Double the fun with Sophie & Ellis, two ultimate summer patterns!
The instructions below show pictures in stead of drawings to facilitate the sewing process!
Sophie top
Stitch the bust darts in the front. Fold the dart in half along the central line - right sides of the fabric together - matching up the markings at the side seam. Pin in place. Stitch the dart, starting from the edge of the fabric towards the point of the dart. Stitch off the edge of the fabric, don’t back tack the stitching at the point. Instead, tie the threads together with a double knot. Press the dart allowance down.
Finish the side and shoulder seams of front and back with an overlock or by zigzagging. Finish the shoulder seams of the knot pieces as well. Pin a knot piece to the left shoulder seams of front and back, with the right sides together. Left when wearing the top. Stitch and press open.
Front:
Back:
Pin and stitch the right shoulder seams of front and back, right sides of the fabric together. Press open.
Finish the side and shoulder seams, as well as the bottom of the front and back facing.
Pin a knot piece to the left shoulder seams of the front and back facing, right sides together. Left when wearing the top. Stitch and press open.
Front facing:
Back facing:
Pin and stitch the right shoulder seams of the front and back facing, right sides of the fabric together.
Pin the armholes, the neckline and the knot pieces of the top and the facing together, with the right sides of the fabric together. Make sure that the knot pieces are neatly aligned and that the shoulder seams match. Stitch the left armhole, the knot pieces and the neckline first. Start at the left side seam of the back and stitch all the way around until you reach the side seam of the front. Next, stitch the right armhole from side seam to side seam. 
Trim the seam allowances at the curves of the neckline and armholes. Trim the points of the knots as well. Finish all seams together with an overlock or by zigzagging.
Turn the top and facing to the right side by pulling the fabric through the right shoulder. Gently push out the points of the knots. Press nicely.
Fold the facing upwards, so you can pin the side seams together, the side seams of the facing included, with the right sides together. The seam allowances between the top and facing also fold upwards. Stitch the side seams and press open.
Stitch the seam allowances to the facing through all layers, at 2 mm from the stitching line. Do this for the neckline of front and back, and for the armholes. You won’t be able to stitch all the way around, so start and finish as far as you can each time. Press nicely.
When tying the knot, make sure to tie it at the shoulder seams; otherwise the armhole will become too large. Sew the facing to the top with a few stitches at the sides seams.
Press 1 cm of the hem to the wrong side. Press another 2 cm to the wrong side and stitch close to the edge.
Ellis short
Pin the bottom of the pocket opening at the top of the pocket, right sides of the fabric together and stitch. Finish the seams together with an overlock or by zigzagging.
Press the pocket in half with the wrong sides together to create the slanted pocket. Pin both sides and stitch in place at 1 cm of the edge.
Pin the pocket and the pocket opening to the front, right sides together and stitch. Finish the seams together with an overlock or by zigzagging.
Press the seam towards the front and topstitch about 1 cm from the stitched seam to secure the seam allowances.
Finish the side seams and inseams of front and back with an overlock or by zigzagging.
Stitch the back darts. Fold the dart in half along the central line - right sides of the fabric together - matching up the markings in the waist. Pin in place. Stitch the dart, starting from the edge of the fabric towards the point of the dart. Stitch off the edge of the fabric, don’t back tack the stitching at the point. At the beginning, you can back tack. Instead, tie the threads together with a double knot. Press the dart allowance towards the center back.
Pin and stitch the inseams of front and back with the right sides together, as well as the right side seam. Left and right when wearing the shorts. Press all seams open.
Stitch the left side seam from the hem up to the marking. Don’t forget to backstitch. Next, sew the remaining part of the side seam up to the waist, using the longest stitch length on your sewing machine, without backstitching. Press the seam open. Finally, use a seam ripper to carefully remove the upper part.
Turn one of the trouser legs to the right side and slide it into the other trouser leg, so that the right sides of the fabric are together. Pin and stitch the crotch seam. Finish the seams together with an overlock or by zigzagging. Press the seams to the left leg and turn the shorts to the right side.
Pin a back waistband to a front waistband, right sides together and stitch the right, short side. Stitch and press open.
Repeat for the second part of the waistband, the waistband facing. Sew the other short side, so that the waistbands are mirror images of each other. Press just over 1 cm from the bottom edge of the waistband facing towards the wrong side of the fabric.
Pin the outside waistband to the shorts with the right sides together and stitch all around. Press the seam allowances towards the waistband. Make sure that the markings of front and back match.
Open the zipper and pin the left part on the left seam allowance of the opening, right sides together. Place the beginning of the zipper teeth at 1,5 cm below the top of the waistband. At the side seam, the teeth of the zipper are aligned with the fold you pre-pressed. Baste the zipper in place. Don’t forget to change the presser foot on your machine to an invisible zipper foot. Start stitching at the waist until the marking. Open or ‘roll over’ the zipper teeth while stitching.
Close the zipper and pin the right part provisionally to the right seam allowance of the side seam. Make sure the seams of the waistband are neatly aligned. Open the zipper and pin in place in the same way as the left part. The more precise you work, the better the result. Baste in place and stitch from the waist down as far as you can. Close the zipper to check if it’s inserted well.
This is the best time to try on the shorts, because you can still make some adjustments if necessary to the back darts or the side seam. Keep in mind that the shorts will feel slightly looser without the finished waistband.
Pin the waistband facing to the waistband of the shorts with the right sides together and stitch the waist all around.
Next, stitch the side seams of the waistbands. Make sure to stitch next to the stitching line of the zipper, otherwise you might catch the zipper teeth.
Trim the corners and turn the waistbands to the right side.
Press the seam allowances of the waistbands towards the waistband facing. Understitch the seam allowances to the waistband facing at 2 mm from the seam. Start and finish as far as you can. Press the waistbands neatly.
Fold the waistband into place and pin the waistband facing to the shorts. Make sure all seam allowances and the pre-pressed centimeter sit inside the waistband. Stitch the waistband to the shorts by stitching exactly in the ditch of shorts and waistband. Work on the right side of the shorts. Press nicely.
Press 1 cm of the hem to the wrong side. Press another 3 cm to the wrong side and stitch along the edge.
All done! We wish you a lot of fun with your new top & shorts! Show your creation on Facebook and Instagram with the hashtag #atelierjupeSophie & #atelierjupeEllis or share it in our Facebook group ‘Atelier Jupe - Create & Share’.