Jalie 3461 Eleonore Review

I have succumbed to the siren's call of jeggings.

I've casually sought a straight leg, super stretchy fabric pant pattern for several years now, and realized that Jalie's 3461 Eleonore might be the answer to my prayers (same as several StyleArc patterns).  Mostly because jeans are the piece to wear down here, but it is far too hot to do so ... and they never fit anyway. (And it is super easy to remove the jean design lines from this pattern if you just want a basic stretch woven pant.)

Unsurprisingly, Eleonore snuck into my cart while placing a recent Jalie order.

What adjustments did you make?  And why?

The usual – sway back

The unusual -
1) Widened the legs by 1" ... except at the lower thigh, where it jumped to 2.5" or so.  I am not the fit model!

2) The side seams near the waist were warped to the back, in a funny U shape.  I straightened that out in the second trial.

Pattern appreciation(s)?

Gush, gush, gush.  These are comfortable, move with me (I can practice handstand with these), and have a great crotch curve for those of us blessed in the glutes department.

Pattern disgruntlement(s)?

Um ... well ... I had to add my own pockets.  Jalie gave us patterns for fake pockets, why not give us the option for real pockets as well?  (grumble, grumble)

What body does this pattern fit (in your estimation)?

Bootylicious gals with average size legs.

Would you buy this pattern again?

Heck yes.  I'm planning an entire stable of these puppies. 

Leg Width and Ease - The muslin of these did fit, but I found them tight.  I assumed the tightness was due to my muscular calves, which measure 16" around (the pant was 15" in circumference from knee down).  I've never found a skinny (nor usually even a straight legged) RTW pant that fits.  They ALWAYS sausage my calves, which feels and looks weird.

I proceeded to measure upper thigh, lower thigh, and calf to compare body to pattern.  And lo and behold, I found out that my lower thigh is much larger than the pattern!  I am proud of my muscles, and this was an interesting experience to find out where their bulk rests (at least compared to the Jalie fit model).  Apparently my vastus medialis are more developed than some.

From crotch to hem, I widened each seam by 1/4" ... except for the lower thigh, which I widened by a bit over 1/2".  This brought the pant from negative ease to 0% ease.  I am not a fan of skintight.


Sway back - I chose to take my sway back adjustment out of the pant back, rather than out of the yoke.  I preferred not to narrow the jean yoke. 


Fabric - A bengaline from Hancock's.  I ordered grey (muslin), orange, and brown.  Perhaps the bright color fashions finally caught up with me too?


Today was their first wear out in public, but certainly not the last.  I appreciate that these go together lightning fast.  And they were almost comfortable in our high 90s temps.

This is a Mary Poppins pattern, practically perfect in every way (at least for me).

Jalie 3023 Bra Muslin Review

  
 

Single layer bra with necessary armscye darts pinned.

Jalie 3023 is available from http://www.jalie.com/jalie3023-tankini-swimskirt-sewing-pattern.html.

I threw together a single layer bra of this tankini, using pieces C, D, G, and H.

What adjustments did you make?  And why?

None, this pattern was made as per pattern draft.

Pattern appreciation(s)?

It fits fairly well right out of the package, and I plan to make several more.  I need workout bras for my bra-less shirts, of which I have too many.

Pattern disgruntlement(s)?

1)  I did not enjoy how odd the folding strap puzzle went together. It does cut down on thickness, but the fiddly folding was irritating. However, I cannot imagine how to adjust the strap formation at this time.  I will ponder up until the second muslin.


2)  This is really more of a Jalie-wide disgruntlement.  I am not comfortable with 1/4" seam allowances, especially when working in knits (my sewing machines love to eat knit, 1/4" SA knits seem to be a favored dish).  I prefer the slightly larger bite of 3/8" SAs.  Having said that, I have to applaud Jalie for NOT going with 5/8" SAs (which are incredibly ridiculous).

What body does this pattern fit (in your estimation)?

The bra fits mine, so I recommend it to small busted, pear shaped upper bodies. 

Would you buy this pattern again?

Yes.  I am looking forward to working out in this bra. 

I will need to remove half an inch dart from the front armscye. This is not an uncommon adjustment for me.  This requires adjustment of pieces D (the straps) and G.  The removal is labeled below, I just have to figure out where I'm going to transfer it.

 

Jalie 2682 - shirt muslin 2 review

Jalie's Stylish V-Neck Top Pattern
http://www.jalie.com/v-neck-top.html






















The Original Muslin
- cut size V (37" bust and 31" waist) to W at hips (41" hips)
- lengthen the upper bodice by 1" for long torso
- 5/8" sway back adjustment (add back seam)

I pretty much put this together as directed.

This first muslin was extremely droopy at the neckline. I know other people have fixed this problem by adjusting the back neckline, but I was determined to fix the main problem ... a "concave" chest on the muslin model, me. I don't have a picture of the first muslin.

Additionally, it was too big. I had "loosely" measured as I remember my last Jalie being too tight for my measurements. However, loose is too loose. So in addition to the chest problems, I also needed to drop a size.



Here is a picture of Muslin 2, Jalie 2682.



















The neckline was tightened up enough for certain fabrics, but I could still pull another 1/2" dart out of the neckline. I cut this one in a size U for bust and waist and tapered to a V for the hips.

It now fits fairly well, but in order to approach the final shirt, I need to do final adjustments. Like rotating out an armhole dart. I can see its need in the side view.









































I think the upper back looks good, the lower back ... I've already taken out 5/8" in sway back adjustments ... do I need anymore?

Maybe I should wait until the third version is complete with a hem. A hem might pull out the remaining wrinkles.



As to the neckline, adjustments went as follows.












First mark where your excess is located. Mine is always in the upper chest, the pattern is simply too long for my upper chest. I decided to dart it out to the armhole.














Cut down the middle of your dart and overlap the pieces, folding out the excess length.














Now to redraw the center fold line (since it has been completely thrown off by the dart) and shift the needed adjustments to the opposite side.

In the picture above, the original pattern piece is on the bottom, and you can clearly see how the center fold-line is thrown off if you compare the bottom original to the second top piece.

I basically measured how much I'd have to pull in the outerseam line by measuring from the new fold line to the true fold line. At the tip of the dart, this ended up being about 3/8" if I remember correctly. I then rotated each piece (upper bodice and lower bodice) to the new measurement and redrew.


If fits and seems to work ... now to put a third together for everyday wear.

I like how quickly these go together, how simple the neckline is without being boring, and I can imagine this being used in many different looks.

It works with thin fabrics since the front bodice is doubled. No see through. You could also double the upper back or the entire shirt if you need more coverage.

This is a great basic.