My Sewing Space

Every once in awhile I feel like I want something "different" in my closet. Generally I'm not super trendy, but from time to time an odd trend appeals to me. This time it was culottes. I had a piece of black wool in my stash that was too lightweight for pants. Using it for a skirt was an option, but that would have left a good sized remnant that would be too big to toss and too small to do much else with. Since it was lightweight and had some good drape, I thought it could work for culottes. Plus, stash fabric seems "free" to me, so if it was a total bust not much was lost. There are quite a few patterns for culottes available now. The one I chose was  Vogue 9091 . I prefer a yoke to a regular waistband. Views A and B are considered culottes and View C is considered pants. I chose to make View C, but shortened it by five inches. I also added a lining, but those are the only real changes. This is not a complicated pattern. The pleats are deep and gett...

I was quite taken with Joji Locatelli's Lemongrass when I first saw it. I liked the split sides, the simple cable down the front and the turtleneck. The heavier gauge appealed to me also - faster to knit and a warm, cozy sweater in the end. I went with one of the yarns recommended in the pattern; Malabrigo Yarn Twist in black. I loved this yarn and would like to knit another sweater with it. It is soft and squishy and not at all itchy. Sometimes even soft wool yarns in a scarf or turtleneck start to really bother my neck by the end of the day, but this one doesn't bother me at all. So good. The only modifications I made to the pattern were very simple ones. Length was added to the front and back, but not equally - the back is longer than the front. Since I think loose sleeves on a sweater easily look sloppy, I went down a needle size for the sleeves. I like a substantial turtleneck and I have a long neck, so I added a whole lot to the neck, knitting the first half o...

I made this pair very shortly after the first version , with only a couple of changes to the pattern. I took out some height at the CB (I don't remember exactly how much), tapering to nothing at the side seams. I also changed the size of the pocket bags. I'm happier with this pair, but still need some more changes. Half grimace, half smile. It was so cold and windy. I thought outdoor pictures would be better, but the sun was so bright (not complaining!) that it makes it hard to see any details. The fabric is a black and blue loosely woven wool. From anywhere but up close, it looks like a very dark navy. It is the same fabric used in the Lisette moto jacket sew-along . I think I used what would be considered the "wrong" side of the fabric, but I liked it better. Other than the fact that it frayed pretty quickly, the fabric was easy to work with. Most of the pattern details are the same as the last pair. The fabric pressed well and the finished pants are...

I work part-time as a bank teller. The bank has a pretty tight dress code (but not uniforms) and the town where I live and work is pretty conservative. While my position doesn't have much (if any?) authority, I think it's important to look professional and I would prefer to be overdressed rather than underdressed. I also walk to work and during the winter that means I need my legs covered. All that to say, it was time to revisit making pants. Not faux-leather leggings , not pajama pants , but real trousers. The last pair of great trousers I made are too small for me now. Truth be told, they were always a little small. They were fine when I was standing, but were uncomfortable when sitting. The pants I copied for the pattern had just the slightest bit of stretch. I thought it was slight enough that I could make it work with a non-stretch fabric, but that little bit of stretch did matter. So, then I debated about starting from the beginning with a new pattern or revisit...

It happens every September. You'd think I would catch on. The air feels especially chilly on a Sunday morning and my kids still only have their summer clothes for church. Find some tights! Do you have a decent looking sweater? Put a shirt under that! And off we go, looking kind of patched together. Seriously, every year. That was last week Sunday. So, last week I was busy getting some dressier clothes together. I started with my son because I find his clothes takes longer to make. It's easier to squeeze in the faster dresses at the eleventh hour. I always have success with Ottobre patterns for my son, so that's where I started. This is pattern #38 from issue 4/2011. They are called "Algebra corduroys." Ottobre pattern names are always interesting. I like the narrow legs, the curved yoke and the angled pockets on the front. They are a bit rumpled from being folded up waiting for their shirt partner. All of the topstitching is done in tan thread. I copi...

