Hacking the Lululemon Don't Hurry, Be Happy Pullover

In 2012, Lululemon released the Don't Hurry, Be Happy Pullover sweatshirt. It was made of a micro-fleece fabric backed in this crazy soft and warm minky type layer and had accents in Rulu (a warm, proprietary tech knit fabric). It came in ivory and black and sold out very quickly. I was able to snag one in ivory and it has been my go-to cold weather sweatshirt for the last 5 years.

Wearing the inspiration piece

The original website photo

I kept hoping that they would release another round, this time in colors other than white and black, but no dice. And while I kept hoping to find similar fabric so I could make my own version, I didn't have any luck in that department either.

This past fall though, So Sew English announced that they would be stocking a new fabric, made just for them, that they were calling "Super Plush" - a smooth, stretchy knit fabric backed with a plush, minky like fluff. I almost fell off the couch when I read it - THIS was what I had been looking for to hack my favorite Lululemon sweatshirt!


I snagged 2 yards of the charcoal super plush and then... a billion other things got in the way and it sat the in the sewing room for months. Ooops.

I *finally* got down to business last week and started hacking the silly thing already. Aside from the charcoal super plush, I also used some charcoal bamboo lycra jersey I had in the stash for the cuffs and waistband. I used the P4P Relaxed Raglan pattern (afflink) as my base, though any relaxed fit raglan pattern you like would probably work. I used the RR pattern as drafted for the body, sleeves and kangaroo pocket (which comes with the Raglan Add on pack afflink). One of my only critiques of the original pullover was that the extremely fitted sleeves/cuffs made it difficult to layer a shirt underneath. I purposely kept the sleeves as drafted for the RR so they would be loose enough for another layer underneath. I also made sure the cuffs were cut looser as well.

 The funnel/cowl neck, cuffs and waistband, however, needed some tweaking from RR pattern base.

Funnel/Cowl Neck
The neck piece on the inspiration piece is like a very tall funnel collar that is dreaming of being a cowl neck (just a smidge wider at the top than the bottom). I literally took tracing paper and drew the shape of the funnel neck with pencil and then cleaned it up and made sure it was even. The thing that is hardest to see with this piece is that the front dips down, while the back curves up.

In hindsight, I should have made the top of the funnel wider so it would fold over my shoulders a bit more. It sits fine, just more upright than the original. Since my version is narrower through the funnel neck, I skipped the cording and just turned up the hem 1" and topstitched.


Waistband
The LLL pullover has a 4 piece waistband - 2 outer and 2 inner pieces. The outer pieces are ruched and the inner pieces are just sewn flat. I decided to use a 7"x17.75" piece for the outer layer and then 5"x17.75" for the inner layer (includes 1/4" seam allowances). I used 1/4" elastic cut to 5" and stitched it to the seam allowance for the outer layer, which caused the ruching effect. There might be a better way to achieve this detail, but this technique was successful.

I then stitched the inner and outer layers right sides together and flipped them back out - ruched outer layer and smooth inner layer.  You can see here that the join line of the inner and outer layers rolls to the inside, which actually happens with the LLL version as well.

Cuffs
The cuffs are sewn in a very similar fashion to the waistband. The original pullover has a 4 piece cuff, but I simplified my version to 2 pieces - a ruched outer top layer and smooth inner layer. The dimensions I used for my cuff pieces were 9"x8" for the outer layer and 6"x8" for the inner layer. Again, I used 1/4" elastic cut to 6" in the seam allowance for the outer piece to achieve the ruched look. I stitched them together and flipped them over so they could be attached to the sleeves.

I topstitched all of the seams except for the 2 side seams to give it a sportier look and to mimic the inspiration piece. Topstitching tall, slim, cuffs in the round is AWFUL, but I made it work. Ideally, I'd have figured out and used a flatlock stitch for most of this, but since I don't have that skill under my belt yet, the coverstitch topstitching worked out pretty well.

Original:


My hacked version:


All in all, I'm SO happy with this sweatshirt! It's not exactly like the original, but it's close enough for my liking.




I can also see myself using the cuff and waistband pieces on other sweatshirts for myself to fancy them up a bit. They take longer to construct, but I love the ruched details on them both.


Even if you don't want to hack your own Don't Hurry, Be Happy Pullover, I can't recommend this super plush fabric enough for warm and comfy sweatshirts and jackets. So Sew English has even more super plush coming soon in jewel tones and a couple of prints and I have plans for at least one more sweatshirt like this. Yes, I realize I live in Southern California, but I'm often cold during the winter months and this pullover feels like wearing your favorite cozy blanket - but it's acceptable to wear outside of the house! 

