Navy Knit Bootcut Pants - Vogue 1663

Completed in 2022.

Finished garment photo coming.

Pattern: Vogue 1663 (2019) 

Pattern Description: Misses' Jacket, Top, and Pants: Pull-on pants have a self-lined yoke with hidden waist elastic and topstitched hems.

Pattern Sizing: Y(XS-S-M), ZZ(L-XL-XXL) I cut an XL, which was the closest to my measurements.

Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you were done sewing with it? Yes, it did. 

Were the instructions easy to follow? Yes, very much so!

What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern? The yoke construction is similar to one from my favorite knit skirt, Butterick 6464. It is meant to have the convenience of a gathered waist without excess bulk around the waist and hip. I also love the slight bootcut shape of the pants leg.

Fabric Used: Navy cotton interlock (from a 2016 Hancock Fabrics liquidation sale!), Dritz 3/4" wide braided elastic, Gutermann 100% polyester thread in Navy #272.

Pattern alterations or any design changes you made: I decided to compare the leg shape to two similar patterns in my stash, Simplicity 1283 and Vogue 8963. I was initially going to make one of those and add the yoke from B6464. This just made it so much easier!

The instructions have you sew double seams, so I needed to first baste the pants together to see how they would fit. This is hard to see without the waistband, so I decided to leave them as-is, baste on the waistband, and then reevaluate them.

I pulled out the elastic template and noticed that the measurement for size XL was too long. Size XL should fit a 34"-37" waist, but the elastic length for XL would be 40." Ridiculous! The same formula was used for the other two sizes in the packet. I did not trust their installation method. Instead, I adapted the technique from Butterick 6464 and cut my elastic to my waist measurement, 36" (also the length Vogue 1663 said to cut for size L!). I cut off 1-2", making sure it could comfortably stretch over my hips. That was the right call.

Once the waistband was in place, I could evaluate the fit. The front rise was 1/2" too long while I would want to add at least 1/2" to the back rise, which seemed (exposing underwear when bending over) low. The width of the legs was fine, but the length was ridiculous, 3 inches too long! This means that the knees can't possibly be in the right place, so the shaping could be better, and this will need to be altered on the paper pattern for any future pants.

I noticed when I took the pants apart that the fabric had stretched. Choosing a cotton interlock for pants might not have been the most sustainable choice. I had to recut the side seams and even out the pants legs to the original length before I cut 1-1/2" off.

Like the XL waistband, I think the pant legs were too large (or stretched out) because I ended up recutting the legs between the size XL and the size L. I will also need to alter the yoke pattern, which I thought was too wide. Next time, I will also cut a size L.

I trimmed down 1/2" at center front, tapering out to nothing at the side seams. In future pairs, I will do the same and add 1 /2" to the center back piece.

Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others? Yes, I would recommend this pattern for the pants even though I didn't use their elastic insertion method. I liked the use of a yoke to minimize elastic waist bulk and the flared shape of the legs. However, in my future makes, I need to use appropriate fabric and make alterations to this pattern.

Conclusion: These pants will be paired with McCall's 7254, a jacket I made in this same fabric five years ago! I had meant to muslin Vogue 1411 in this fabric instead. However, I'm still intimidated by that pattern, so instead, I've created a casual and cozy knit suit.

KonMari Method Part 5 : Komono Sewing/Crafting/DIY

This entry is for all the makers working in garment sewing, crafting, and home DIY projects. How do WE declutter?

This particular category was not given significant focus by Ms. Kondo. Supposedly it is a part of the Komono/Miscellaneous group. I didn't even realize that fact until I had my latest stack of plastic bins in front of me. These five small bins were just my crafting supplies, but I realized I also had my heavy-duty DIY tools, plus loads of garment fabric and sewing patterns. Luckily, I had done the first pass on those last two categories pre-KonMari, and I did not revisit those now. Note: When I decluttered that time, my only criteria was 'could use the fabric in the future?' I am now aware I will need to go through them again with "Do they spark joy?" in mind.

One of the difficulties with this category and the KonMari method is the whole concept of "sparking joy." When you work with craft and sewing supplies, you want some surplus materials or a "stash." These items will come in handy at some point but do they necessarily spark joy?

