Sharing, Inspiration and Project Photos XVIII

[fzxdoc]

  As to the subject of not liking photos of ourselves, I've figured out that all it takes is about 5 years, and then I think I looked pretty good back then.    So, why not enjoy now?

Liana,  .  I've always enjoyed your perspective on life's little "tribulations".  Now to find someone to take a more recent photo than 12 months ago. 

Kathryn

[ejvc]

Hi -- not much on this thread for a while, but I've actually finished something!  So I thought I'd post.  These are trousers in a micro-houndtooth (puppy tooth) cotton.  It's kind of stretchy, but I go back and forth on whether its the weave or the fibre -- it seems stable on the absolutely vertical and horizontal direction.  The pattern is from Ottobre women, I think it is their 2/2009 issue, and the trouser is called Elegance, lol, I don't think it aspires to that, but they are a dressier jeans alternative.

My photos are terrible quality - telephone camera and low light.  New camera to come soon....I hope.
and

side and back

[marciae]

GOOD looking - good fit and I love the style!

[AnnRowley]

Very nice Elizabeth!   How much pattern alteration did you have to do to get such a good fit? 
Where do they fasten - side seam?

And you look very trim in them too...

[vtmartha]

Great looking pants, Elizabeth!  And I would like to ask the same question as Ann about alterations.  I have the pattern but I'm missing the butt. 

[Hen]

Wow ejvc, great fit, nice style, good work!

[JenSA]

Great fit Elizabeth. I really like that pocket detail on the front.

[Diane Egelston]

Ruth, what a wonderful gift for your DGD. Love the topstitching -- looks beautiful -- great color, too.

Betsy, your new Jalie mock turtle t is so great for fall. Fits so well and the colors will work with so many rich combinations.

Lisa, what a fun morph! I always loved that neckline from the LH sweater set tank, and it looks terrific as a pullover sweater. I'm a gonna copy youuuuuuuuu!

Elizabeth, your pants look absolutely perfect. I love the trim fit. The pockets look so professionally done. Wow.

Fran, your new avatar is lovely. It's so wonderful to see your beautiful face closer-up.

And Marji, I sure understand that desire to have something come out of the sewing room. I hope your home dec projects worked out well.

[ejvc]

Thank you.  These trousers, as I recall (I put them away for a few months due to zipper rage) were very fiddly but mostly the pockets...  Ah, the pockets.  If ever there was a place for thread tracing, these pockets are it.  I ended up cutting a tiny little paper pattern, trying to glue it on with glue stick, and sewing around it.  Oh, and the topstitching is done in phases.  And I seem to recall taking HOURS to position the darned things and basting and rebasting about four times.  I cannot say I am sure they are worth it.

In terms of alterations, I'd have to go check.  I recall that I cut them too small - I cut a size 40 instead of my normal 44 (why? I cannot explain it.  It seemed good at the time).  The back waistband is size 36, the front is size 38, which is now my standard waistband sizing.  But, when I saw the tracing of the leg I added 1 inch side seam and inseam allowance, and good thing too.  I ended up adding about a half inch at inseam and outseam leg, and more at the hips.  And, the material frayed a lot, so at the widest point there is about 1/4 inch allowance only!  I think I scooped the back crotch half an inch, and I remember I had to scoop the front as well, to avoid an ...indelicate... look.  I don't think I added to the crotch depth, or not enough perhaps, because they sit rather low on me and they are supposed to come to your natural waist.  Also the pattern flares from the leg and I straightened it instead.  It has an invisible zipper on the left hand side, which just isn't invisible when worn, although it's invisible when they are off me :-)  It's a silly place for an invisible zipper, IMHO.  

Having said that, the alterations were pretty painless because I HAND BASTED ALL THE SEAMS.  So there you go.  See, Ann taught me something.  I think if I had cut a size 42 it would have been even easier.

Martha - I would gladly loan you some of my butt as I have plenty to spare...

[BetsyV]

Wow, Elizabeth, those pants/jeans look great! And I guess we do have almost the identical figure, too, except my seat is flatter. I avoid side zips like the plague, though.

[Marji]

Elizabeth, those pants do look great on you. Very slimming.
Interesting that a jean looking pant would have a side zip though, don't you think?

[ejvc]

Crazy is what it is, Marji.  I just looked again at the pattern pictures -- they made it up in a linen with a sheen, which looks dressier, and also I have a closer fit that on their model, which I think adds to the jeans look.  But still -- it has a back yoke and those pockets, and I think it looks like a jeans type of pattern.

[sdBev]

Elizabeth

Have you got your sewing mojo back?  Your pants look fabulous!

[Liana]

Great pants, Elizabeth!  I think the fit is great on you, and you should make more like this.  I love side-zips on pants, even jeans-type pants. 

[mardel]

Great pants Elizabeth!  They look really fabulous on you.

[ejvc]

Well thanks again!  Bev, Liana, Mardel -- it is very validating especially when you struggle (as I do) to finish anything!  I feel I have got the hang of trousers, though.  In Pants for Real People  they recommend you make a dozen pairs of pants.  I think I have made nearly that many now in the past couple of years (otto jeans 1, yoga, wadder, marlenes (where I really started to get it!), otto jeans 2, claire shaeffer accidental capris, claire shaeffer gab, and now these -- that's eight).  I have another pair of the CS cut (but with an error in the cutting I have to remedy, and lacking lining fabric) and another pair of otto jeans planned in blue denim.  Then I am frightened as I will be temporarily out of trouser-weight fabric.  No--- not true, I just recalled I have some pretty nice poly crepe in both black and purple.  (One would prefer to use wool, but one's stash sets limits on one's sewing until one finds gainful employment.  Sad but true.)  But purple trousers are outside what I can face.  Black trousers I can always use, I suppose, although I don't have much black in my wardrobe.

