Simplicity 1316

I have never sewn princess seam before and was curious to try it. After looking at various patterns I decided on trying a simple top Simplicity 1316. Went with view B but without the trims. For fabric I went with this silky material in my stash. I think it is some kind of polyester mix. Not a fan of this fabric as it is unraveling like crazy.

This pattern has many neckline variations and it does not have a set in sleeve. So it is a very easy beginner pattern. The instructions are very clear and I was able to cut and sew the blouse in  day. Because the fabric frays so much I finished every seam with a zigzag. All in all a very easy sew.






How it looks on me is another story. I think this style is more suited for thinner figures. I am not sure if it is the princess seam or if it is the fabric I feel that it is ballooning esp in the chest area and is not very flattering on me.

I still enjoyed sewing this. I really like the neck, I think facing makes the neck look nicely finished. Looking for suggestions on if it might look better if I go up one size.

August MAGAM completed - Newlook 6351 - Drawstring trousers

For August MAGAM the theme is Back to basics. I am taking a vacation in September and wanted comfortable travel pants. Why not try Newlook 6351view B.


I also wanted to make sure that the pants don't look like Pajamas, so decided to do a muslin. If it turned up  looking like Pajamas I could always wear it at home.

The fabric is a soft hand-loom cotton from my native Kerala, India. I did not have enough fabric so you will see the border peeking at the bottom of the leg and also in the back. I also had to use a little bit of the border in the back pocket. For the side pockets some remnant from another project got used.

This was an easy sew. The side pockets are a little different from what I have done before. It is cut on the fold to eliminate a seam and is cut straight instead of a curve. I liked it that it went into the waist band.

The back pocket is folded patch pocket. I modified and lined the pocket to avoid the folding. You can see the border on the back-pocket due to lack of fabric.

I went with size 20 but I think I can come down at least one size. The pattern came with an elastic guide and I needed to cut at least 5 or 6 inches lesser of the elastic. I also found the legs boxy so took in 1 inch from each of the side seam. and tapered it up to the thigh. So what do you all think? Does it look like a Pajama or can I use it as travel pants with a different fabric? Love to hear your opinion. I will definitely sew this again even if it is as a Pajama pant.