DIY SUPPLIES

I had multiple cardboard boxes and plastic containers that held all of this stuff. I needed to organize, consolidate, and label everything that I had. I ended up with four specific containers:

1. Paint Prep: A small portable tub with my pre-painting gear such as nitrile gloves, assorted paintbrushes, foam brushes, sanding blocks, latex caulk, spackle, Frog tape, some blue painter's tape, a paint can opener, plastic drop cloths, and a concentrated degreaser and cleaner for prepping all surfaces before painting.
   
   
   
   
   
2. Primary Paint: A plastic tub holds the plastic paint trays the I line with aluminum foil, my handy paint pail (if you use latex paint, you can let it dry out and later lift the entire pail shaped paint thing out, it's so freaky cool!), extra foam rollers (in two sizes), paint edging tool, plastic cups, and painter tripods to support drying objects, small portions of leftover paint, Kilz 2 primer, and my must-have supply of Minwax Polycrylic in Satin. 
   
   
3. Electric Tools: Another container holds my products which just happen to be Black + Decker products; a BullsEye auto-leveling laser level with stud sensor (BDL190S), 7.2-volt cordless screwdriver (PD600), and a 1.2 Amp corded Mouse detail sander (BDEMS600). Because there was room leftover, it also holds the tile leftover from the kitchen makeover (Yup, I know, potential future clutter!)
   
   
4. Manual Tools: These live in a plastic toolbox with multiple-sized screwdrivers, wire cutters, two box cutters, two types of old school levels, a complete set of sanding files, two sets of pliers, and .

SEWING NOTIONS

IKEA Misi table (No longer available)

I have an old IKEA Misi table with four convenient drawers that I use to store my most used notions.

1. This drawer holds all of my old Coats & Clark's threads. I now have a separate container for the Gutermann thread that I use now.
   
   
2. Sewing and machine needles, sewing scissors, my rotary cutter, walking foot, seam pickers, and my marking chalk all live in this drawer.
   
   
3. This one holds my sewing labels, pinking shears, fabric swatches, 
   
   
4. My Babyloc sewing machine manual, tracing paper, tracing wheel, tape measure, my bobbin thread box, and the-all important not-for-fabric scissors live in the last drawer.
   
   

In addition, my sewing cabinet (a former Spiegel Catalog armoire) holds even more. Inside, it has several similar-sized plastic totes, each with a different purpose.

• Notions: One container holds all my interfacings, Pellon Easy Pattern paper, seam bindings, elastics, ribbons, velcro fasteners. To simplify things, they are all in individual clear plastic zip bags, so I can easily see what I have.
  
  
• Knit Scraps: This one holds all the good knit remnants, fold-over elastics, and salvaged findings that could be made into underwear, tank tops, or turban headbands.
  
  
• Office: A little bit different, this tote holds tape, rubberbands, envelopes, pens, plastic sheet protectors for my PDF patterns, and archival envelopes I use to protect my vintage patterns.
  
  
• Soft toys: Leftover fleece, juvenile print fabrics, and felt that I can use to make things for my grandniece and two grandnephews.
  
  
• Crafts: See below.
• Paints: See below.
  
  

CRAFT SUPPLIES

For me, craft supplies meant: older unopened acrylic paint tubes, newer acrylic paint for small projects, assorted paint brushes, sandpaper, pipe cleaners, hot glue gun, a staple gun with staples, rulers, several different types of tape, oil pastels, chalks, drawing pencils, stencils, unused origami paper, watercolor paper, sheets of vellum, metal knitting needles, and even a set of circular bamboo knitting needles.

I also had a small jewelry supply stash of jewelry findings, leather and suede cords, beading wire, some leftover elements from older jewelry pieces, plus packages of metal and wooden beads.

I took my time going through these, thinking of the likelihood that I would ever use each one or if it would be more useful to someone else, i.e., could it spark joy in someone else? If so, they were moved to another tub destined for the ScrapRVA reuse organization in Richmond.

An in-progress donation tote

Donations

I love the idea of oil pastels (I bought them for a college course in 2010), but I never used them after that, so it was time for them to go. Once I started thinking about it, more things made their way into the ScrapRVA donation box. So, could I see myself needing and then using it in the foreseeable future? That was the main question I asked myself. The effortless donations were any items that I had in multiples, or I had no idea that I even owned it. I ended up with a healthy group of things; many were never used.

