Simple Simon and Co Archives

Posted on September 19, 2017 September 18, 2017

Simple Maxi Skirt Pattern Review

Simple Maxi Skirt Patterns sewn and reviewed by Skirt Fixation

Yesterday when I showed you my new Simple Knit Pencil Skirt and Union St. Tee, I forgot to tell you the back story. Originally I had planned a much different outfit for the Skirt-A-Thon! So today I’m sharing what really happened.

My first plan was to sew the pencil skirt and pair it with a hoodie for fall. Because I had the perfect french terry fabric in my stash that I’d ordered a few months ago. And so I ordered the coordinating skirt fabric and got started sewing the hoodie while I was waiting for it to arrive.

Of course it’s the Halifax Hoodie pattern from Hey June Patterns. Last year I made myself one from athletic fabric, Aria made one for her 4H project, and I made and gifted one to my sister (not blogged.) It’s probably our favorite layering hoodie pattern. I used a white metal zipper, and white parachute cording, and they are the small details that make the difference on this hoodie.

The french terry fabric is from Raspberry Creek Fabrics. It is one of their in house designs from summer. While it’s not currently being printed, this one and this one are other floral french terry designs that would be dreamy in a hoodie! I absolutely adore everything about this hoodie, and am at a loss for words to explain how much I love it!

For my fellow tall seamstresses, I lengthened the body and sleeves by 1” at the hem. That’s it! And this time I lined the hood. It’s an option in the pattern, and I’m really excited with the peak of smoky mint inside.

So what’s the story on the skirt? Well, when my fabric arrived, it turned out I hit the jackpot (which means it was close enough to the end of the bolt that I got everything that was left.) and received 2.25 yards instead of the 1 yard that I ordered for the pencil skirt. It’s Fabric.com Designer Fabric by Art Gallery Fabrics in their new Aloe Mist solid knit. It’s just as soft as the rest of their knit fabrics, and the perfect shade of mint for fall!

So my plans changed because now I had enough to make a maxi skirt instead of a pencil skirt! That’s okay though because Simple Simon and Co. just happen to have a Simple Maxi Skirt Pattern. And it’s just as easy and fast to whip up as their pencil skirt. It also has a super comfortable 2” exposed elastic waistband. For my tall sewing friends, I only had to lengthen the pattern by 3” to attain this perfect just-brushing-the-floor-but-not-dragging-on-it length. I made the size small, and was able to get the whole skirt (and the lining for the hood) out of the 2.25 yards because it doesn’t have a directional print.

It was a good change of plans, don’t you think? Alright, enough sewing for me. For now. Because fall sewing really is my favorite season to sew! Leave me a comment below, have your plans ever changed when your fabric arrived?

Affiliate links are used in this post. That’s because we want you to own just as fabulous patterns and fabric as we do! But be forewarned, we just might make a penny or two if you click on one of our links…at no additional cost to you! So thanks!

Posted on September 18, 2017 September 17, 2017

Simple Knit Pencil Skirt Pattern Review

Simple Knit Pencil Skirt Pattern sewn and reviewed by Skirt Fixation

When our good friends over at Simple Simon & Company were looking for makers for their Skirt-A-Thon, you can bet we jumped at the opportunity! Who wouldn’t want a simple knit pencil skirt or two in their wardrobe?

The Simple Knit Pencil Skirt Pattern by Simple Simon & Co. is the perfect pencil skirt pattern for a beginner to sew. It’s comprised of 2 quick and easy seams, a circle of elastic and the hem. And the more advanced seamstress will definitely appreciate how fast they can attain new skirts. Plural. Because that’s how fast it is to make this simple pencil skirt pattern! Plus there are instructions for sewing with knits, hemming, and measuring yourself. And the pattern is available in both PDF and paper form, so everyone will be happy. Super simple!

