Excessively Wordy Kelly Anorak Review

Why not keep up my momentum with really long posts about Closet Case Patterns patterns? (Say that three times fast.) And did I mention it's olive AGAIN?

Kelly Anorak. Whoompf. Where to start (here, actually). I made this once before. The fabric was free as a guest blogger for Organic Cotton Plus, so I *had* to finish it. It definitely would have become a bonfire, otherwise. There were so many issues with the instructions and the pattern pieces, which I wrote about extensively in my previous review. I did. not. want. to. make. another. But then this fabric appeared. This beautiful, squishy, unique, special fabric. Soft shell nylon coating with a fleece backing, in MANY colorways. SWOON. It demanded to become an unlined jacket.

I hemmed and hawed about whether or not to return to a pattern that, quite frankly, I hated. Anorak patterns are few and far between, and indies are $$, and isn't it stupid to buy another pattern when I had one that was suitable? Especially when I knew the fit was perfect? Fine universe. I will make another Kelly.

I went with the same size as before, a 6 in the bust graded to a 10 in the hips. No matter how much hate I dump on CCP, their size chart fits me better than most. I'm 5'4" and did not make any length adjustments (it's drafted for 5'6").

This time, I was determined to personalize the pattern more. I hate patterns that can't be tweaked to be unique. I modified the back to be longer/rounded. I also drafted patch pockets with flaps instead of using the provided bellows pockets. Does it still look like a Kelly? Nah. But that only matters on Instagram, which isn't real life, so it's cool.

For help sewing this fabric, I am greatly indebted to Michelle at Style Maker Fabrics, who made the same pattern with the same fabric (so did @angela_butler7 on IG). I used a topstitching needle for everything, mostly because it was already on my machine and the test stitches I did looked great. I used a combination of flat-felled seams, faux flat-felled seams, and seams that were pressed open and topstitched on both sides. The thicker areas of topstitching were made using a triple stitch, some areas were done with a regular stitch. I kind of just went with the flow and my gut. I also used bias tape finishing on raw edges, which I loved in my first version. I omitted the drawstring. My machine (Brother PC-420) handled the bulk well, but I bet my beginner machine would not have.

Can you spy the snap that popped off? Sigh.

This fabric was not fond of being pressed. I kept my heat on low and used a press cloth with lots of water, and a clapper. It was good enough in most places but my flat-felled seams would have looked better if the fabric wasn't so spongy.

The only downside to this fabric was that it left visible holes any time I ripped out stitches. Particularly triple stitches (duh). So there are some areas with ~decorative~ topstitching...in other words, it got wonky, and rather than rip it out, I tried to make it look purposeful (the hood in particular). So, y'know, no pressure, but if you want to use this fabric you can't make any mistakes.

Happily, making this pattern a second time was much easier. I wouldn't say I skimmed the instructions, but this time they actually made sense. I did refer to my finished jacket several times to refresh my memory. The sewalong on the website is 100% necessary for the placket. You should also read it for the sleeve cuffs, because it basically admits that they f*ed around with the seam allowances because reasons.

Now that I've sewn two of these, I do have some tips for successfully dealing with this pattern:

1. Cut extra length on the placket pieces (J, K, L, M) they are drafted short
2. Use a walking foot for all the vertical seams on the placket
3. Baste the zipper with a walking foot
4. You need more interfacing than the pattern states (I used none for this jacket however)
5. The zipper pull in the directions is on the opposite side of every zipper made ever
6. Buy extra snaps
7. Buy LOTS of thread
8. The wrong side of the fabric will show when you make the cuff placket

My snaps were purchased from Stecks Store via Amazon. They are spring snaps, the same as the ones on my first Kelly. I like them, but I do have a hard time getting them set properly so that they close well. I'm not sure what I'm doing wrong. One male side came off while I was taking photos and I'm out of pieces, so I'll either need to order more or use silver pieces left over from my other coat. The zipper, which is miraculously the perfect exact shade of olive, is from ZipperStop via Amazon (also where I got my previous zipper).

