STYLO Restyled : Bimaa Bat & Small Fry Skinnies

As you saw yesterday I made a ton of stuff for STYLO magazine. After a few weeks of sewing like it was my job, I need to convince myself that the distinctive Hansel & Gretel looks can be broken up and remixed into my kids real wardrobes. 

Its a double pattern review day, something I would normally never do (I like each little thing to have its own tidy box). I didn't post this before Halloween because I didn't want to spoil any STYLO surprises (and I hadn't taken any pictures yet) by jumping the gun with these sweet little skinny jeans. With that safely behind us, let's talk about J's Halloween costume before anybody puts a turkey in the oven. 

The bat is four separate pieces. The wings are the kind you see all over the place with elastic that goes over the shoulders and little loops at the tips to put your fingers through. They are self drafted and sewn with black crepon from Joann. I used black vinyl at the tips for reinforcing, and at the back where the wings meet. The mask is a free download from the internet cut out of felt.  I added the ears, and a vinyl layer for a little more interest. The top is a Bimaa sweater, and the bottom is the Small Fry Skinny Jeans, both can be put into the standard wardrobe rotation after Halloween.

For the Bimaa:

A week before Halloween I went in search of a shawl collar sweatshirt for J. I looked at the Bimaa (the day before it was rereleased!), but it only went up to size 6. I let the idea drop, thinking I still had time to draft my own collar and tack it onto a t-shirt pattern. A few days (or was it hours!) before Halloween I was desperate for a shawl collar sweatshirt pattern for J so I went back to the Bimaa thinking I could make size it up myself. In that week Lou Bee Clothing had release a new version with expanded sizing! Yay! Problem solved. Two hours later I have a smart little shawl collar sweater for my bat.

PATTERN: The Bimaa is a standard inset sleeve t-shirt pattern that comes with 3 neck options: hood, cowl, and shawl. All are just adorable, and I will definitely be making other versions in the future. The sizing is now 6months - 12 years, AND its gender neutral. The Bimaa has a ton of bang for your buck.

FABRIC: Fleece was on sale the day I was there, so I made it work. Both costumes are outerwear weight, making them perfect for chilly Halloween wear (except it was 75 degrees the day we trick or treated!) I used some leftover charcoal gray knit as an accent at the collar and cuffs, and some black vinyl to add a little detail at the shoulders.

FIT: I sized up to an 8 because the fleece didn't have as much stretch as a knit, and its pretty thick. I could have gone up another size.

ALTERATIONS: I added thumbhole cuffs (cause I'm on a roll). I also added shoulder patches (a la Trine & Brienne). They go a long way to add some detail to an otherwise plain sweatshirt.  J thinks they make him look like an "army guy", so you'll be seeing more in the future.

Now the Small Fry Skinny Jeans:

PATTERN: This is the Small Fry Skinny Jeans by Titchy Threads. You've seen these guys all over the interweb for good reason. They are a perfect reproduction for hand making convincing looking jeans. I had some reservations about making a pattern from a designer I had never used before that involved so much finishing and my first fly zipper. No reason to worry, the instructions are very clear and thorough. I didn't have to do a single thing twice. 

FABRIC: This is medium weight Italian Stretch Denim in Indigo from Michael Levine. It is perfect for these pants. It is sturdy but lightweight, and has just the right amount of stretch to make seriously slim pants play friendly. 

FIT: I sewed a 6 and added 1" to the length of this pattern. These are some seriously slim pants. They fit my super slim J perfectly. My kids HATE jeans, they are stiff and restricting, and the snaps always pop open, or they sag at the bum. Somehow these jeans don't have any of those issues, and J loves them. 

Both the Small Fry Skinny Jeans Pattern and the stretch denim were provided to me for free. I assure you the opinions are my own. If I hated them I would have said nothing!

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Linking to 

Straight Grain Sew & Tell