Halla Stay Cozy! The Cozy Wrap Cardigan Sewing Pattern

I adore Halla Patterns. 

The ease of sewing, the way they flatter my body, ALL THE OPTIONS, pockets, hoods, and more!

I have honestly had this Cozy Wrap Cardigan pattern in my to-do box (not just - one-day-I'll-get-to-it filing box) since its release last Spring! 

With life and sewing at 50% my normal capacity (thanks, stupid migraine brain), I just kept putting it off.

Well I want to make some Winter/Christmas rotation clothes before the holiday season is over, and Halla never fails to be a quick sew, as intricate as their patterns look.

This cardigan has SO many options:

- Cross Front Cardigan

- Cross Front Sweater

- Midline Button Up Cardigan

- Half or Long Sleeves

- Cuffs and Band options

- Pocket Tutorial

I opted to sew up:

- Cross Front Sweater

- Long Sleeves hemmed

- Bottom Band

My bottom hem, Sleeves, and main fabric (hello, Star Wars Christmas!) are all from Water Tower Textiles - light cotton lycra.

The cowl part is actually a Le Chateau Sweater that was just way too small - but the fabric was perfect to be remade into this cardigan! 

The sewing was simple, and due to user error, I only had to unpick the bottom band, as I had a Migraine moment and sewed the front inner cross piece to the back band instead of the front. 

Learn from my mistake! 

The armcycle is super comfy (I have problems fitting into arms if they are more slender), and the regular length unshortened with the band is perfect for leggings wear.  I'm 5'-2", but generally prefer a bum-covering top.

I love the cowl - technically I didn't need a camisole underneath, but I did wear my Cami from Rebecca Page patterns for some modesty.

The Eden Leggings are from Bella Sunshine Designs, and the perfect fabric match for my Christmas Star Wars fabric!



So, grab your Cardigan Pattern and see how many you sew up!  I'm already planning on at least another 3, as there are SO many options! 

***Affiliate Links Above used - I love these patterns, and without the help of those who love their patterns, marketing would be extremely difficult for the pattern makers we love and learn to love. Affiliate links help with the hours, fabric, and tears that go behind testing each pattern in order to provide a real-person view on the patterns for you (and me!) 

Won't You Take Me to Comfy Town?

Choo Choo!  Welcome to your next stop on the Rebecca Page Comfy Town Blog Tour!


What is comfier than a cup of warm tea, coffee, or hot chocolate, a good book, and a stuffie? 

Having all of the above while wearing your comfy clothes!

Today I have a few hacks and tips for a few of my fave patterns by Rebecca Page Patterns.

The Paris Party Dress Top and Pippa Pants: The Oopsie Hack

Everything is better with stuffed Unicorns and Flamingos!

I always forget about the Paris Party Dress *TOP*. And I forgot how flattering and easy to make it was. (an easy sew = automatically comfy)


When I received my recent Water Tower Textiles order, I knew this striped lightweight cotton lycra was meant to be a Paris Party Top!

It is the perfect fit, matches with my Flamingo Pippas, and is super easy to grade (I am a Medium to XL in *most* Rebecca Page Patterns). 

The pants, however...let's just say - READ THE STRETCH REQUIREMENTS!

I failed to do this, as I was so excited to sew up my Flamingo fabric - which happens to be some lightweight sort of 2-way stretch fleece from a Walmart throw blanket.

So....when I tried on my Pippas, out came the seam ripper and my hacking noggin. 

The pants wouldn't come up over my thighs let alone to my hips, so I:

- Measured the existing fabric (with stretch), and realized I needed to add another 6" on either side to get these birds on my not-so-stick-legs

- The pants fit my knees to ankles, so I knew I didn't need to cut down past where my knee hit - so I cut a straight line down the length from where the pants should sit (without the band) to my knee.

- I cut a slight angle on either side of the slit to prevent wonkiness at the point (knee)

- fdfaf

And after all that, they fit perfectly!  And I now know to DEFINITELY size up the next time I don't use the proper stretch fabric for my Pippas.

The Strappy Cami and Pippa Pants

The Strappy Cami is a Subscription Only pattern - and it's SO comfy and easy to sew up.  The grading makes it fit like a glove. 

