Tag: pants

sewing

{ 2013 } in review…

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I think I did pretty good this year, certainly managed to make the most Ive ever made in 12 months…. { EVER }. 28 or so garments (including my 3 knitting projects) but excluding some little kiddie crafts and one or two projects from yesteryear that I had to go back to for whatever reason.

My favourite me-mades were these…

NewLook6191_side2

These are the NL6191 pants which I {ADORE}. So comfortable & effortless, easy to dress up or stay casual. I’m pretty sure I’ll be making more of these soon.

mmmay2013_day21This lovely V1027 dress is a super huge hit. I love the fit, the monochrome fabric choice allows it to be paired with absolutely any colour. Its such a fantastic pattern that comes together in no time, with very little hassle. I know some of you have had fitting issues with this pattern & Im so sad for you, honestly. Ive worn this to death & I’ll be making more!

NewLook_6150_proteaNewLook_6150_frontYou can read all about my love affair with this NL6150 pattern here & here. I cant count how many ways I love this pattern. The autumnal colours came first followed very shortly by the white version with the protea applique. I wear these both regularly, in fact, Im wearing the floral one today!! I will be making more of these in 2014 for sure.

Simplicity_1642_front

This little red number was a happy accident really. Its made using the S1642 pattern which had to be adjusted but Im loving it & its always in the wash when I look for it so that means Im wearing it too much 🙂

sizzle

Last but not least, my Sizzle knit which I haven’t had the opportunity to wear that much but when I have, Ive just wallowed in it. Alot of work, but fun to knit. Im obsessed with the white & get a real kick out of wearing a knitted garment in summer-ish…ok, perhaps not on those strip-down-and-sew-in-undies days in august,but youknowwhatimean.

Ive already got some plans for my 2014 sewing schedule, some challenges indeed. The crazydontgiveafuck ange decided to order 3 wishlist patterns recently before the sensiblegivesafuck ange could kick in. All 3 are big hits in the sewcialist world & I would not be at all surprised if I am the last to join the rodeo. Let’s see shall we 2014.

On that note, {HAPPY HAPPY}. Stay safe wherever, whatever or however you celebrate the New Year.

Thank you all for sharing your 2013 with me x

 

pattern review · sewing

{ NEW LOOK 6191 } Oh my pants…!

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Its taken me only a month to get this blogged…mostly because Ive been photographically challenged  because these suckers have been in the wash every time Ive wanted to photograph them….but without further delay, here are my new, super comfie pants!

You already know my wardrobe holds very little in the way of pants because I told you that when I wrote a post about the Missoni-look-a-like leggings I made a few weeks back.   And its true, in the past Ive avoided making pants because the thought of fitting a pair of pants releases the same ridiculous fear in me as the thought of eating brussel sprouts….and I wish I was kidding!

Now I realise leggings & pants are two { VERY } different things but somehow while making the leggings, I kinda-sorta lost my fear of making pants & thought why the hell not. What have I got to lose besides a 2m piece of fabric & some time?! So I browsed the catalogues for a suitable victim & landed on the New Look 6191 which in all honesty is a bit of a cheat  because how much fitting is really needed on a pair of baggy pants…. { HA } besides the waist, { EL SQUATO }.

I hit the cutting table with a vengeance only to find the fabric had shrunk during the pre-wash leaving me around 5 cm short. Folks, this is why pre-washing fabric is { TRES IMPORTANTE }.  Luckily, the pattern assumes we all have mile-long model length legs so in this case assumption was not the mother of all fuck ups thank goodness but lets face it, it coulda been a real downer to my newly acquired fearlessness of pants. NewLook6191_side2

So here are the deets regarding the pattern :

{ DESCRIPTION } New Look 6191 Skirt & Pants with two variations of each.

