It’s nearly the Fourth of July, and so this week we wanted to share some of our favorite patriotic makes with you! Read on to hear about some of our tester’s favorite Fourth of July sews:
Barbara Beavers
Here in my little corner of the world I'm getting ready for the 4th of July!
I'm loving my Patriotic wear! Today I'm wearing a Rio Raglan made with Stars and Stripes French Terry that I've had for a while.
I'm back again today with my SSE Pittsburg Pants Bermuda shorts. During testing my daughter was the model so I'm just now getting around to making me a pair. I didn't do the contrast stitching this time, but I love all the pockets! I used Indigo Cotton Spandex JEANS French Terry that is no longer available. It's the perfect pair of Denim shorts for the Summer.
Sherrie Broussard
When I felt this “fancy rib” that I got from SSE last year, I knew it had to be for lounge wear, but I just can’t take this Del Mar Dolman
Top off after photographing it! It is so comfy!
If you haven’t made your own loungewear, these two patterns are a must and are just sew easy.
Also, you can make the shorts the length you want them! And the patterns come in kids sizes too!
Lisa Chillik Bare
I love dressing up for holidays. I’m a little particular about which holidays get the extra love and effort in terms of me making new clothes for it. I also tend to go for more subtle hints/nods of holiday in clothing.
My choice for Patriotic Sews week is the Adult Rio Raglan. I knew right away what I wanted to sew and it came out great. The Rio Raglan pattern sews up really fast and comes in three lengths: crop top, top, tunic/dress. You can also choose from short, 3/4, or long sleeve lengths.
I chose the crop top length with short sleeves which somewhat surprised me given my normal avoidance of crops. I added 2” to the crop length and I’m really happy with where the top hits. I don’t feel awkward wearing it, in fact it’s quite comfortable and will probably get more wear than I expected.
The stars fabric and stripe fabric are both DBP from So Sew English. The sleeves make the whole shirt design and is my perfect patriotic level. The gray bodice/neckband fabric is soft and has nice drape. It will be great for the hot July weather.
Katie Reid
My daughter is at the age where she loves mommy and me sets but doesn’t necessarily want to be exactly the same. So I let her pick the fabric and her patterns and I’ll make myself something afterwards. Sometimes it’s a surprise like this momma phoenix tank and the kids Del Mar dolman. She had no idea I was going to match but when she picked her fabric she chose these soft French terry stars that I also loved. For her Del Mar she requested a “spinny” skirt on it so I cut at the crop line and simply added a short circle skirt. This is also the 3rd summer in a row where she requested “airplane” shorts and the Chelsea joggers with pockets are a go-to pattern for some relaxed comfy shorts.
Amanda Agyeman-Budu
For my Patriotic sew I envisioned a fun and cool coverup for if we decided to sit pool side or even for wearing to the parade! It’s generally a pretty hot day here so I chose this blue star mesh out of my stash, that I have been hoarding forever, and modified a Santa Fe top.
Here’s how I did it:
I cut out the zippered version and taped all the sections together per the instructions so the front and back were all one piece. Then I added 8 1/2 inches to the lengthen shorten line. Why 8 1/2?….it’s a sheet of paper and made it oh so easy to get even!! Once the body and sleeve construction was completed, I serged the neck band on, single layer, right sides together with the neck edge. From there I serged the front edges, where the zipper would have been, from the top of the neckband down to the bottom edge. Making sure that the neck/neckband seam that was sewn was finger pressed away from the shirt so it will be encased in the neckband once that’s complete. From there, I serged the bottom edge of the garment. I then turned the serged edges of the front and bottom edges under 1/4 inch and topstitched them down using the stretch stitch (lightening bolt stitch). Next, I serged the neckband top that was still raw and turned the neck band under to meet the edge of the neckline and topstitched that down. This way all the edges look finished underneath despite that my coverstitch did not want to cooperate on the mesh and couldn’t be used! My sewing machine came to the rescue! This construction leaves a tunnel at the neck line where you’re able to insert a drawstring if you choose! Lastly, I serged the sleeve edges where the cuff would have been added and just hemmed them 3/4 of an inch at the length they were from the pattern piece because I was ok with them being a bit short for a summer look!
Wahlah! I made a coverup! Sometimes I hate the things I make that I envision in my head but I think this one is gonna be great this 4th of July!!
If you’d like to give it a go, please message your questions my way if my instructions weren’t up to par or understandable!!
Rachael Brown
I love easy and breezy dresses in summer, and from the moment I saw this fabric, I knew it needed to be a T-shirt maxi that I could wear with my red converse.
The looser fit of the sleeveless Del Mar option is super comfortable and fit the casual look I was hoping to achieve. I then followed a shape similar to the ease of the Phoenix dress and extended the length to my ankles. I self drafted a little pocket for some fun diagonal plaid detail too!
I feel ready for all the patriotic events this summer contains. Happy Independence Day!
And that’s it for our SSE Tester’s Talk Patriotic Sews! All of us here at So Sew English Fabrics wish you a safe and happy Fourth!