Observations

At one point, I found myself trying to justify keeping items that could still bring me joy. You know, you can always use paint, pencils, hot glue... I had to revisit the contents of a few containers several times to remove things that I knew would continue to sit around unused. Because that was the same attitude that filled those boxes in the first place. Perhaps I was having a more difficult time because I took longer with the KonMari process than I was meant to. Ideally, you do it in one continuous session, not over several months as I did.

For now, the box of donations, my box of 100+ sewing patterns, and any other goods for ScrapRVA are living in my car's trunk until I drive to Richmond to hand them over. That's good enough for me.

Trying the KonMari Method - Clothing (A Maker Version)

As the old year* ended, I needed to lighten my load, eliminate the clutter (physically and emotionally), and prepare for bringing light and calm into my life. So, I decided to consult Marie Kondo, the author of The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: the Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing. I had watched her Netflix show Tidying Up with Marie Kondo earlier last year and felt inspired to go through my clothes. However, I did not follow her tried and true method as written. I gained a bit of space, yes, but there was no real catharsis or clarity.

Recently, I noticed people mentioning a new Netflix show, Get Organized with The Home Edit. I found it more like a commercial for the Container Store. There was no real thought about why they had all this stuff or if you should keep it. Instead, the emphasis was on the cute products to put it all in for visual aesthetics. Watching it, I felt uninspired by some of their storage solutions, especially when they displayed Reese Witherspoon's movie wardrobe and memorabilia. Working in a museum and being familiar with textiles and restoration, their decisions made me nervous. However, it did make me return to Marie Kondo's wisdom and her KonMari method of decluttering.

Confession time, months ago, I picked up her first book at a thrift store but still had not read it. So I originally started this undertaking only knowing the "Cliff Notes" version. The plan was to catch up on my reading as I went along.

According to her book, Marie believes you should move through your belongings in this order: Clothing, Books, Papers, Miscellaneous, and Sentimental objects. 

Clothing is first because, in her years of practice, she considers it the easiest one. Obviously, she has not worked with many Makers! 

Clothing

Initial Observations:

Some of the items in my closet are clothing that my mother or I made DECADES ago!

1. They were made for a high school-size Lisa and will never fit again. 

2. They are no longer my style or in the colors that I wear. I mean, there was an iridescent pink ball gown skirt in there!

3. They were items that I was incredibly proud of and wanted to remember.

When I first started sewing clothes in the 1980s, that's how I spent most of my free time. I was fascinated by clothing construction and frequently attempted ambitious projects such as Issey Miyake and Karl Lagerfeld Vogue designer patterns, lined garments, bound buttonholes, the pad-stitching of a tailored jacket, and working with sheer and silky fabrics. Back then, I didn't know to be scared of doing those things; I was FEARLESS!

For sentimental reasons, those items avoided "the purge" time after time. I would move them from one home to another, and they continued to take up space.

A great point Marie makes in the book that doesn't stand out enough in the media is this:

It's NOT about throwing things out; continually throwing things away to eliminate "clutter" is not  calming, and it will never bring happiness. The goal is choosing what you want to keep in your life (the Does it Spark Joy? concept). It's a way to take a closer look at what you surround yourself with and how it makes you feel.

My personal experience was that I loved most of my clothes, but why wouldn't I? I made them! As a maker/sewist, I could say that about my clothes because they were unique to my tastes and style.

However, I could eliminate some:

1. Things that were several sizes too small, items stretched beyond repair, pilled knits, and others that I no longer felt good wearing. These would be easy to discard.
2. The "slightly ill-fitting item but after losing a few pounds I could fit again" items. Who needs that pressure?
3. Those that may still spark joy, but because of the style, I would not wear them.
4. Things that my late mother made for me over 30 years ago.
5. Things that I planned to alter or adapt that I still hadn't done.

The other goal was to remove these from my home in a way that I felt good about, either by donation of the good RTW stuff or fabric recycling because clothing donation sites don't take kindly to handmade items. (There is no easy way for them to label sizes on these, so I get it.)

There was a small fear that if I got rid of everything that doesn't spark joy, would I have any clothes left? The answer was yes, the ones that matter.