George & Ginger RuLo Top & Dress

Now that we've gotten past the holidays, pattern testing is back in full swing! Kristi, from George + Ginger Patterns is showing at NY Fashion Week next month (OMG!!), but has released her first pattern of 2018 before focusing solely on her Fashion Week Collection.

The RuLo Top and Dress pattern is chock full of options that mix and match with one another - there is really something for everyone here. Oversized dolman body, regular set in sleeve body and then several lengths and sleeve options. Take a look!


I tested the Tunic with Shoulder Ruffle Sleeve using a brushed sweater knit from Sincerely Rylee Fabrics. The most time consuming part of this option is hemming the shoulder ruffles as hemming circles always feels tedious to me, but from there it sews up incredibly quickly.

I cut a 4 bust and graded out to an 8 hip, per my measurements. The set in sleeve body is very roomy through the hips, so I probably would have been fine with a straight 4, but I still like how this tunic falls. The shoulder ruffle is super feminine and such a sweet touch to the sweater.


I liked the cut of the sweater so much that I also made a cropped version with basic sleeve from some super soft and drapey poly rayon French terry, also from Sincerely Rylee Fabrics. I don't typically think of myself as a "wears crop tops" kinda gal, but I love this one! I cut a straight 4 here and it's perfect - a little flare at the bottom, but pretty subtle. I thought it would be cute over my gym clothes while I warm up, but I really like it paired with joggers for cute casual everyday street wear.

And Hamilton hats make everything better, even super cute stripe crop tops!


I think I'd like to try one of the bell sleeves next and maybe the dress length. See, so many cute options available. This pattern is 25% off through Friday 1/26 and isn't one to miss!

P4P Mama Bear Joggers - TNT pant pattern that does it all!

The P4P Mama Bear Joggers (afflink) has become a total workhorse pattern that I've used at least a dozen times in the past year. The funny thing is that I wasn't that excited by it when it was first released. I didn't see myself ever wearing full length joggers and so I sort of dismissed the pattern outright.

I was an idiot. LOL

I changed my tune in the spring when I was looking for a shorts pattern for myself. It was pointed out that the cute jogger style short I was looking to make was very similar to the Mama Bear Joggers pattern, so I bought it and the obsession began. It's become a staple in my closet for 3 very different clothing items:

Casual Shorts
The first time I used this pattern was to try and make a pair of woven cotton shorts that were relaxed, but not super short. While the Joggers pattern is designed for knits/fabric with stretch, I looked at the finished pattern measurements and thought I'd give it a try with some leftover woven madras plaid. I added several inches of length, graded from a Medium hip to Large thigh, and changed the waistband to accommodate a single row of 1.25" elastic instead of 3 rows of narrower elastic. I was thrilled with my final garment!


The woven shorts were so comfy and awesome, that I then went back and made 4 more pairs out of a variety of knit fabrics. The floral french terry shorts (fabrics from So Sew English) are very casual and perfect for running around with the boys. I may not be winning any fashion awards with these, but they are insanely comfortable in the summer heat.


This bright floral liverpool knit pair is slightly dressy and works well when I'm trying to look cute-ish, but I'm melting because it's 100 degrees out.


And lastly, in denim-faced french terry from (LA Finch Fabrics) this pattern makes the perfect faux denim shorts! I wore them with everything, all of the time this summer. I made sure to add contrast top-stitching to mimic real denim shorts and back pockets. Such a classic summer staple!


Sleep Shorts
So, I liked my modified shorts pattern so much that I thought it would also be perfect for PJ shorts, which I desperately needed to replace this summer. I removed the extra length I had added, skipped the pockets and kept the waistband the same. Yup, perfect PJ shorts! (and yes, I do love fun prints for pajamas)


Casual Pants
I might not wear jogger pants to the ankles, but I started to think that I might like a cropped pair of jogger pants to wear with flats or sneakers. Again, I started with my modified shorts pattern as the base and traced it to the full pant length. Ultimately, I removed 2.5" inches of length, added a 2.5" hem and then cuffed them up. Cropped, cuffed joggers are my jam you guys! I made a pair in black french terry in the summer and wore them all of the time. Like, I couldn't keep them in my closet because I was either wearing them or they were in the laundry.


One of my last sewing projects for 2017 and first projects for 2018 were 2 new pairs of cropped joggers - one pair in olive modal french terry and one in medallion print french terry (fabrics from So Sew English). I'm not usually one for printed pants that I wear outside of the house, but this fabric just really looked like it wanted to be pants, so I went with it. I love this silhouette for comfy, casual, but still put together pants and appreciate that they work with a variety of both shoes and tops.