[BetsyV]

I had a day "alone" mostly, so instead of starting on my coat project (putting the lining together.) I decided I needed another new mock turtleneck. I had 2 full yards of this fabric, so I decided I would also cut a tank top out of it at the same time. I got this from EmmaOneSock, maybe last winter. I got both cut out and completely finished today. Yay! The tank is going right into summer clothes storage, but the turtleneck will come in handy very soon, like tomorrow. It's "slushing" outside again. 

[RuthieK]

Great print Betsy and I love that you made two different season's garments from the fabric.

Gives me some ideas for those knit leftovers.....

[marciae]

Great top Betsy.  I Love the print!!

[sdBev]

Betsy

Great tops!

[mardel]

Great tops Betsy!

[Robin]

Betsy, what great tops and I can tell you figured out how the camera works.  These are gorgeous photos and you look fab!

Elizabeth, you have the patience of a saint.  I never seem to sew anything but the most basic pants. 
Yours look truly professional and the fit is most flattering.  Well done!

I also love side zips, but they seem to break down in me.  The front zips hold up just fine.

[KathrynT]

Betsy, what a great print.  And you did it justice with 2 lovely tops.  I especially like the neckline on the tank on you.

[AnnRowley]

Very pretty fabric Betsy. Two great looking tops - how nice to already have something new for next year...

[BetsyV]

Thanks everyone! I just got several more knits in 2-yard pieces to do the same: mock t-neck for now and tank for next summer. I may set the tank pieces aside once cut to stitch up in 6 months, but OTOH they are fast to put together even with a CB seam for my sway back adjustment. Althought that thought just makes me shudder. I don't like unfinished projects; in fact I had to avert my eyes yesterday every time they landed on my pile of coat pieces ready to be put together. It was so dreary out though I never felt awake enough all day to work with the silk charmeuse lining.

Ruthie I hope you can squeeze this idea out of your leftovers. I wasn't sure it was going to work, so I made sure to cut out both at the same time. I'm glad I did; I doubt I could have placed the pattern pieces as conveniently if I just kept the leftovers until spring for the tanks. It helps that I shaved off a bunch of length. I like my tops to end at the high hip. The t-neck especially was very long.

[BobbieK]

Hi Betsy

Love the fabric!...what patterns did you use? Thanks Bobbie

[vtmartha]

I agree.  The tank neckline is very flattering to you and the print is spectacular.  Have you thought of wearing the tank over a solid color turtleneck?  I, too, have made summer and winter tops from one cut of fabric, especially the ones whose color I really love.

[Marji]

Great looking tops Betsy. And you're looking very svelte in them!

[Carole]

Betsy, love the fabric and I think you chose just the right patterns for it.  The finished products look great!  Martha, love your new avatar, what a sleek and healthy animal--I refer to the horse, of course!  And Robin, I know you sew lots more than pants, because I love your new CJ sweater jacket and hope you're getting lots of wear from it this season.

[Fran G]

Very cool fabric, Betsy! EOS has some wonderful offerings and you turned this one into a great set of tops.

[Diane Egelston]

Betsy, your new tops are terrific -- what great fabric -- love the colors! I too like the tank neckline very much. Great idea to work a tank into a knit top cutting layout. They make such great underlayers in cooler weather. Also I think it was Robin who was suggesting lining for knit tops and/or having a little tank in the same fabric to give a smoother line. I'm finding that a great solution for my (unavoidable  ) squishy spots, especially at the back bra-line.

[BetsyV]

BobbieK
the tank is Jalie 965 and the mock t-neck is Jalie 2805. I have made the tank 6 times now, 2 fun tops and 4 utilitarian black ones for gym clothes.

It wouldn't occur to me to wear a tank over a t-neck. If When I need another layer, I generally need something more substantial, like a wool sweater. I have a big pile of camisoles for underlayers when winter really gets going, say January.

Plus my solid turtlenecks are incredibly bulky. I spent Friday night de-boxifying them, all 12 of them. I still think they're still too bulky to layer a light tank OVER them.

[Fran G]

O-o-o..a "squishy spot" Diane?? I have a few of those! You new avatar is very sweet and coy.

Betsy, I think your Jalie tank is the same one I made and I have worn it over a classic white shirt..but you may not care for the look.  Just a thought!

[vtmartha]

Betsy, I wasn't thinking of it so much for adding warmth to the turtleneck but for making the tank wearable during the winter.  It might extend the season for that very flattering neckline.  Check out what Fran did with hers.  I think it looks great.  Of course you might have to make some less bulky shirts to wear underneath. 

[fzxdoc]

Very cute tops, Betsy! The colors are great and you did such a nice job with the knits. The tops are perfect for showing off your ever-slimming physique!  

We had our very first frosts/freezes of the season these past two nights. Wah. I harvested the last of my jalapeno peppers and am lamenting the end of the growing season, unless I try some winter plants in my little spot the community organic garden. I am so not ready for cold weather.

The high color of the season is bringing guests galore to our home, so when I'm done being a ersatz B&B hostess, I'll relish getting back to my sewing room! I made a new skirt a couple of weeks ago, and will get photos of it up soon. In the meanwhile, the sewing studio is on our guest tour of the house, and has received some "oohs", some "aahs" and one or two "oys" at the fabric and thread collections.  

Kathryn