par Heather Pennie When I have limited time, I try to create several looks with a single pattern at once. I decided to sew Jalie Nicole and use all of the pattern options. This type of batch sewing is particularly rewarding because you can quickly update your wardrobe, especially at the change of seasons.
One pattern, four different looks!
I used the Jalie Nicole pattern and created four different looks. These fabrics from the Fabricville autumn collection are wonderful, and I created four completely unique looks. You likely wouldn’t even know it was the same pattern!
Let’s jump right into the projects!
I purchased 2 metres of each fabric to be sure I had enough on hand. For the short-sleeve tee, you could likely use 1 to 1.5 metres.
Ellie – Solid Rib Knit – Sky Blue
Fashion Edit – Scrunch Knit – Purple
Delphine Printed Knit – Midnight
Blue Horizon Houndstooth Check – Blue
Jalie Pattern 3903 – Nicole Shift Dress, Tunic and Tee
Coordinating Thread
Clips/pins
Pressing Tools: Steam iron, pressing cloth, hem guide (optional), tailor’s ham and wooden clapper
Sewing Machine
Optional: Serger and Coverstitch machine
Trace your pattern from the Jalie pattern sheet. Cut out your fabrics, making sure to transfer notches and darts.
Begin your Jalie Nicole by stitching the darts on both the front and back pieces. Take a moment to mark them clearly and align the dart legs so they meet neatly at the point.
Use the bobbin thread as a guide for quick and easy dart stitching lines
Once stitched, press the darts toward the waist.
Dart pressing tools
Press the darts over a ham
Great tools for pressing include tailors’ ham, wooden clapper, seam guide and silk organza pressing cloth
I use a few different pressing tools for successful darts. The ham helps to shape the garment, especially in larger bust sizes. Silk organza pressing cloth allows you to see your work underneath while protecting the fabric’s surface from getting a sheen from pressing. A wooden tailor’s clapper helps to hold in the heat while setting it after pressing with your steam iron.
Next, join the shoulder seams with right sides together. Stitch, finish the raw edges using your preferred method, and press the seams toward the back.
For the collar, fold it in half lengthwise, wrong sides together, and press to create a clean edge.
Pin or clip the collar evenly along the neckline, matching notches, and stitch in place. Press the seam allowance toward the body.
With the neckline complete, sew in the sleeves. Match the notches carefully and pin or clip the sleeve caps to the armholes, right sides together. Stitch slowly around the curve, easing in the sleeve without stretching the fabric.
Fold the top right sides together and sew each side seam in one continuous line, starting at the sleeve hem and sewing down to the bottom edge. Press the seams toward the back.
A hem guide makes short work of readying hems for stitching
To finish, press up the hems on both the sleeves and the body by the amount indicated in the pattern. If I don’t need to try a garment on for length, I like to press the hems before stitching up the side and sleeve seams, as it is much easier to press flat, rather than in the round. Stitch the hems with a twin needle, coverstitch, or zigzag for stretch. Give your top a final press, add a label or tag if you like, and enjoy your beautifully finished Nicole!
See below for further details on the four versions that I sewed.
From the website: This knit fabric is very soft, has a brushed hand and stretch for comfort and ease. Perfect for dresses, skirts, sweaters, cardigans, tops and more!
Please note that this knit has limited stretch and only horizontal, not vertical. You may wish to size up on your garment.
Jalie Nicole Tunic
Fashion Edit – Scrunch Knit – Purple
From the website: This medium weight pretty printed knit is perfect for creating stylish tops, dresses and garments.
This fabric has a lot of texture to it. It comes in a range of colours and I love this deep burgundy colour for fall. It’s my favourite colour and I’m so happy that it is trending this season. Due to the texture and scrunch effect, it can be a little bit trickier to sew. My suggestion is to baste the seams with your sewing machine first. I did that and had no problems with it. Then, serge or use a tiny zigzag stitch to secure the seams.
I sewed the short-sleeve version with the higher collar. I removed 3” in length from each sleeve for a shorter sleeve than the pattern.
Jalie Nicole Short-Sleeve Tee
Delphine Printed Knit – Midnight
From the website: This medium-weight, pretty printed knit is perfect for creating stylish tops, dresses and children’s apparel. It has stretch for comfort and ease.
I would actually classify this as a lightweight knit. It is slippery to sew, and washaway basting tape or clips and pins are helpful to keep it in place as you stitch. This fabric has a lot of stretch in both directions, and I used my serger when sewing. If you are using your sewing machine, you definitely want to be sure to use a zig-zag stitch for seams and hems with this fabric.
I made the long-sleeve top with the smaller band neckline. This is a great all-round top and you could sew this look in a number of fabrics. It would be great in a light-weight cotton lycra or sized up in a thicker cotton knit like a French terry.
Blue Horizon Houndstooth Check – Blue
From the website: This medium-weight knit fabric is very soft, has a brushed hand and stretch for comfort and ease. Perfect for dresses, skirts, sweaters, cardigans, tops and more!
This knit is medium to heavy weight with very limited stretch. It is similar to some scuba fabrics and is relatively thick and spongy. You may want to cut wider seam allowances if you are planning to fit as you go. I sized up by 2 sizes just to be sure I would have a looser fit. The fabric is on the warmer side, which will be great for cooler fall days.
This dress can be dressed up for the boardroom or dressed down for the weekend. I definitely used my wooden clapper when pressing due to the robustness of this knit. As a note, this fabric was hard to photograph as it has a slight sheen – beautiful but it shows up as wrinkles if the light isn’t just right.
The Jalie Nicole is a fantastic pattern to have on hand to create a variety of looks. The included darts allow for a good fit and, as you can see, you can use a very wide range of fabrics to create completely different looks. My next plans are to use this pattern for casual, weekend looks with cotton knit fabrics such as jerseys and French terry knits.
Would you like a coat to go with your new wardrobe? Check out a previous Fabricville blog post here: Sew a Trench Coat
Happy Sewing!
Heather @ManitoulinThreads
Want to see more of my sewing projects?
You can find me on Facebook at Manitoulin Threads.
You can also follow my sewing projects on Instagram @ManitoulinThreads
