Oh Marigold, I'm too late!

I am a bit late to the cutting table this year with the Marigold pattern by Tilly and the Buttons. The jumpsuit is maybe a little too exposed for me even in the summer, I don't know when I would wear it, but I liked the idea of comfy trousers(who doesn't?)

I bought some beautiful viscose fabric with a nice texture in Louth in Lincolnshire way back in August especially to make them. 

I had seen on other blogs that people had found them quite long in the crotch so I took an inch out on the lengthen/shorten line. I still felt they were a bit too big though. My girls laughed at my MC Hammer impression even though they are too young to know who he is! I took some more out of the crotch altering the overall feel but I learnt a lot making them.

 

I had hoped to wear them to work but they are too casual with this loose fit however, next summer if we are bathed in sunshine again, they will be perfectly cool and floppy.

The pocket and pleat construction is a lovely detail and I would say they are definitely an intermediate make if you fancy them.

 

Shame to be packing them away so soon after making them but never mind, they will re emerge next year as a nice surprise because I will have forgotten all about them by then. 

Have you ever made this pattern? I would be more than happy to hear about your crotch? :)

Jo xxxxxx

Autumnal Florals

 NEWLOOK 6217 has made many a visit to my handmade wardrobe. 3/4 length capri trousers were made earlier this year and I wore them a lot: cool but smart.

I wanted to make another pair for Autumn because I am struggling to get into my jeans at the moment...Ahem. I ordered some stretch cotton sateen from a company called Sherwood fabrics. I visit this website about twice a year for a treat and always find a bargain. The fabric arrives wrapped in tissue which always makes me feel kind of special, shallow I know.

I used the Newlook pattern as a base but made some modifications: the usual wider rear crotch seam to eliminate the baggy bit I always get in the waistband along with a little elastic tab to hold it close to my lower back, like here.

 

 I also made them full length and then fitted them to myself closely to get a skinny jean style. I always see this style on the Boden website (Richmond trousers) but they are £70 plus! My modification of adding two invisible zips has worked a treat to get the smooth leg shape and still be able to get them over my ankles. 



This modification means I can wear ankle boots with them to take me into the sock wearing months. Lots of colours go with these trousers so they should get plenty of wear because I can both sit down at a desk and teach in them comfortably.

I love them!

Thanks for dropping by. Jo x

Capri trousers NEWLOOK 6217

I love using this pattern: Newlook 6217; I know it fits. It is easy to make changes in style. The invisible side zip means they are great for wearing with T-shirts and tunics. They are really easy to whip up in an evening. You can make them in various fabric weights. What's not to love?

This fabric has had many a tissue pattern piece laid out on it only to be folded up again and put back in the cupboard. It is a Robert Kaufman cotton. I bought it from Craftsy in a sale as a skirt kit about four years ago. In the end I decided the pattern wasn't for me, passed the pattern on, and kept the fabric. 

But every time I tried to use it, there was not enough fabric. That said, there wasn't really enough for these unless I made them capri style which worked out fine for this warm Summer. I thought that these trousers would be good for work, rest or play. I don't normally wear black in Summer but I went for it.

When I had my final 'in progress' try on, I had the annoying gape at the back that I always have but I needed this spare fabric when I sat down so I unpicked a bit of the stay tape facing. Into the back I inserted a piece of wide elastic to take in the slack when standing. It worked really well when I wore them.

I want another pair of patterned trousers now with a longer leg length in a heavier fabric for Autumn. Ooh the wish list keeps growing :)

I have made everything on this pattern except the cardigan (not my thing)and it has always been a complete success.

Do you have this pattern? What do you think of it?

Winter Trews

Thanks for buoying me up this week, you are a lovely lot.
It is that time of the month where I share some fabric from Minerva Crafts.I made these a while ago but let me just say, it is pretty difficult to photograph a pair of conker brown trousers in the January light but I have done my best.

They are sailor trousers from the Simple Sew 4 in 1 pattern named The Shannon collection but you could use this pattern here or here for a similar flat front, side zip and high waisted trouser.

Even thought they are high waisted in style, I still took some out of the depth because I am short waisted. In fact, the whole pattern was a bit of a gamble for me to try in the first place but I have been so lucky that the body part fits really well without any adjustments. I cut a UK 14 to allow plenty of hip and thigh room but had to take the waist in.

I used the buttons on the pockets not only as decor but I stitched straight through the top ones to stop the pockets gaping when I sit down. It works well like this. I remembered to measure my hand to check I could still get in them!

The bottoms were far too wide and large for me so I took them in and hemmed them according to the shoes I will be wearing with them. The fabric is really good and looks very smart. 

The fit on the back is brilliant considering I didn't make any crotch seam mods. They are easy to move around in (as shown!)

They make great work trousers for Winter. I have worn them quite a few times since making them over the Christmas holidays.

Here are the details. The fabric pressed really well and has a fuss free mat finish. It comes in so many other colours. I cut the fabric with pinking shears because it does fray quite quickly but other than that, a great winter fabric.