Here is everything in this category that left my wardrobe.

Final Observations

• Outerwear: I gave away five jackets/coats which could not close over my hips. I kept the four that fit; three I bought recently and my handmade Issey Miyake-designed coat.
  
  
• Tops: I found out my wardrobe is 70% tops. I am severely lacking in coordinating skirts and pants.
  
  
• Pants/jeans: I found a well-fitting pair of jeans recently bought (during Covid) that I had lost track of in my closet! I now have four wearable pairs of jeans and two pairs of knit pants.
  
  
• Scarves: I had several but never wore them. ALL GONE.
  
  
• Underwear: Two sad bras are now gone, and I replaced some worn underwear and socks.
  
  
• Purses: I thought I had maybe 6-7, but I had SIXTEEN bags! How did that happen? I now plan on storing the bags that I kept in a way where I will see them and use them more.
  
  
• Shoes: There were so many that I no longer wore. I lost five uncomfortable or worn pairs. The others will be stored so that I can see them and wear them more often.

Here's an example of decluttering I found on the Interwebs from Wild We Roam. It isn't the KonMari method, but I felt this experience was very similar to mine.

Coming up next, more of the KonMari process...

*The year that must not be named.

Some New Tasks

A few years ago, I wrote a post about coming to terms with weight gain but never published it. Over time, I've thought to revise it but then something else would come up. However, I have decided to post it as is and leave the numbers and measurements as they were. The issue is much more a part of my life now as I meet the crossroads of losing some age-related weight gain (10-15 lbs) or making new clothes for the new size. But that would be a lot of clothes!

Depending on the day of the week I only have three pairs of pants that fit, two of them are jeans. Only a few skirts truly fit, then there are a few that are nearing unacceptable tightness (I don't believe a straight skirt should cup all under your butt. Sorry, not sorry.) Then there are dresses and tops which fit awkwardly tight around my upper arms and bust. Having thought myself small-busted the majority of my life it was a shock to find myself recently having to attach snaps between buttons on a top to stop gaping! When did I become this busty, what is going on here?

Worst of all, my winter coats can not be fastened over my hips, totally defeating their keeping me warm purposes. However, I must mention that they are both over 15 years old, 'cause coats are expensive, y'all! So thinking of the clothes I just mentioned and the possibility of replacing them all, losing the weight saves me the most money and sewing time. But how to go about it? I've been thin (sometimes too thin) most of my life and living off a high metabolism and junk food for all that time. This is going to be so hard.

I have started taking advantage of my job being situated in a park with its own 5-mile walking trail. I'm doing 1-2 miles every other day to start. This started on a whim without proper shoes or clothes so I was a disgusting, sweaty, and hobbling mess each time. However, I was being entertained and edified by awesome podcasts such as Buffering the Vampire Slayer, Hidden Brain, and Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard. Since I believe I can keep this up,* I invested in some supportive walking shoes and some wicking fabric.

New Balance 635 V2 running shoe

I will, of course, reevaluate my diet and while I'm changing my body composition I will simultaneously learn how to properly fit my body. Yes, I will be taking new accurate measurements and developing slopers for tops and bottoms so my new body will be well taken care of!

In the meantime, I may do a little sewing, perhaps the Grainline Morris, finally!! Maybe some tanks and underwear, since I have so many knit scraps and recently invested in some affordable fold-over elastic. Also I have a few baby shower gifts to produce.

However, my next few posts will be on the exciting and interesting measuring and sloper process...

* I just don't allow myself to leave the work parking lot until I've done some walking.

Curbing My Enthusiasm

I just wrote all about my sewing plans and trying not to buy more fabric and working solely from the stash, right? Then how come I keep taking pictures of fabrics at Jo-Ann?

You see, whenever I see a fabric I can imagine in a pattern I already own or a style I want, I take a pic of it and the label (because not all their fabrics are on their website) for reference. Lately, the hits kept coming...

.

I've already raved on Instagram about the texture of their refined ponte, and now it's available in my most coveted and near impossible to find colors; a rich green and a dark pumpkin-like orange. Both perfect to make any one of these ponte-perfect dresses: Butterick 6316, Butterick 5672, Vogue 8787, or New Look 6968.

