May 19, 2007

TRASH OR TREASURE


I finally finished my cobalt blue crop pants. Seems like I've been sewing on them for several weeks now. Boy, this fitting thing with pants has really worn me out. But I presevered and now I have a new outfit to wear to work next week. (Was supposed to finish them last weekend), but oh well... Here are two views of my finished product.












Now to talk about the mistakes I made. The top is a cute and summery which is what I am wanting now. The colors are a nice change for me (THE EVERY THING BLACK AND BROWN PERSON). I am really trying hard to break out of dark colors. The colors of this outfit are still dark, but I am taking it a step at a time, easing into brighter colors...WHY IS THIS SO HARD. I was trying to talk on the phone and sew at the same time and mess around and sewed a wrong side to a right side on the bottom piece of the top. I had already serged and trimed the seam in two places before I realized what I had done and it was really too late to do anything about it, so the front bottom section of the garment is lighter than the top section. I still plan on wearing the garment, and if anyone says anything about it, I will just tell them that it's my fashion statement. MOTTO: Put the sewing down when the telephone rings. I have really been trying hard to get my old skills back, and really trying hard to create perfect or nearly perfect projects - but alast, Rome was not built in a day, and neither am I getting my skill up to the level that I want it to be. I will juest have to keep plugging alone, and it will come back little by little - I HOPE! The pants fit pretty good, so I am calling this project a TREASURE even with my mistakes!

STILL DETERMINED, I started on my next project this morning. Fell in love with this pattern after I saw one that Erica Bunker (www.boundbymyhook.blogspot.com) made several weeks ago -McCalls 5330, View A. I already had the pattern but had not done anything with it, but after seeing her skirt made up from the same pattern, I craved it...so I made it. This girl is so inspiring, positive and such a great sewist! I love her site and visit it often. I have learned so much from reading her blog. Even emailed her a couple of questions and she emailed me right back. She is so helpful. Anyways, I'm making View A in a kakhi sports weight poplin. As a matter of fact it's all done (took me all day long) but sewing on the buttons. I am going to make a denim one by view A also which will be my next project. Might start it tomorrow after Church.



I'm going to be making this top (View B-bottom left) to go with it.

Until next time....FAYE.

May 11, 2007

MY PANT FITTING DILEMIA

I am still fighting with this pant fitting thing...I am really trying; preshrunk my material (something that I never use to do), made the muslin and even tried to make the adjustments to the pattern afterwards. My pants are still to large in the waist and the hips, eeeeeek! All I want to do is get my pants to fit properly - but who doesn't want that. When I use to sew before, I found a pattern that fit pretty good and made and remade the same pattern until I could almost make it in my sleep (pattern was almost shredded up), but it still worked and I continued to use it.

I love a side zipper so I made these crop pants

and they are still to large. Like I said before, I made the muslin, then tried to make the proper adjustments on the pattern, then cut my fashion fabric. Of course it's hard or next to impossible to make adjustments once the zipper is in. So that I am about to embark upon tonight is taking the facing out, removing the zipper and redoing these to try and make them fit...a real bit job but someone has to do it. But them again would it be worth all that time???? Will they be Trash or Treasure - I'll have to decide.

Anyways, I think this will be the next pattern I will try. I still want the crop pants (atleast that is what I call them) but this pattern is different in that they have a front fly zipper and a traditional waistband rather than the side zipper and waist facing. Well I'm off to sew now, will let you know how it turns out.


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