This is my fourth Cami AND pair of Pippas... I'm a bit obsessed. 

But the comfort of this outfit screams: "Curl up on the couch with a puppy at your feet while reading a book and sipping on some tea!"

I like this Camisole more than others because it also has a Ruched Side version. I'm a sucker for Ruching as it hides my imperfections and I can nom nom without it showing (ha ha).

The fabric is the same fabric as the Paris Top above, from Water Tower Textiles.

Comfy Cowl and Pippa Pants

Gideon approves of my next comfy outfit!  

I LOVE this Comfy Cowl, and so does Husband.  He compliments me on my other two all the time, so why not add a third into the mix?  

I love the way it flows, the pocket option, and the cowl multi tasks as a head cover if I forget my hat!

Lightweight Cotton Lycra/Rayon from Water Tower Textiles.  Obviously I have a favourite Fabric supplier, and Patty has awesome "clearance" fabric - my favourite way to shop!

Another pair of Pippas (#5!), with some awesome Scaled Fabric from Okee Dokee Fabrics.  It's Double Brushed Polyester, and feels like a dream when I wear them!  

I can wear all of these garments to be comfy at home, work (I *do* work from my home office 98% of the time), or just running errands.  

I mean, who wants buttons, snaps, and tightness while succeeding at life? Not this girl!  

Please visit all the stops on the Rebecca Page Comfy Town Blog Tour. Don't forget to comment on the blogs each day and enter the giveaway posts in our Facebook group or a chance to win some prizes from Rebecca Page.

1. Monday, November 26: Rebecca Page (Intro), bigflynotions, Stitched by Jennie
2. Tuesday, November 27: Ropp Originals, Flaxfield Sewing
3. Wednesday, November 28: Simply Kyra, Seams Sew Lo
4. Thursday, November 29: Seams Like Style, Jot Designs, Sixth Snow
5. Friday, November 30: The Sewing Unicorn, PatchWitch
6. Saturday, December 1: Sarcastic Sewist, Bellephant, Princesse et Tresors
7. Sunday, December 2: Liviality, Soul Fed on Thread, The Scatty Sewer

Class. Elegance. Style. The Tara Tailored Jacket by Rebecca Page Patterns

You know when it's love at first sight, and you MUST HAVE THAT PATTERN?  

That was my first instinct when I saw draft pictures of the Tara Tailored Jacket by Rebecca Page Patterns. 

What did I learn while sewing her up (the jacket, not the gal)?  

Print instructions in colour. Read directions 3 times. Don't sew while having a major Triple Threat Migraine attack (Vertigo, Nausea, AND headache all at once - not fun - that's my tap out point). 

So kind of like love, I still love Tara, but it was a roller coaster ride to get her down the aisle and presentable in her final form. 

 



Tara's features include:
- Frill on front lapel
- Lined interior  - all hidden seams
- Full or half lined back
- POCKETS!

I used random suiting fabric lightweight, some lining I had, and the lapel strip is just regular quilting cotton that matched the purple lining.

 

I love the cascade of the front lapel - it's unique and feminine.  This makes it the perfect jacket for the office or a night on the town.

The lining options (for full or partial) give it another unique touch, and is pretty easy to sew in.

The armcycle is comfortable - and I can have issues with my arms fitting as apparently my biceps are bigger than what my bust size should be with other pattern makers.

The pockets are small, so could fit maybe a lip balm, change, or something else small - but at least they are functional.  



 


My difficulties included using the wrong type of interfacing.  I have one that's much stiffer, and not really meant for draping clothing. Tara still drapes on me, just not to the extent that I would like it to.

The cuff slit also got me - I don't feel I did it right, but it was the same issue of understanding that I didn't have with my Paige Pencil skirt.  It was a common issue with a lot of the testers - which the final instructions included a much more broken down version with lots of pictures.

I will definitely make another Tara again -I love it compared to other business jackets, and I can easily make it out of a funky fabric for an every day jacket! 

How fun is that?? 

I added my own label, and the end result of my jacket: Love.

***Affiliate Links Above used - I love these patterns, and without the help of those who love their patterns, marketing would be extremely difficult for the pattern makers we love and learn to love. Affiliate links help with the hours, fabric, and tears that go behind testing each pattern in order to provide a real-person view on the patterns for you (and me!) 