Recently I became excited about making my first bathing suit (for 2018) based on this Talbots swim/athletic ensemble:

Talbots Sanibel Tankini

I have the means to create it with Simplicity 8424, the Simplicity 1163 skirt (view A), and my TNT underwear pattern (based on indigorchid's original but-no-longer-available design.) In the last two months, I've found not one but two great green nylon/spandex fabrics. One is specifically for swimsuits and the other is a Yaya Han costume fabric whose fabric content matches that of the Talbot fabric.

This fabric would be ideal for the Vogue 8925 "sweatshirt" which had already appeared in my sewing plan but at the time I couldn't find a suitable fabric. I no longer have ANY warm winter sweaters or tops so this may be a justifiable breach to my rule.

Also in the running for that Vogue 8925 sweatshirt are these new-to-me Luxe fleeces (yes, I'm actually thinking of buying fleece at Jo-Ann!) in rich jewel tones that would work for that pattern.

This fabric immediately made me think of my old dream to have a sequin t-shirt-style dress ideal for New Year's celebrations. I have not attended a NYE event appropriate for a sequin dress in years but maybe if you make it, it will come? The exact color of this fabric is not captured well in this above pic but it's a mauve-y, rose color that looks amazing with my skin.

This one, of all the fabrics in this post, has the least chance of being made since I just made a long brightly colored silk dress with its own limited wearing opportunities.

So, it comes down to this:

Jo-Ann has a great tendency to carry a fabric through several seasons so I will not allow myself to panic. I'm gonna trust them to continue to carry that ponte since it's a good investment. However, I probably will give in to the quilt-y gray goodness because it isn't on the website and my whole no cold weather wear problem. I will make myself finish three or four more items on the plan before I buy any more fabric though. I truly need to deplete my stash.

My temporary fix was to obtain swatches of these fabrics and maybe the fact of having them in hand will subconsciously satisfy my need. Hmmm...

DONE. 

Luckily, Jo-Ann cuts their swatches from selvage to selvage so I have 1" to 1-1/2" by 45" or 60" of each to play with. Cut sections of the fabrics (except for the metallic knit*) have been through a machine wash for testing. Maybe I cut them too small because I still can't find two of them! Those were the luxe fleece and the green swim nylon.

I am still holding out, at least until the next 60% off coupon but I can say with confidence that some of that quilted fleece will be bought!

*The metallic knit has been eliminated. In addition to shedding and needing to be hand-washed, once cut it rolled up into a tight tube which means it would also need to be lined/stabilized for the dress I want. Without having a real need in my wardrobe, that is too much work already.

Getting Things Done...

Saturday:

• Sent an email to both McCall's Patterns and Simplicity Patterns offering up some of my vintage patterns as loans for their reissues.
• Posted ten more patterns in the Metamorphpursuit shop. Not as easy as it seems: the prep involves photographing or scanning the actual patterns, doing any necessary touch up work on the images, transcribing or copying the pattern descriptions, and researching current prices to come up with a realistic market price. Luckily, for most of my 100 patterns I have the images and the descriptions saved in Flickr.
• Did research for my upcoming New Jersey/Philadelphia trip and discovered that they had three different sewing workshop/sewing schools (Butcher's Sew Shop, MADE Studio, and Handcraft Workshop)
• Proofread 10 more chapters of my sister's upcoming thriller, Pay To Play, marking with my little red pen.

Sunday:

• Removed worn out elastic from a favorite skirt to replace.
• Took apart an old pair of underwear to make a pattern.
• Removed sleeves from Simplicity 5190 because I never wear it and hopefully this will change that. I still love the fabric and I was going to take it apart and make New Look 6968 but Jo-Ann never brought back the brown stretch gabardine in Potting Soil that I wanted to use for the skirt.
• Traced New Look 6216 and redrafted it from a top into a dress. Since the weight gain, I find myself almost obsessive about cutting out patterns and fabric because I'm scared the final make won't fit over my hips. This attitude is not making me happy. The failure of my New Look 6145 muslin still affects me. Being so out of touch with my own body is weird after knowing it so well for so many years and I'm sill mourning the image of that small breasted girl who fit all the clothes in her closet.
• Looked up info for my dad on his medical insurance and prescriptions.

Digusting, right?