My sewing lately has been quite intentional, planned, and purpose-driven. I typically work well that way, but last week I needed a bit of a break and wanted to just sew something for fun. If it didn't turn out to be a runaway success, I wasn't going to worry about it. I pulled out a piece of black ponte knit fabric that was in my stash. I know it isn't the best quality and I didn't want to be tempted to use it for something that I would invest a lot of time in or would want to last awhile. It's a fairly heavyweight knit, but has quite a lot of stretch and decent drape. I don't know made me want to make harem pants, but after I had the thought I really wanted to go ahead with it. After looking for a pattern to download from Burdastyle , I remembered that I already had an issue with a suitable pattern in it ( 1/2011 #124 ). I didn't think I would like that deep yoke, so I modified that to be narrower and straighter across and also changed the front ...

Today was a beautiful warm, sunny day - just how I imagined late May would feel back in March when I was sewing these pieces. This year I intentionally sewed spring/summer clothes for my kids ahead of the season. So, I have a number of things to post, but will likely not have too much to say about them (March was a long time ago!). These cropped pants were supposed to be for my older daughter, but they turned out much too small. Happily, they were just the right size for my younger daughter. The pattern is Ottobre 4/2013 #16 and I used an "engineer" stripe cotton (leftover from these pants ). I played with the front pockets a little - cutting them on the bias and inserting a strip of rickrack. I like the small feminine touch it adds. Most of the waistbands I've finished lately have included bias tape. I think it is less bulky and the pop of color and clean finish are fun. The waistband closes with a button, chosen by my daughter. The snap on these jeans frus...

My older daughter does not always sit appropriately when she wears a skirt or dress. She doesn't loooove skirts and dresses like my younger daughter does, so when she wears one, it's usually to church or another setting with a dressy/formal feel. To say that she does not appreciate my reminders to sit appropriately is quite an understatement. When it was time to make her new Easter duds, I gave her some choices. I told her I didn't want to continue on with the reminder/scowl exchanges anymore so she could have a new dress if she would sit appropriately or she could have pants. To my surprise, she chose pants. And I think it was a good choice! I wanted to only work with stash fabric, so we came up with this combination. The blouse/jacket (pattern:  Oliver + S Music Class Blouse ) is one of those notorious linen-look fabrics with an all-over embroidery pattern including a scalloped border. The photos aren't great, so you can't see the texture of the embroidery. ...

The amount of time or effort I put into a sewing project makes no difference in the amount of appreciation I get from my kids. They each have their own idea of what makes something special (a certain print, twirlability, sparkles, etc) but they all love comfy, cozy clothes. Who doesn't, really? I guess that doesn't make my kids unique. My son is my most tactile child and in his mind cozy and fuzzy are synonymous. He felt a pair of fuzzy pants in a store and badly wanted to take them home with him. They were a terrible fit, so I told him I'd make him some. I picked up this ribbed fleece fabric at Fabricland and used Ottobre 4/2013 #27 to make his new favorite thing to wear. The pattern is called "Ultimate Casual Basic Sweatpants." I thought that was pretty perfect. I stripped down the basic pattern even more by leaving off the pockets and bottom leg cuffs. My daughter needed some more warm clothing as well, so I made the pants again (just adding length) a...

For the most part, my blog posts are about finished items. These pants aren't finished yet. They need to be hemmed and I think I need to completely redo the waistband (a real bummer since it is totally completed). So, I wish this was a post about a finished item, but instead it is just a post where I am excited about something new to me. SILK-LINED PANTS! Whoa. I think redoing the waistband will be worth it. I'm going to want to wear these all the time. So, of course, I want them to look good. Both the silk and the black wool are from a trip to NY and I'm confident using them now since it's been awhile since anyone spit up on me or wiped their nose on me (thanks, kids!). I'm happy with how the welt pockets turned out. The wool was really nice to work with. My local Fabricland rarely carries high quality fabrics like this. These were a treat to work with. Now, where's my seam ripper...