Once I decided on the changes to the pockets and the hem, and realized I didn't need interfacing, I was excited about this project. My first Kelly was kind of ruined by Otter Wax and I rarely wear it, unless I'm just stomping around my own yard. I desperately needed a rain coat and this one turned out just so gorgeous.

The fleece is super comfortable, although it's not necessarily any warmer than any other unlined jacket (it did not keep me warm during these photos, when it was in the 30s). Going into spring, I'm excited to have this jacket in my wardrobe.

Label from Kylie and the Machine

Summary: if you haven't bought this pattern yet, don't. Especially since you have to pay extra for lining pattern pieces. If you have unfortunately already bought it, you CAN make a great jacket, but it will take a bit of effort. Do your research, your blog reading, and be prepared to flex your patience muscles.

Overly Exhaustive Ginger Jeans Review

Hey, can't say I didn't warn you with the title! May I present to you, my Ginger Jeans.

It kind of feels like making a pair of Gingers is some sort of entrance exam that puts you in a special sewing club. It's definitely one of those patterns that "everybody" makes, which leads to more people making it, which leads to (apparent) marketplace dominance. But might I suggest, that popular does not equal best? Just a thought.

Long time readers know that I have a complicated history with Closet Case Patterns. I had a difficult time with the Bombshell Swimsuit but loved the result. I had an even worse time with the Kelly Anorak and swore off CCP. Then I spontaneously bought and made the Morgan Jeans and had problems with those. And now here I am with Ginger and plans for another Kelly. So take my complaints with the knowledge that I keep coming back for more punishment. (And in 2011 I made Kalle too...)

A pair of olive skinnies have been on my wish list for quite some time. I've been holding back because I couldn't find the right fabric. There are so many variations within the phrase "olive green" and I had a specific shade in mind. I also needed, obviously, proper stretch. Finding what I wanted proved to be very difficult. I finally ended up with this stretch twill from Mood. The color is exactly right, and the stretch is almost right. It has 2% spandex, which is the minimum recommended for Ginger Jeans.

This top is a Union St. Tee, blogged here

Many months back, I traced the pattern in a size 8, attempting to mix the low rise (View A) and the skinny leg (View B). Apparently I wasn't paying enough attention, because the pants were almost done when I realized I had mixed up the back legs from one view and the front legs from another view. It was a big disaster. Also, they were too small.

The back looks disastrous

I ordered more fabric and started tracing again, this time more carefully, and this time in a 10. My hip measurement is 38" which puts me at a 10. My one positive piece of feedback for CCP (and it is not a minor thing!) is that their size chart is spot-on. I've found that to be true of all the ones I've sewn. I had started with an 8 due to concerns over the waist fit, but really, I needed to fit the hip and then change the waist from there.

If you buy this pattern planning to mix the views, like I did, you will be disappointed. The entire crotch and leg shape are different between views. Heather from The Pug and Needle has written more about this here. I decided to trace a straight size 10, View A, and then shape the leg on my body during the fit process. It ended up that my fabric did not have enough stretch for a skinny leg, and rather than force the issue, I finished the pants with a stovepipe leg. There is a post on the SBCC blog about shaping legs for a skinny fit, and I will reference this in my next pair of Gingers.

Back to re-tracing. Using my disaster pair as somewhat of a muslin, I researched as much as I could about reducing back waist gape. Even the size 8 had too much gaping, so I knew I could not use the 10 as-drafted. I found a thread at Pattern Review that helped me immensely. It explained how a jeans yoke serves the purpose of dart shaping, and how to modify those "darts" for a better fit (see below, from the fitting portion of the sewalong). I removed a wedge from my yoke piece and a corresponding piece from my waistband. I cut only one waistband until after fitting on my body so that I wouldn't waste fabric with an incorrect facing.