But the BIG thing that happened yesterday was that I discovered my father has been covering the floor in our storage shed with rugs even though the room floods periodically. Who does that? Argggghhh! Once he mentioned that, I ran out to see if any of my stuff (this shed is where the contents of my old and future life lives) had been damaged. I found out that my perfect rug; which had been rolled up in a plastic bag was standing with the unprotected (!) non-plastic covered end on the wet and moldy carpet. Worse yet, my lovely Brunei fabric had been rolled up inside the carpet, again directly touching the moldy carpet. So for the rest of the day I fought to protect two of my favorite belongings.*
 

Both the rug and 8 yards of the 54" fabric were draped across our wood deck to get dried by the sun. A little research revealed that the rug was 100% nylon so it should be okay after it has dried and been steam cleaned. I now regret I didn't rent the steam cleaner right then but I was very upset and in shock. After the fabric got a few hours fe sun I ran it in the washer on the sanitary setting in HOT water for 1hr 40min with white vinegar, a bit of Shout, and detergent. I then washed it a second time for a regular 40 min cycle and then dried it thoroughly. Afterwards, I ended up discarding about 10 inches of damage from the selvage inward by ripping along the grain.

Hopefully, tomorrow will be just as full of completed tasks but hopefully more positive and fun than that last one!

*that I hadn't been able to store in the house. The others include my rocking chair and my Crosley turntable, which luckily were left unharmed.

Cut 'n Paste PDF Pattern Inventory

When it comes to the printed and packaged patterns (like the Big 4) I have a good idea of what I own because of my pattern inventory on Flickr. However, my PDF patterns are all over the place; saved digitally on one desktop computer, some are on a portable disk drive (I think they have the same ones?) and others have already been printed out and been placed in plastic sleeves for storage and easy access.

However, what exactly are they? Where did I get them, how much did they cost, and how many are dresses, tops, lingerie, etc? I spent some time looking through my computers and compiled a list of all the downloaded patterns that I've accumulated. I am thoroughly shocked at how many there were especially since I already have more than one hundred "old-school" packaged patterns from the Big Four and a few independents. I really shouldn't NEED any more patterns, right? Hmmm...

Well, here they are below. I included links to the companies/designers just in case you want a bit of this good stuff too. I also have a Pinterest group devoted to free patterns and tutorials here. Yes, I am enabling your hoarding habits...and you are welcome.

PURCHASED PATTERNS

Grainline Studio
Scout Woven Tee 31002 *
Moss Mini Skirt 32001 *
Tiny Pocket Tee 31001 *
Maritime Shorts 35001
Hemlock Tee *

Paprika Patterns (free to me as a tester)
Jade Skirt *
Jasper dress/sweater

Burdastyle
Long Sleeve Top 02/2010 #112A *

Seamster Patterns
Yellowtail Camisole

Waffle Patterns
Marmalade Gathered Jacket

Baste + Gather
Birkin Flares (jeans)

FREE PATTERNS

Burdastyle
Anda Dress #7969 (free when I got it years ago) *
Marie Skirt #9177
The Draped Square by Irmchen
Let's Twist Again... by Irmchen *
Flared Skirt 10/2012 #121A
Folded Yoke Blouse 10/2012 #122
Hip Wrap 10/2012 #120
Trousers #129A/#129B
with code from US Burdastyle mag

Fine Motor Skills
Jimmy Shorts

Thread Theory
Arrowsmith Undershirt

By Hand London
Polly Top

Dixie DIY
Hot Cocoa Sweater

Maria Denmark
Kirsten Kimono Tee

Me & Sew
Loose Top

Peppermint Magazine
Winter Wool Cape by Sewanista Fashion Workshops

Hot Patterns
Crepe Suzette Circular Clutch *
Fringe Festival Scarf Knit Top
Cool, Calm, & Cowl -necked Top
All Wrapped-Up Tank

Shelby Kaava
#302 Vuokatti Tights

Vera Venus



Little Bias Dress (LBD) in UK size 10/12
Sundress Bodice - low and high neck versions

Clothhabit by Amy Chapman
Rosy Ladyshorts

Makebra
Hipster pattern

Indigorchid
T-shirt Underwear #705 (pattern no longer available but the making-of posts are highly valuable) *