Back in the fall, I read this post from Ali and was so inspired to do exactly what she did - copy a pair of pants that I knew I liked and would wear more of. I got the book she used, Patternmaking for a Perfect Fit , from the library and set to work on a pair of well-loved trouser jeans from Gap. The process outlined in the book is good  - I'd recommend it (I've since purchased the book). I started this project in November, so I honestly don't remember a lot of the details. The only thing I do remember is that it is really important to start with the grainline and get that spot on. I didn't do that initially and I had pant legs that twisted around like a barber pole. It's a difficult part to just eyeball. The front of the first muslin was good, but the back was a disaster. I made some adjustments and cut new back pieces. After I had the main pieces how I wanted them, I made a second muslin to test out all the small pieces that I was drafting based on measuremen...

I really like a lot of Ottobre's patterns for boys. They have creative and interesting details. But sometimes those details look overwhelming to me - multiple zippered pockets, many small parts to trace and piece, extra seams to topstitch, etc. I like those sorts of things, but I'm not always convinced that the extra effort is worth it for a garment that is quickly outgrown. A couple of weeks ago I squashed my doubts and made a pair of pants for my son from Ottobre 1-2011-29. The No Kung Fu (?!) pants are described as "outerwear pants," but I'm not entirely sure what that means. The directions don't call for insulation, lining, or waterproofing. The suggested fabric is "outerwear fabric" - not so sure about that, either. So why did I choose this pattern over some others? The knee patches, my friends. My boy blows out the knees on his pants with astonishing speed. I'm hoping these knee patches slow down the wearing out just a bit. Since I was...

These are the pants that my son recently outgrew. These are the pants that I made to replace the pants that my son recently outgrew. This is the spot where my son colored with ink on the pants that I made to replace the pants that my son recently outgrew. This is how it looks after I scrubbed the spot where my son colored with ink on the pants that I made to replace the pants that my son recently outgrew. This is how optimistic I am about how long these pants will last because of how it looks after I scrubbed the spot where my son colored with ink on the pants that I made to replace the pants that my son recently outgrew.

They're finished.  I just looked back to see when I started these.  November 17 .  That's a long time ago (in sewing time).  I knew it would be a longer term project, but it felt a little to close to a epic project.  Not that the sewing took so long, but because they were just sitting on my sewing desk all through the other projects and Christmas sewing.  I'd see them and think about them, but not get to work on them.  Now they're done and I wish I could say that I love them, but I don't. Let's start with the things I do like... The Pattern This is the J Stern Designs Misses' Jeans pattern.  It is intended to be used with regular (non-stretch) denim.  The jeans are fitted with a low rise and a boot-cut leg.  Optional back flap pockets are included.  Overall, I thought the fit was pretty good.  Of course, I did have to make some adjustments, but they weren't drastic changes.  I think this is a great draft for j...

I'm irrationally excited about these pants. They couldn't be more basic, but I think that's why I'm excited about them. This pattern is going to be used a lot, I think. I made size 3 and it goes up to size 8, so we've got a few years to go. This little man has been needing a new pair of "good" pants for a couple of months now and I kept putting it off for some reason. Once I actually decided to do them, I think it took only about four hours to finish them completely. I had intended to put a welt pocket in the back, but I forgot and when I remembered, it was too late to do it (and have it look any good at least). The pattern doesn't include one. So, the back of this pair is plain, but his shirt never stays tucked in anyway. The pattern instructions would have you sew the waistband onto the pants before sewing the center back seam. This is how most men's pants are made, but in this case they suggest finishing the waistband before sewing the CB seam. ...

Another winner from Jalie! I'm pretty happy with these pants ( Jalie 2561 ). As far as a piece of clothing, they aren't all that exciting - just basic black pants, but the fit is pretty good right out of the envelope. That is very exciting. I made the muslin for these awhile back (post here ) and then moved on to other things. After re-consulting the muslin, I raised the front crotch 1/4" and increased the leg length by 1.5". And that's all. Did I mention that I think this is very exciting? The pattern has two options for the waistband. I chose the narrow one. This makes them slightly low-rise. I'm not sure what I think about the pockets yet. Normally I like slanted pockets best on pants, but this type is good for a bulk-free line over the hip. So, I think I like how they make the pants look, but with utility in mind, I probably won't like them. The fabric is a stretch cotton twill (the pattern is made for stretch wovens) but I didn't want the waistba...