Besides how fast it is to sew this skirt, my favorite thing about it is the waistband. The pattern calls for 2” elastic, which makes it super comfortable. As an added benefit, it helps with that issue of my stomach muscles not being quite what they were before I had 8 kids. Ahem!!

I made the size small, and for my fellow tall sewing friends, I added 3.5” to the length. It hits right below the knee, which is perfect for fall. The pattern can be made in 6 sizes from XS to XXL.

The fabric of this Simple Knit Pencil Skirt is sweater knit we got at Hancock Fabrics when they were going out of business. If you want to recreate this look, you could try this quilted sweater knit.
There’s nothing quite like chunky textured sweater knit to make you want to bring on fall!

For fall, I styled the Simple Knit Pencil Skirt with leggings and boots. And a 3/4 length sleeve shirt. Since I’m 6” tall with eternally long arms, I have never bought or worn 3/4 length sleeves before because all RTW (ready to wear, or store bought) shirts have sleeves that length on me anyway. But recently I realized in fall and spring I usually push my sleeves up to just below the elbow. So I thought I’d try sewing a t-shirt with sleeves that length just for my fall wardrobe and see how it goes. For my tall sewing friends, the other adjustments I made were to add 1″ to the width of each shoulder, and 1″ to the length of the body. Plus my standard adjustment of raising the neckline by 1″ not because I’m tall, but because with 8 kids I bend up and down all. day. long!

This shirt is the Union St. Tee by Hey June Patterns. Here’s a close up of that v-neck, because while it’s not as easy to sew as a scoop neck, when it turns out perfect it’s totally worth it! And with the instructions in the Union St. Tee pattern, it always turns out perfect!

The fabric for my new fall t-shirt is (of course) soft as can be Art Gallery Soulful Jersey Knit Floral Universe Auburn Fabric. I figured if I was going to give 3/4 length sleeves a fair chance, I needed to use fabric I totally and completely loved! (And yes, you’ve seen this fabric before in the purple color way for Aria’s shirt.)

Now head over to Simple Simon and Co. to grab your Simple Knit Pencil Skirt Pattern, and see all the other pencil skirts in the Skirt-A-Thon!

Affiliate links are used in this post to really amazing patterns and fabric! What are you waiting for; grab yours today! And if you use one of our links, we just might make a penny or two at no extra cost to you. So thanks in advance!

Posted on August 21, 2017 August 21, 2017

Simple Leggings Pattern Review

Simple Leggings review by Skirt Fixation

Annie was feeling uninspired about modeling for this photo shoot, so I told her to try out different poses with an “s” theme. I’d call out a word (silly, spunky, sweet, spoiled, shy, sassy, etc.) and she’d try the pose. I’ll leave it to you to guess which ones she is representing in the photos!

It was a simple choice! The question was longer legs, and the approach of cooler weather. The Simple Leggings, a new pattern by Simple Simon and Co was clearly the answer! It doesn’t get much more simple than the Simple Leggings patterns.

First of all, it’s super simple to sew. If you have never sewn a pair of legging before, and you know a girl (in sizes 2T to 14) that needs a pair, you really must try the Simple Leggings.

With only 1 pattern piece and 3 seams, this pattern is super simple to understand. There are tips for working with knits, tips for measuring, and the illustrations are just plain cute!

For reference, this pair for Annie is a size 6 in width, with a size 12 for length. I think the next pair I sew for her I’ll add even more length so they can last through fall and winter! You may also note that Annie’s leggings have a seam down the outside of the leg. This is only because I misunderstood the cutting directions. The pattern does not have this seam which makes it, well, more simple!

We love to wear leggings under skirts for comfort and modesty in the fall and winter. Annie chose to pair this super simple version with her camo skirt. We have quite a few more versions planned for fall, and since they’re so simple to sew, I’m planning to have Annie sew the next pair!

Ready to sew up the Simple Leggings pattern yourself? Check out all the details here, and also, enter to win the pattern for yourself!