly useful. However they are cut from the scraps of the main bag, so it is no big deal to cut them out and add them on.

My intention for this bag is to make several of them to contain things like sewing machine needles, clips, etc. As a result, I really like the structure the foam adds to the bag. It gives such a sturdy, solid feel while still staying lightweight. I do think in the future I will stick to sew-in foam though. The fusible is convenient but I find it just doesn’t give as nice of a look as the non-fusible side.

I recommend checking out the Sew She Can website if you have any interest in making bags, quilts, home organization items, crafts, etc. There’s a ton of free patterns with good tutorials there for all sorts of stuff.

My Mum Makes Art Smock

My son, who will be turning three this summer, has always been a messy eater. When he was an infant, during the warmer months we would just strip him down to his diaper (suggested by our lactation consultant) and put on a bib and let him go to town. For the colder months I discovered these waterproof smocks. My husband and I have been suiting him up with a silicone catch-all bib and smock and it’s been working really well. We are at the point now where the smocks are too small and the Velcro has gone out. While the waterproof fabric is good in some ways, it also delaminated over time and tended to be very sweaty during the non-winter months. For this reason I wanted to make him some sturdy 100% cotton smocks in a larger size. I wanted to avoid Velcro this time around too because as I mentioned before, over time it lost its effectiveness and it made washing more of a pain because things would catch on it (and over time fuzzies got caught in it too).

I found it surprisingly difficult to find a sleeved smock pattern. The sleeves are pretty crucial because as I mentioned before he’s messy and always finds a way to get his arms into whatever yogurt or marinara sauce he happened to have in front of him.

After some searching on Etsy I found the My Mum Makes art smock. I chose it because it had the size range I was looking for, good reviews, and actual finished garment photos.

Pattern Background

This is a PDF only digital pattern. The two sizes included are 1-4 and 4-8. In addition to written instructions the seller has video instructions available as well. I love this trend because it makes sewing so much more accessible to younger people who may not an actual in-person mentor to help them out.

The smock has two pieces: front and back. They’re cut-on sleeves and just sewn together. The hems are finished with bias tape. Elastic is used to gather the neckline and sleeves.

Materials

For my first version (the blue one) I used a sturdy cotton Kaufman Oxford cloth shirting I got from the long gone fabric.com back in 2012. It is the weight of a lightweight denim shirting.

For my beige versions I used a Robert Kaufman 100% cotton fine line twill from Fabric Mart.

Construction

I changed a few things from the instructions.

I didn’t use binding for finishing the back and hem. Instead I did a 1/4” rolled hem. For my blue version I used a rolled hem foot on my Juki TL-2010Q. For my beige version I used the paper hem method.

I wanted to use a tie in the back instead of the elasticized bias binding as it isn’t important to me that he get it on and off independently. (In fact I want him to need help because I want to get a chance to wipe off his hands before he touches his hair/clothes!) So I ended up cutting out some self fabric bias binding, making it long enough to tie in the back. I then threaded the elastic through the casing made by the binding and secured it where the back ends. It was tedious. For subsequent versions I used 1/4” elastic, stretching it as much as it could go to fit and stitched it down in the middle. Then I applied the binding, stretching the elastic out as I went along so it wasn’t gathered. Then once I was done I carefully steamed it so it shrunk back into shape.

The cuffs called for 1/4” elastic with a 1” casing. Like what?? The cuff is quite small so I ended up cutting a piece of 3/8” elastic, overlapped and sewed the ends, tacked it down at the seams, then stitched it in place to the wrong side down the middle, stretching to fit. Then I flipped it over twice so that the raw edge was fully enclosed and stitched along the edge very closely. Much neater and the elastic won’t roll during washing.

Conclusion

This pattern is not really professionally done pattern like you’d get from Jalie, Style Arc, Ottobre, Burda, etc. The drafting IMO should be cleaned up a bit more (it is literally just hand drawn lines) and I noticed some errors. There’s no grainlines drawn and both pieces are labeled “front.” This didn’t give me a ton of confidence However, it fits my son well, keeps his clothes clean, and is very easy to wash.