Itch To Stitch
Lindy Petal Skirt

Schnittquelle (Average Source)
Vichy Dress, Mod 06-59 Sewing Instructions (no longer free)

Sew Different Patterns
Spring Tulip Skirt (no directions included)

Tamanegi-kobo
Dita Pencil Dress
Athena V-necked Tee
Columbo Belted Long Jacket
Ice Pop Seam Spiral Jeans (drafted for children)

Tessuti
Our Fave Top
Mandy Boat Tee*

Republic du Chiffon
Ludivine Dress (no longer available)

Sew Loft Patterns fka Spit Up & Stilettos
Company is no longer in business but their entire pattern archive is being hosted by Hoopes Park Studios on Dropbox for FREE!
Gabrielle Blazer
Emma Pant
Matilda Legging
Karina Skirt

*Already sewn or made

Book Review: Sewing Lingerie (1991)

As part of the Singer Reference Library, the Sewing Lingerie book from 1991 covers lingerie construction from fabric, lace, and elastic selection to how to construct beautifully detailed custom lingerie.

For the lace instructions covers lace overlays, appliqué, motif matching, and lace insertion techniques. I was amazed by how thorough and extensive the information all presented with step-by-step photos. While I lack the motivation or inclination to make my own lingerie past simple knit underwear, this book should be all that is desired for anyone else to take on the task. Other things included are how to cut woven fabric on the bias and takes you through the construction of basic bikini briefs to slips, tap pants, teddies, dressy robes, kimonos, and flannel-lined silk robes.

For a more thorough review, check out this one by Renee from Miss Celie's Pants.

The fact that the book is long out-of-print should not be a negative. Though the book can still be found in some local libraries, the book can also be found through numerous Internet booksellers. I purchased two other volumes of this Singer series (The Perfect Fit and Sewing Pants That Fit) from Alibris.com for only $.99 each! Though I might not see myself using this book to its fullest, I will probably locate and purchase a copy just for the individual techniques. Therefore, I highly recommend this book.

The 2014 Wish List

Happy New Year!!

Last year, I said I wasn't going to set myself up for stress by making any definite sewing plans. But, we all know, the planning is the best part of it all! So, here's some of what I would like to attempt in the next six months or so. There will be some finishing up of earlier planned projects like that Simplicity 6656 duster coat and my turquoise Moss skirt; however, I now have more primary priorities in place (career & debt) but these things are what I would like to spend my "free" time thinking about.

Starting with a few small things:

Create a black knit turban for bad hair days using this free tutorial. Done!
Stitch up a practical corduroy clutch purse using a free Fabric.com/HotPatterns download. Done!
Make a full skirt made from Vogue 2747 using my now unneeded red poplin apartment curtains. Done!
Attempt Simplicity 5287, a vintage funnel neck dress, in free green double knit.

Projects I want to try:

Last year, I posted an inventory of the handmade wardrobe items that I still wore from my own closet. I still have quite a few RTW items in my wardrobe. Well, I don't believe in getting rid of stuff before it's been throughly used and bordering on threadbare; therefore, I got thinking...how about altering or embellishing all my RTW pieces and reclaiming them in my own style, so that any Me Made Mays or such would have an advantage?

Why not try reverse applique such as that done by Alabama Chanin. I feel like taking apart some of my RTW knit items, restitching them with raw seams, and adding simple stitched embellishments like this. You know...reclaim the handmade from RTW! It's another way to increase the handmade garment/accessory numbers in my wardrobe. Luckily, I've got lots of embroidery floss from my Wee Wonderful doll supply stash and I also have ribbon and inherited button collections from numerous "no longer with us" personages.

Start on my muslin for the Colette Clovers. I took apart these H & M stretch woven pants in order to make a pattern and will compare that with the Clovers to help mitigate any problems using the Colette pattern.

Muslin and create the Built By Wendy Sew U pants. The fact that they were referenced by Sallie as the basis for these jeans is all that I need. If these work, I won't need to go purchase that popular Jalie jeans pattern.

I would like to try out these Shelby Kaava #302 Vuokatti leggings using this free downloadable pattern or trying out this tights tutorial from Handmade By Carolyn. I find I treat my store bought tights harshly and I hate the expense.

