true bias | oliversfancy

I first discovered this fabric because Rachael sent me a bit to try out. It was just so soft and squishy I knew that I needed more!! I promptly ordered yardage to make hudson pants for the lot of us, plus a running sweatshirt for me (more on that very soon!). The fabric is a terry-backed lycra wickaway. (Main fabric is the piston green color way.) It works really well for exercising in so if you’re needing some cold weather exercise clothes, you’ve gotta try this! I know it’s kinda silly to make clothes for the boys out of the wickaway but it was so cute that I couldn’t resist. Hey, they get sweaty playing too! Plus Eliot is in love with “comfy pants” and so I knew he would love these.

I would like to point out that I actually bought this particular color for Eliot and an orange colorway for Oliver but when I went to make O’s, he decided he wanted to match his brother and I managed to have enough of the green to make two pairs. (The fabric is crazy wide!). So I didn’t set out to do the matchy-matchy thing…It just kinda happened.

I seem to be the last person in the sewing universe who has yet to make mini hudsons for their kids. I’ve been dying to make the boys some, but just hadn’t had the time yet. And now that I finally got around to it I give it two thumbs up. Love it! Super quick and easy especially if you use the serger. I made the boys a size 3 and 5….Eliot’s fit great but Oliver’s are kinda big. Which is fine because he will grow into them but I think next time I’ll make his skinny self a 4…

And yeah, I could not get any good pictures of the boys together! They were being such goobers but it was so cold outside that I didn’t want to force them to stay outside too long. Headless shots are better than yucky indoor lighting. Also well aware Eliot’s shirt doesn’t match… #realkidsrealclothes, y’all… He’s even wearing his brother snow boots to complete his crazy get-up…Kids. But when he asks in his cute little voice to wear “the comfy pants you made me,” I’ll let him wear whatever he wants with them. He’s a good schmoozer that one.

I don’t know about y’all, but I was so excited to find out there was another women’s clothing pattern parcel! Jill did such a great job coordinating a diverse selection of women’s patterns. Here’s the patterns offered in this parcel:

Syrah Skirt by Lauren Dahl (exclusive release!)
Bronte Top by Jennifer Lauren
Julia Cardigan by Mouse House Creations
Hudson Pant by True Bias
Zsalya Dress by Kate and Rose
BONUS PATTERN: Odette Dress by Bluegingerdoll

Great, right? We were encouraged this time around to mix and match the garments so that y’all could see how versatile and practical the patterns are. Well I’m not sure how good a job that I did on that, but I really can see how many of these patterns would work well together. I chose to make the Hudson pants and Julia cardigan- both of which have been on my to-make list for a while.

Before I begin with the pants, let me bemoan the lack of proper knits in my area! Really, it’s just so sad. I dragged both boys with me to the 2 big box fabric stores in town to see if I could find anything- and after several hours of searching: nothing! The only non-polyester option I could find was this 1×1 rib knit. I think this knit is quite a bit stretchier than the pattern recommends so that comes into play with my sizing issues mentioned below. I ordered some french terry online this week to have more options in future knit garments. I know I’m picky when it comes to fabric, but is it too much to ask for some quality knit fabrics available locally? If I’m going to put all that effort into clothing, I want it to last and wear well! Why, oh why do I not live in Portland? Sigh. Ok rant over. 😉

I measured in between the 6 and the 8 and ended up going with the 6 because I knew this is a generous fit pant. They actually ended up being just a little big, but I think that may have been due to my overly-stretchy rib fabric. I’m going to try them again in my french terry and see if that fit is better. The legs weren’t too big- just a relaxed fit look, but I had some funny wrinkles in the front crotch area. Also, I must have ridiculously small ankles because I ended up having to cut 4 inches off the cuff width to make them fit! I ended up taking the legs in a bit too so that the leg opening would fit into the cuff. I started out 1/4″ smaller at the top of the leg and gradually angled down to about 1.5″ at the bottom. That made the pants end up just a bit snug in the legs but I think they’re actually super comfy that way so i’m happy.

This is my first pair of pants that I’ve made and I’m so happy with them. Can’t believe I actually made pants! Even if they are sweatpants, I still think it’s pretty cool. Kelli does a great job with this pattern in walking you through the construction so in my opinion, they come together pretty quickly and easily, especially if you use your serger for most of the construction which I did.

I also made the Julia cardigan. I made a medium and used some tissue weight knit that I bought from Wanderlust Fabric. I chose the 3/4 length sleeves with the doubled over collar version. The hardest thing about this cardigan was cutting out the fabric. Because I used a thin knit, it was very shifty and I took a long time to make sure it was cut out straight and on grain. The knit itself is a good quality knit even though it’s thin so I am pleased with the end result.

The pattern is very straightforward and comes together pretty quickly. The only thing I would prefer is a few more notches on various pieces (especially the collar) to help match everything up easier. I didn’t end up with any problems so it’s not a huge deal, just a personal preference.

I did make a few modifications. First, I shortened the collar piece along the bottom front and back area. I cut half the length off the back piece (about 3″) and angled the front pieces down gradually to meet that piece. I like my 3/4th length cardigans on the shorter side so that’s why I made the alteration. I also tapered the sleeve in a bit and took a few inches off the cuff as Hayley recommends in the pattern instructions if you want a snugger fit in the sleeve.

It’s so fun to increase your sewing knowledge to where you feel comfortable making changes to patterns to fit you perfectly! I am looking forward to making another one of these cardigans in a heavier weight knit and long sleeves. One more item of clothing that I can now make instead of buy. Cha-ching!

I really like this collection of patterns because they are a great collection to be able to mix and match for your wardrobe. I can’t wait to have time to make up a few more of these patterns. Here’s my version of the two pieces matched together. They don’t mesh super well because I couldn’t find a good t-shirt to wear underneath the cardigan. With the right shirt, I could totally see pulling these two pieces off together! Maybe as an excuse to wear the sweatpants to the grocery store or something?!

This parcel, like usual, is only available as a group for two weeks so go get it while you can! Make sure you check out the IG hashtag #patternparcel for more ideas from these patterns. Full disclosure: I was provided with these patterns in return for blogging about them but all opinions are, as always, my own.