Be Very Very Quiet....The Rebecca Page Patterns Quiet Book Christmas Hack!

I love the Rebecca Page Quiet Book, and really enjoyed making their Advent Calendar last Winter. 

This brings me to meshing together two patterns into one 

Let me remind you of my original Quiet Book (with the Add on Pattern Pages).

With my newest idea,  I used 4 different patterns:

- The Original Quiet Book

- The Quiet Book Add On

- The Advent Calendar

- The Advent Calendar Add On

I started out with the most important part -Santa Claus!

This is part of the Quiet Book Add On, and was pretty simple. 

I used the boy pattern for the body, head, and hair. 

I freecut a felt beard and moustache - I just glued it on after Santa was fully stuffed and put together.

I used iron-on patch fabric to iron on the hand cut eyes, nose, mouth, and eyebrows (before sewing the head together with the body!), 

Glue gun came out again to glue the black belt (aka ribbon) around his waist, and a cute emerald rhinestone for the belt buckle. 

The hat is just two triangle pieces of felt sewn together at the side seams - I measured the Santa's head circumference before cutting, and it's the perfect fit.  I sewed lace on afterwards for the "fur" effect. So it's removable- and Santa has all of his hair!

A little button I glued on (oops - it was an afterthought) underneath the beard to really finish him off. 

Next was my first room.  I opted for the Pond from the Original Quiet Book, the Branch from the Quiet Book Add On, and used felt Icicles, Snowflakes, Skates, and Gloves from the Free Advent Calendar.

I glue gunned all the Advent Calendar pieces for this book - no one has time for that much sewing after all the cutting!  

For the Snowflakes, I glued cute silver rhinestones in the centre, and even added a little white snow puff on the branch (which is actually the "leaves" pattern of the original Quiet Book branch). 

The penguin is from the Quiet Book Add on - it was a "Chick" pattern, but I just hand cut a white belly, black wings, and black tail, used Brads as eyes and a beak, and sewed a snap onto the back (and a few on the page) to help with motor skill, and so he could move around on different pages. 

The skates were from the original Advent Calendar, but I traced around them to increase the pattern size by 1.5, and just glued them to the one layer of pond - I feel they are a cute touch. 

Here's Santa and the Girl Doll - the gloves are attached to a ribbon together, and can just be hung around her neck or stuck into one of the pond pockets.

The Living Room is from the first Quiet Book.  

I added in a hand drawn Christmas Tree adorned with Candy Canes, Star, a Gift, and Stocking from the Original Advent Calendar.  

The pictures of Santa and Snowman (from the Advent Calendar) are framed with frames from the Quiet Book Add On. 

I put Candy Canes from the Advent Calendar onto each side of the couch - a Merry cute touch!

Santa can pick up some of the items - like the Present and Stocking, which both have Snaps sewn onto their backs (and snaps are sewn under the tree).

The tree is decorated with rhinestone ribbon and Rhinestones. With a cute Advent Calendar Star on top, it's ready to be lit!

See how comfy that couch is??

The Bedroom is from the Original Quiet Book, and I included the Add On Advent Calendar Tardis & Sewing Machine. 

The Girl is dreaming of Tardis and Sewing Machines at night - both from the Avent Calendar Add On.

I used iron on patch fabric and buttons for the drawers & applique on the sewing machine, and felt for the sewing machine & Tardis. 

The Tardis does have a snap sewn on the back so it can move through space and time. It wouldn't be a Tardis otherwise!

The final room is the Kitchen, from the Quiet Book Add On. 

I've included Gingerbread Men, Bows, and the Wreath from the Original Advent Calendar. 

The oven dials are cute Tree Brads - so they actually turn (sort of). 

The Gingerbread Men and cake move thanks to more snaps - causing a lot of chaos (as that's what Gingerbread Men do!).

So be creative and make a few holiday pages for your Quiet Book!  Or start with a Christmas Quiet Book and add on more pages.  

I find with the add on, button holes and ribbon make it SO much easier to add as many pages as you like.  And it's super simple to turn the pages as well. 

I can't wait for my nieces' reactions to the book - double trouble with The Twins!

Share your creations on the Rebecca Page Facebook Page so we can all be inspired!