Additionally, I am 5'4" and the pattern is drafted for 5'6". I removed 1" at the lengthen/shorten line, and 1" at the hem. I also moved the back pockets up 3/4" because thigh pockets make me insane.

Finally, my "muslin" had some whiskers in the front, so I made some minor adjustments to the crotch curve. I don't think I solved the problem, so I'll need to tweak that a bit moving forward.

PHEW! All of that work to my paper pattern before I even cut fabric (again). This is why people are scared to make jeans.

On to the sewing. There is a sewalong, but I didn't reference it at all until after I was done sewing. I'm sure things would have gone better if I had read it beforehand, but shouldn't an $18 pattern provide sufficient directions alone? For that matter...shouldn't an $18 pattern provide a mid-rise and a flared leg without having to buy two different expansion packs?

I found two errors in the diagrams, both with the coin pocket.

After the Kelly disaster, I can't say I was really surprised (side note, the CCP website now says that the Kelly needs a zipper with a pull on the left, it did not say that when I bought my pattern...also, if you're buying your zipper online you figure that information out HOW exactly?? Do I sound like a cranky old lady yet?)

I got to the basting stage and added my yoke and waistband. The fit of the hips was excellent but I still had a gap in the back waist. Following the cue of the Thurlow Trousers (meant specifically for pear shapes) I began sewing the center back seam closer and closer to my body until it fit (see above photo with pink basting thread). Essentially, I removed a big dart from CB. It was no longer possible for my waistband to be cut on a fold, it needed to be cut in two pieces to be properly shaped. Fine by me, I simply covered up the seam with a belt loop. Random piece of information I had nowhere else to place: I did not interface the waistband and it got all stretched out. Next time, I will interface it with knit interfacing. I might also take in the side seams a bit because it gapes a little in the front now, or it was stretched during sewing, IDK.

There was some leg twist happening that I could not eliminate with this pair. I did, however, research the issue and make plans for corrections next time. Firstly, I have bow legs, and made the adjustment for that noted here in the CCP fit guide. Secondly, I read this article from Cone Mills, who has extensively researched the problem. The biggest thing I can do next time is to follow the cut layout and flip my pattern pieces 180 degrees as explained here. I've never done that before so that could potentially solve the problem completely (this is the part of the sewalong I read AFTER I was done, facepalm).

After lots and lots and lots of fitting on my body, I transferred my adjustments to my paper pattern and cut my waistband facing. I finished sewing my jeans and used a trick from Nakisha for the belt loops (sew them into the seam when attaching the waistband). I added a CCP tag and a Mood tag inside and a leather patch to the back. The leather is from a scrap bag that I purchased at Jo-Ann's.

These pants definitely ended up with more of a trouser feel than the olive skinny jeans I originally wanted. I used matching, regular weight thread for topstitching and did not add any rivets. As a SAHM mom I have basically NO trouser-like pants, so these have a solid place in my wardrobe. I feel like I could still make a pair of casual olive skinnies and have a spot for them as well. If you see any stretch denim with that amazing faded, broken-in olive green color, let me know.

If you read all that, or even skimmed it, you have some idea of the amount of effort it took to make one pair of pants. It was honestly more work than the coat I recently made. I've been sewing for almost 7 years and have made many pairs of shorts and pants. I've read extensively about fit and pattern alterations. I've done all of that, just to arrive at a single pair of pants that fits moderately well. So please, PLEASE do not think that "everyone" is making Ginger Jeans in two days and walking away with their fabulous handmade pants after very little effort. Do not think that it's just you with problems. None of that is true. Can you make jeans? Of course. It's not easy. It takes trial and error. It takes a willingness to fail. It takes a willingness to "waste" your time, money, and effort. But like every little bit of sewing, you will learn something, you will grow, you will develop your instincts and your sense of connection to your own body's shape.

It will not be easy.

It will be so worth it.

***2024 update: I almost never wore these pants. The Ash Jeans from Megan Nielsen is (IMO) a superior pattern. Read the comparison to Ginger on this blog post.