{ FABRIC USED } A dark brown-ish charcoal-ish medium weight cotton with slight stretch at €6/m which just so happens to go incredibly well with my new nail-colour-crush!  Can you see that subtle red sparkle?  { YUM }OPI_BlackCherryChutney

{ SIZING } I cut my usual size. I also did an FAA { FULL ASS ADJUSTMENT } to allow for any problems with fitting this area because thats where Ive battled before.  I have more than ample!

{ INSTRUCTIONS } Good, no problems following or understanding.

{ CHANGES / ALTERATIONS } As with the tame animal skirt, I used bias binding to finish off my inner waist band instead of the method asked for in the instructions. I dyed some bias tape bright pink for a kick of colour. It would have been nice to also make the waistband facings a different colour entirely but hey-ho, I forgot & I had already cut them out.NewLook6191_back

For the waist tie, I made them as instructed but added some trop stitching around the entire tie.

I also installed my zip a little differently & top stitched around the edges of the zip…no reason why…I just preferred it.

The waist sits slightly too high for me. You can see in the first image how the front bags with wear which is not the most flattering look at all. Its also partly due to the waist tie being quite heavy thereby weighing the front down. Definitely a fitting tweak I will make on the next pair.

Before I hemmed these, I took them in slightly on the side seams & inner leg seams because they seemed a little { TOO } full for me. The small take-in made quite a big difference.

{ LEVEL OF DIFFICULTY } ** Not hard, not easy…around mediocre.NewLook6191_side

{ TIME } I unfortunately didn’t make these in one sitting…I stole moments here, there & everywhere however I estimate it at 3-4 hrs in total.

{ SUM IT UP } Highly recommended pattern if you looking to try a pair of pants with minimal fitting required. Im still going to try a “real” pair of fitted pants someday but for now, these satisfy my longing to make a pair of pants & I love that they have such character due to the fullness. True, its borderline Bobo the clown pants but thats the reason I took mine in slightly to just give it a little more shape.  I love that I can smack on a pair of Chucks & be super comfie but still look kinda cool & dressed up too with a denim jacket or blazer.

I might also add that whilst making these I must’ve pricked myself with pins at least 100 times! Im not sure why & thank goodness the fabric is so dark but jeez guys, this project literally drew the blood out of me. Have you ever had that with one particular project???

Ok beautiful sewcialists, time to keep pressing on through the queue… xx

chit-chat · sewing

{ AUTUMN / WINTER } Sewing queue…

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Make_beautiful_things

My Autumn/Winter sewing began quite a few weeks ago. I had made the NL 6150 ruched tee in the autumnal print because I wanted to try the pattern out & this fabric seemed perfect at the time, but then I went on to make another NL 6150 in the plain white with Protea applique. One can never have enough simple basics (with a twist) for the colder months.

I then moved onto the Vogue 8827 dress which I made in a berry viscose jersey, followed by the NL 6003 skirt and then the McCalls 6173 leggings which I absolutely love.

I mentioned the September issue of La Mia Boutique of which a few things caught my eye, one of which should be finished tonight!

So, what else you ask??

Well, I also want to make something for #RedOctober but we’re already half way through October & Im stumped. I found fabric in a really lovely shade of red, I just need to pull finger & decide on what!

Ive also been wanting to make a pair of loose pants so I think Ive decided on the NL 6191 pattern!  All the times Ive tried to make pants in the past Ive failed miserably so these looked like they could be easy enough to make, but still want to wear….if you knowwhatimean. NL6191_pants

The top featured in NL 6142 is another pattern Id like to make use of soon. I kinda love the peek-a-boo slot that shows off the bewbs.

NL1642_top

So those are a few things on my “have to make” list, but, I do have a few things that Id like to make but just not sure if Im going to have the time…for instance, the V1324 blouse.  V1324_blouse

and the Vogue 1259. I’ve been keen to make this top for some time….{ YES } this is not a dress, its a top & skirt! V1259_top

I know my time schedule is tight with full-time school until end February so Im trying not to put too much on my plate & feel like I have to rush through it because its “planned”. Id much rather take things at pace & do a good job than rush & regret it.