***Affiliate Links Above used - I love these patterns, and without the help of those who love their patterns, marketing would be extremely difficult for the pattern makers we love and learn to love. Affiliate links help with the hours, fabric, and tears that go behind testing each pattern in order to provide a real-person view on the patterns for you (and me!) 

Bananas in Pajamas! The 5 out of 4 Molly & Desmond Pajama Pattern

Are you thinking what I'm thinking? 

I think you are...

It's Pajama time!  

I lack comfy pajamas - they're old, tattered, or just don't fit.

5 out of 4 has designed the perfect fit pajamas which sew up in a jiff and have multiple options and sizing for the whole fam jam! 

Options include:

- Long or short sleeves

- Optional long sleeve cuffs

- Shorts or Pants length

- Knit or elastic waistbands

- Optional Pants cuffs

- Optional Bum panel

- Newborn to Tween, Ladies, and Mens sizing! 

We opted for ALL the options!

For the Molly, I opted for:

- Long Sleeves & Pants

- Yoga Waistband

- No Bum Panel (boo!)

I used some "faulty" lightweight cotton lycra from Water Tower Textiles for the bottoms. Apparently the lines are supposed to run horizontally, not vertically, so because of the misprint, I was able to snag this fabric at a steal (and they always have awesome clearance fabric!).

The band was a tighter cotton lycra, which is SO comfy without putting pressure on my belly.

The top is another clearance snag from Water Tower Textiles - lightweight cotton lycra - It came in at a different weight than they expected.  Due to their meticulous standards, Clearance away! 

I did use a fun Panel from the Freebies section for my top (Eat, Sleep, Sew).  As I lack a Cricut or cutting machine, I printed both of the panels onto printable fabric paper, ironed it onto white cotton lycra, and sewed it on with a zig zag stitch.

I know from the past, that this paper doesn't have longevity, so will replace it in about half a dozen washes with another cut out. I'm going to try tinkering with heat transfer vinyl sheets and cutting out cute cut files by hand and see how durable it is. Another machine isn't in the budget, so I'll experiment, as there are so many fun Cut Files from 5 out of 4 (and everywhere) that I'd like to try out.

Onto the sewing, the instructions were clear, easy to follow, and the pictures showed me what to do - perfect for those of us who are visual or have brain injuries/issues where the words sometimes don't compute (hello migraine brain 24 hours a day!).

The fit is medium loose fitting - and doesn't billow out anywhere.  I feel it's flattering...and really I could make these into regular day wear pants and they'd be perfectly comfortable and suitable.

Sweet!  Pajamas for ALL day pants!

The Desmond for Husband included:

- Shorts

- Bum Panel (because his bum is really cute!)

- Short Sleeves

Again, I used the same lightweight Black Cotton Lycra and a cute Doodles Print from Water Tower Textiles for his outfit.

Now, for the top, I did modify it to compensate for Husband's front girth (he's "normal" everywhere else).

How, you ask?

I cut the back panel at an XL shape.

THEN I cut the front panel to grade from XL at the chest up to 3XL for the waist and hips.

This led to the perfect fitting top for him without looking all billowed out. The chest fit well, but it also isn't too tight around the belly area.

I used this same method on the Rocky Tee, and it's his favourite T-shirt pattern

So, if the man in your life has essentially a beer belly, use the method above to grade JUST the front panel, and you should have the perfect fit.  Make sure to do a muslin first to ensure the fit is proper, and the length is sufficient.

If the length is still too short at the front, you can always lower the front hem with a deeper curve (so add paper to your pattern, and draw a curve from side to side). Make sure it's gradual so it doesn't look apparent, and your man will be asking you to sew clothes for him too!

And because Husband gave me a hard time about pictures, it was difficult to keep him sort of serious.

Grab your partner's behind and these patterns for the whole family and get sewing - these will make awesome Christmas gifts or everyday gifts.

And you'll have troubles getting everyone out of their pajamas!

Babies & Kids

Ladies

Mens

Until next time! 

***Affiliate Links Above used - I love these patterns, and without the help of those who love their patterns, marketing would be extremely difficult for the pattern makers we love and learn to love. Affiliate links help with the hours, fabric, and tears that go behind testing each pattern in order to provide a real-person view on the patterns for you (and me!)