I am always on the hunt for good TNT (tried n true) patterns and this one obviously fits the bill for me. The fact that I can make 3 very different garments from one pattern helps me stretch my precious sewing time a bit farther, which is very appreciated. This will definitely not be the last time you see a garment sewn up using this pattern from me - aside from more summer shorts, I have plans to make a pair of true joggers in an athletic knit for hip hop class. Since I never found my ideal pants for dance class, guess I'll just have to make my own. ;) 
Stay tuned!

2017 - the year my sewing hobby exploded

One more catch up post from last year and then we'll get back to mostly current stuff. Good? Good!

I went into 2017 with a renewed love of sewing - so much so that I signed up for a 100 in 2017 challenge. I was ready to sew all the things and I couldn't wait to get started! I continued to explore Patterns for Pirates (P4P) patterns and branched out to a couple of other pdf pattern companies specializing in baby and child patterns, which were perfect for my boys and gifts for family/friends.

There were a series of things that happened over the course of several months, though,  that stand out as game-changers: 

The P4P/Made For Mermaids/Cole's Creation's Capsule Contests
In the Spring, P4P announced a Capsule Contest (in conjunction with sister sites Made for Mermaids and Cole's Creations) - create a 9 piece mini capsule using patterns or mash ups from the 3 companies and post by a certain date. While it looked like fun, I didn't give it much thought because I wasn't making myself pants yet and that seemed sort of key to creating a stand alone capsule.

Skip to a week or so later, and I had sewn up a couple of tops just because I needed them and decided to finally try to make pants. Eeek! I started with the P4P SOS pant (afflink) and used a cut of kelly green ponte that I'd had in my stash for years. They went far better than expected and it was then that I realized I still had time to make the Capsule Contest deadline. I quickly outlined the rest of my projects, found a cohesive theme and the "Black and White, Green and Stripe" capsule was created.

"Black and White, Green and Stripe"

Finally being able to make pants that were flattering and fit me well was HUGE! This was completely new for me and something that opened up a whole new world of possibilities. In fact, when they hosted their Fall Capsule Contest, I completed TWO 9 piece capsules - "Ballet Street" and "Tunics & Boots". I filled a bunch of holes in my closet and the garments I made are some of my biggest wardrobe workhorses.

"Ballet Street"

Accessories

 

"Tunics n Boots"

Accessories

Testing for George and Ginger Pattern Company
I discovered George & Ginger Pattern Co. in the spring when I tracked down their site because I loved the patterns I was seeing people make in Facebook sewing groups. If P4P/M4M is my go-to for solid basics, G&G looked like it would be my go-to for basics with an edgy twist. Kristi, the designer, put out a call for seamstress testers in the late spring and I threw my name in the ring... along with hundreds of others. I didn't think much of it, but a couple of days later, I was invited into the tester group and my jaw fell on the ground. Testing patterns has been so much fun on many levels - I've met an amazing group of women who are passionate about sewing, I've learned so much about how patterns are created/the work that goes into making them market ready and my sewing skills and speed have improved immensely. I am still so grateful that Kristi took a chance on me and gave me the opportunity to test for her. I cannot wait to see what she cooks up for 2018!

Road Trip Bodysuit/Daytrip Skirt

Heatwave Hotpants/Daybreak Top

Sincerely Sawyer Sweater

Slash Tunic

Slash Tunic

Picnic Dress

Winning the P4P Next Top Tester Contest
P4P ran a contest in the early Fall to look for new seamstresses to add to their tester group. They called it the P4P Next Top Tester contest and it was open to anyone - review/edit the pattern instructions, sew up the pattern/look for edits needed, photograph and submit fit and final pictures. Again, I threw my hat in the ring and completed all of the contest steps. I was blown away when at the end of the contest, I was announced as the winner! Not only did I win a guaranteed test spot for the next 3 patterns, but I also won a huge box of fabric and a selection of free patterns. I am still so honored to be testing for the company that is responsible for rekindling my love of sewing and getting me back into the sewing groove.

Walk the Plank PJs with Essential Tank and Cocoon Cardigan

**Wiggle Dresses**

**Ragdoll Raglans**

See, 2017 was BANANAS for me! LOL By the end of the year, I had all but stopped buying ready to wear clothing for myself and was feeling so happy and confident with my clothes and personal style. If someone had told me that the above would have been my year in sewing, I would never have believed them, but I am so grateful for ALL of it.