Do you know, I didn't have high hopes for these half way through making them but now they are finished, I totally love them. 

Thanks for looking. Jo xxxx

Summer Trousers

 

I am looking for a good trouser fit - aren't we all? To hone my skills I have chosen a useful fall back pattern: Newlook K6217. It is simple without pockets, fly or complex waistband so I can concentrate on getting the crotch fitting correct.

I measured my front crotch measurement and it was smaller than the pattern so I took a wedge out.

I measured my back crotch and it was 1" larger than the pattern so I added half inch to the back crotch seam (to allow for each piece)

Hey presto! Better fitting trousers. They don't lower at the back as I bend down and I don't have an unsightly fold at the front when I stand up. I still have some other wrinkling issues but for now these are grand.

The fabric is from myfabrics (sale purchase from Spring 2016) A firm stretch cotton drill which also helps for the smooth fitting of trousers for anyone who has to basically add an inch to their back side! 

I am going to wear these on the aeroplane when I go on holiday because they are comfortable and stretchy.

Jo xx

Multi-tasking Trousers

Oh the irony of making trousers to make trousers in. I plan to wear this set whilst sewing clothes so that I can keep trying on a garment easily without being caught out answering the door in my pyjamas! My Minerva make this month is a very useful one. 

Technically, I believe they are called lounge pants however I have always resisted the whole pyjama-all-day-long thing. It never really did anything for me. I like to get dressed and get out there!

But... when I get in from work after wearing tights all day I just want to put on some comfy trousers to sit and do an evening yarn project. This month Minerva sent me this fabulous heavy Ponte Roma knit fabric which is cosy but has a slight stretch. It comes in 22 colours! They are so much more than pyjama bottoms and now that I own a pair I can think of a gazillion different uses for them. This is the tried and tested list so far:

1. to knit or crochet in at night time 
2. to take the girls swimming when I swim too
3. to do my physio exercises in
4. to wear to belly dance practise when it is too cold to have my midriff out in the draughty village hall
5. to pop to the shops at 8pm at night because we have no milk
6. Once used to drop the children off at school giving the impression that I was off to some yoga class afterwards, which I wasn't.
7. to put on when we get back all muddy from the farm or a walk
8. to have a really good go at tidying and cleaning the house to the point of exercise
9. Nipping next door to 'borrow' an onion

Honestly, the possibilities are endless. 

The pattern is McCall's M7331. It is styled as much smarter wear than I am using them for. I made the bottoms into a straighter leg. The waistband is deep and comfortable when sitting down. The bottoms have been washed twice because I made those first and the fabric does not bobble at all.

Here is a little optical illusion for you to try. If you can use a twin needle on your machine, thread one spool in a darker thread and use that as the outside colour. It gives the illusion of a shadow where you have attached the neck binding BUT you haven't attached anything, you have just turned it over once. 

Can you tell I love my comfy trousers? Jennifer at Thistlebear said she loved wearing 'ponte pants' (great phrase!) and I can totally see where she is coming from.

Happy lounging or any other activity you think you 

could complete successfully in these comfy trousers.

Jo xxx

Skinny Jeans Burda 7863

Currently this blog is seeing the end of lots of projects started at the beginning of the Summer. Eventually, here are my skinny jeans. I have stayed away from this style for a long time but have finally succumbed. When I try them on in the shops I find the waist is always too big for the hip size required for my derriere. However, what would happen if I made them in a really stretchy cord I thought? I really like using cord at this time of year, you may have noticed...

I bought this fabric from Myfabrics.co.uk in the sale. They often have interesting stretch fabrics in their sale. I guess people are a bit more wary of sewing with stretch but I have practiced with it a bit now and am not frightened. The stretch is 40%. You find it out by measuring 10cm of fabric on the stretch grain, then stretch it as far as it will go. My 10 cm turned out to go to 14cm so it has 40% stretch. Little tip there for you.

I made some adjustments to the Burda 7863 pattern:

• Took 2cm out of the front and back seat depth as my last two pairs from this pattern were too high waisted.
• Did not interface the waistband to keep it stretchy.
• Omitted the belt loops to make them smooth enough to wear with a tunic
• Took a stack out of the back waist yoke for the right hip:waist ratio
• My mum pinned out the legs for me so that I did not have baggy knees
• Generally, I kept sewing and trying on, sewing and trying on.

 

I am really pleased with them. I think I have a few centimeters of bum wrinkling (I'm not a perfectionist)but that might just be my bottom! You can bend, stretch, squat and run up and down the stairs and they just keep recovering. I think they will fit into my Autumn wardrobe well with some of my other makes - Victoria shawl, sock yarn scarf, Mathilde blouse, spotty vintage hepburn collar blouse and a gaggle of coco long sleeved T-shirts - the list is seemingly endless.

These jeans took me ages, all of the summer holidays in fact, tiny little stages completed during the whole six weeks and a final push this week to finish and hem them. 

'You can eat a whole cow - a bit at a time!'

Jo xxx

PS. I bought a new camera so no blurry bum photos today. Hooray!