Underwear and more underwear! I also have my eye on this DL01 balconette foam bra by Make Bra. The best thing about it besides having no underwire is that you can cover the cups with woven fabrics which will make it a stash-buster. *Bonus from moving: I discovered many discarded t-shirts that I wouldn't wear again but could use for these.

Oh! and I will also be participating in Stash Diet 2014, since all the projects above will be supplied from my existing stash. I won't be posting specific goals or fabric counts but you are free to check out my stash (with fabric content and amounts, if possible) on Flickr here.

Homemade Knickers - Indigorchid Underwear #705

Pattern: Indigorchid T-shirt Underwear #705 (free pattern download) and online tutorials. (2011)

Pattern Description: Bikini-style underwear with side seams, a double-layer crotch gusset, and elastic waist and leg-openings.

Pattern Sizing: (XS-S-M-L) I made the large size.

Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you were done sewing it? Yes.

Were the instructions easy to follow? Yes, especially because the site provided online tutorials for the construction and alternative finishing options.

 

What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern?  Besides the pattern being free? Well, I liked that this was the only tutorial I found that resulted in a lining/gusset that had completely enclosed seams. It results in a more professional finish. Other tutorials left one side open. 

Attaching the fold-over elastic.

Fabric Used: Jersey/Lycra knit scraps, an old t-shirt, 3/8" wide Dritz elastic, and fold-over elastic* ($.89 per yard) from G Street Fabrics.

Pattern Alterations or any design changes you made:  I altered the back pattern piece to account for my coverage needs. I'm not a fan of boy shorts or "cheekies" so this change was necessary for me. Otherwise, I followed the given instructions and attached the fold-over elastic to the legs. I would have used it for the waist but I didn't like the way the elastic behaved, twisting the leg holes every-which-way.

I instead used 3/8" wide elastic. I joined the ends to form a circle, marked it in quarters, and pinned to the waistline at four equidistant points. Using a small narrow zig zag, I stitched the elastic first to the right side (stretching it between pins to fit the fabric), then flipped it over to the back, and stitched two parallel rows of zig-zags. Easy-peasy.

Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others? Yes and yes, the instructions were excellent. I have some too-small St. Louis, MO and Guinness Dublin souvenir t-shirts all ready to be the next pairs.

• Lauren Dahl's tutorial specifically deals with using fold-over elastic for both the waist and legs.
• This very informative tutorial from Sarah Seitz is picture-filled for visual learners.

Conclusion: With this pattern I can now make my own underwear in colors and prints that I can't find in stores. It's also a great way to use up jersey scraps already in my stash and leftover from the knit tops I plan on making in the future.

*Here are some sources for colorful fold-over elastic, Sew Sassy and The Fabric Fairy. I personally found the prices at Joann and Hancocks too expensive.

Images: My own photos.

Pants, Pants, And More Pants (The U.S. Meaning!)

It seems that wide legged trousers are now trendy.

This is strange to me, because I don't dress in-time with fads. Which is obvious because I've had a pair of wide leg pants in my wardrobe every year since high school. But then, I'm the girl that was wearing Japanese designer-inspired fashion in junior and high school and vintage full-skirted dresses, and men's sport jackets and gabardine shirts in college. I just find fluid wide legged pants to be the comfiest thing to wear when it gets cold (and when it gets hot!) I am notoriously cold all the time in winter and wear tights or long underwear almost daily. Wide leg trousers give me the room to layer up and still look stylish. Below, evidence from my pattern archives:

High School/College

McCall's 5867, Vogue 1986, McCall's 7550, Vogue 2938, Vogue 2853, McCall's 2684

You can see that in College I also played around with silhouette, where I had a few pairs of "carrot" pants, where they are fuller with pleats at the top and narrow considerably down the length. In fact, that last pattern in a stable knit was a favorite pair of mine. I would love to find that pattern again, they were the closest I've come to harem pants.

Beyond/College:

Simplicity 6529, Vogue 2532, New Look 6836

My love of these structured yet loose wearing trousers obviously comes from the glamorous film stars of the 1930-40s; Garbo, Dietrich, Hepburn, and Lombard. Check out this link at Fashionable Forties for fabulous images of women wearing the many varieties of trousers worn at that time.