Perfect Hudson Joggers

It’s rare that I wait years between patterns, and probably even more rare that I reorder a favorite fabric. Both of those things happened with this project!

If you haven’t tried a jogger pattern by now you’re missing out! So comfy, and lucky for moms everywhere athleisure is a real thing. I made some Hudson Joggers a few years ago and they’ve gotten a lot of wear. The fit was a little bit off, so I’ve been looking forward to trying it again with a few adjustments.

The fabric is cotton/modal French terry from The Fabric Store. I used it before for this Hey June Lane/Halifax hack. It is AMAZING. I couldn’t resist ordering more, all the way from New Zealand. Worth it.

The fabric isn't really pulling,

the problem is my hands in my pockets.

I used the loop side for the pocket accents, the waistband, and the ankle cuffs. I like the bit of contrast. For the drawstring, I used some cord left over from my Allegro Shorts. I just tied a knot in the end. My new sewing machine has a cool eyelet function, so I was able to sew a circle for the drawstring instead of a buttonhole.

I previously made a size 8 based on my hip measurement (38"). The hips fit great, but the pants were a little long, and the rise was a bit high for my personal tastes. For this version, I removed 1” from the leg at the lengthen/shorten line (for reference I’m 5’4”), and 1/2” from the rise, front and back. I forgot to adjust the pockets and it turned out fine. I did make sure to use a lightweight fabric for the pocket facing (leftover from this shirt), to cut down on bulk.

Now the fit is perfect, the fabric is perfect, and I somehow have to stop myself from wearing these every single day. I love when a vision comes together! And in case you were wondering, yes, that is my black Merino Union St. tee, and yes, I wear it about every other day.

Style Arc Eden Dress

I'm a big fan of Style Arc, I love their trendy styles and their monthly releases. And everyone can appreciate their freebies with purchase! This month, one of their free pattern options is the Eden Knit Dress. I instantly was drawn to the simplicity of the dress, and, of course, POCKETS!

The pattern is a freebie or available for purchase separately. I was pleasantly surprised to discover that promotion applied even with pdfs. I quickly checked through the SA website and found the Laura Knit Leggings pattern was inexpensive (and I could probably use a new leggings pattern anyway). I added that to my cart, then added the Eden, and the Eden was then discounted down to free! In retrospect, the leggings would actually work well with the Eden.

The Eden clocked in at around 30 some pages, which is about my limit on pdfs. Cutting was also a pain as I opted to do it single layer. The pattern suggested 2.2 yards for my size (6) and I ended up using almost 2 1/2. There was no cutting diagram in the pattern, here's how I did it:

Flip each piece over and then cut a second sleeve

beneath the first one.

The fit is excellent and spot on for my bust (~33"). The sleeves are narrow and long, which prevents the look from becoming overwhelming. I did remove 5" from the hem. I am 5'4" and I think SA drafts for 5'6". I probably went a teensy bit too short but it just depends on what you like, and what shoes you have for styling purposes. Next time I might make it a little longer and possibly go lower with the neckline (more like a V-neck Union St. tee).

Black blob photo

Speaking of the V-neck, the only time I deviated from the instructions was with the neckband. Since there is a center-front seam, I opted to leave that seam unsewn, sew on the neckband, and then sew up the center-front. I then tacked down the seam allowance. I ended up with a nice, neat V-neck without much effort.

The fabric I used is a rayon/spandex knit from Jo-Ann's. I recently had some time to kill there after picking up some elastic and browsed the fabric for the first time in ages. I was pleasantly surprised to find lots of gorgeous rayon knits, cotton sweater knits, and even quilted apparel fabrics. It wasn't all polyester and fleece (although there is still plenty of it!). There was more than one fabric that begged to come home with me, but I ended up with just this one. It's a touch sheer but probably only noticeable to me. I swear there is some polyester in it but it was not listed on the bolt, so who knows.

I wore this dress on Valentine's Day. It was the first time I've worn a dress in forever and I loved it more and more as the day went on. This pattern would be super fun to color-block but it also looks good in a print. I could see lots of these in my closet, especially as we transition into spring.