Social Distance Stay at Home Wear – Simplicity R10717

Happy Thanksgiving everyone. Please be safe in all that you do!

Just as everyone else, I have been working remotely (since Valentine’s Day weekend). However, this year I have not sewn much for myself with the exception of my birthday dress and a few masks. Due to social distancing restrictions, I am transitioning to loungewear because Fabletics has become my uniform. Quite frankly, I avoid the use of video during WebEx meetings and detest FaceTime because I find it intrusive and I don’t want to put on…yeah you ladies already know ….

First up is Simplicity Pattern R10717 in a peach minky fabric that is perfect for chilly nights. It features a hood, front pouch pocket and was a very easy pattern to work with.

I never made a garment using minky fabric and unfortunately after starting, I realized that a walking foot is definitely a must when working with it. I own my mistakes and refused to use a seam ripper to remove the bad stitches. After all; this isn’t a contest. It was made to lounge around the house in. To give you an idea of what stitches look like with and without a walking foot, I included a photo to demonstrate the top (regular sewing foot) of the hoodie pocket and the side stick (with a walking foot).

Big difference right? If this was for someone else or work wear, I would have used a seam ripper however, I just figured, relax and don’t stress over 6″ stitching. It’s loungewear! Minky (and velvet) can be “messy” therefore I decided to use my serger in lieu of my sewing machine giving my seams a “clean” look and will result in less fray when laundering.

The only slight adjustment I made using this patter was the front neck and length of the joggers. Instead of matching the seams for the hood, I made it somewhat more snug on the neck because I’m always cold. Also, I did not want my leg cuff to slightly touch my slipper or socks therefore I cut it to the XL length for my 5’6” frame. This is the end result

I confess, that if I was 14, I’d probably would consider debating with my mother as to why I cannot wear it with Ugg’s to the mall LOL

Pictured: I wear opted for a medium because Simplicity small no longer fits me (For reference, I am 135lbs and 5″6)