Apart from these garments on the lists, I still have to adjust my Wildest Dreams dress & re-install a new zip. So far Ive unpicked the back, tidied up the innards & now I just need to re-fit & sew it all back up. Sounds simple non ? Then why am Im not loving the thought of it?! Im also making some alphabet pillows for my twin nieces & a tutu for a friends kid.

Do you have anything you just { MUST } sew this autumn/winter season?

pattern review · sewing

{ McCALLS 6173 } Missoni madness…

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I made leggings.

Missoni-inspired leggings.

& guess what peeps ? They are super comfie.

The only pants you will find in my wardrobe are jeans { PLENTY } and leggings. I have no other pants…oh no wait I lie, I do have a pair of navy pants & a pair of floral pants I purchased late last year that Ive never worn, but besides those random pairs, I prefer jeans or leggings.

Now Im not one of those girls who flaunts her ass to everyone in sundry when wearing leggings ok. Im quite conservative when it comes to showing ass actually. I dont like to see butt crack, on me or anyone else, & I certainly dont like seeing camel toe! So I keep my privates rather layered over because Im a good girl like that. Call me Old School if you’d like but thats how I roll so leggings only just make the grade in my wardrobe & even then, they have to be super cute & fit really well otherwise they { OUT }.

I like to wear leggings because they layer so well & you can get such awesome leggings these days to brighten up any wardrobe, especially during Autumn and Winter. A little peek-a-boo colour between your boots & a knitted dress is pretty cool IMO. I love to browse the Black Milk website for inspiration. I particularly like their Galaxy leggings as well as their Mermaid variety.

So when I saw this Missoni-inspired fabric, I knew I had to purchase a metre in order to squeeze out a pair of leggings for Autumn. These are the first leggings Ive ever made, but certainly not the last!!

Here are the deets peeps : McCalls_6173_tights2

{ DESCRIPTION }  McCalls 6173 Close fitting pants with various finishes ie. View A has waistband with mock fly front zipper and exposed zippers at the ankles, View B is straight up normal, View C has a normal elasticated waistband with gathered/ruched ankles. I made the straight up B’s.

{ FABRIC USED } 1 metre of viscose jersey purchased via Buttinette.

{ SIZING } Hmmm….I read all the reviews on PR but it was hard to judge on the sizing because stretch fabrics have various degrees of stretch(iness). Based on the envelope sizing, I cut a large but once I sewed the legs together I knew immediately I would drown in them so I cut away & then cut away & cut away some more. Im guessing I cut right down to a small! This is a picture of the leggings laid down under a pair of my store bought leggings. This was { AFTER } the first cut so I still had a way to go before they fit. McCalls_6173_tights1

{ INSTRUCTIONS } Since these leggings are pretty much one piece for each side & a waistband, I didnt even look at the instructions. { SIMPLE SEWING }.

{ ALTERATIONS / CHANGES } Absolutely none..unless you count the sizing issue an alteration.

{ LEVEL OF DIFFICULTY } I know over the summer I branded many a pattern super easy, for instance the McCalls 6751 and the Vogue 2091, this really is the simplest, easiest thing Ive sewn to date & perfect for beginners.

{ TIME } No time at all. An hour at the most providing you dont need to do numerous size adjustments.

{ SUM IT UP }  Highly recommended pattern for a basic legging that you really cant go wrong with. Super comfie if you use the right fabric & easy enough for a real beginner to make. I have short-ish legs so I managed to cut my leggings out of a metre fabric with a nice size offcut down one side. I always keep my offcuts because I know I can use them for something along the way. McCalls_6173_tights3

Have you made leggings ? If so, which ones? Id like to try leggings with some detail next time, not just at the ankle ie. zips or ruching. Id like to give it a go at some point with pleather strips or combination fabrics – could be really fun.

Whatever you do, or wherever you venture this weekend, stay safe x