Fifth wardrobe piece and Salsa pants for my husband

Salsa pants for my husband - a combination of the Classic Men's Jeans from e-sewingpatterns.com (see the jeans I made from this pattern in this post) and the Grey pants pattern from m-sewing.com (see the pants I made from this pattern in this post). I used this last pattern for the leg, a wider leg is very good for dancing Salsa and as the fabric is drapey, it worked great.





I underlined the fronts, going well below the knee, to minimize wrinkling at crotch and knee level.



I've used the RTW finishing detailed in this post, including the pre-made waist band (I found a nice black one, with no Christian Dior logo :))



And I've used again Debbie Cook's tutorial for the double welt pocket and am very pleased with the result.



Read my PR review here.

And now, my fourth wardrobe piece... one that I totally love, I think this is my favorite skirt pattern ever! Vogue 8246.





Back of the skirt lying flat



Front of the skirt lying flat




The fabric is a black washed stretch denim. However, I cut with the stretch on the length of the pattern pieces, not the width. I thought I might have to grade down and didn't want the additional stretch to make the job tougher.

I did a petite alteration, took in the side seams by 1 cm (3/8") each and shortened the skirt, because I wanted it to hit just below the knee. I also reduced the hem allowance from 3.2 cm (1 1/4") to 1.3 cm (1/2"). The back hem is rounded and it is so much easier to get a neat hem with a narrower hem allowance.

Other changes that I made are due to not having enough fabric. I had 1 m of fabric (for a straight skirt I normally need 50-60 cm) and it wasn't enough. Therefore I had to make a center seam to the center front piece instead of cutting it on the fold. In order to "camouflage" this seam, I zigzagged over all the seams (5 mm length 2 mm width) with black topstitching thread. I like very much the final result: all those vertical seams, topstitched in black give a lot of vertical lines that lengthen my petite frame. I thought about topstitching with a straight stitch (like in jeans) but my seam allowances are butterflied and a straight topstitch works better with seam allowances together.

See the pleat underlays below.







The other change due to lack of fabric is that I cut the pleat underlays from black cotton sateen.

To cleanly finish the facing and join it to the invisible zipper, I've used a great tutorial written by Jinjer Markley and posted on Kathleen's Fasanella's website, Fashion Incubator. Part 1 and Part 2 of the tutorial for inserting an invisible zipper, making and using a pressing jig and sewing the the zipper to the facing in an RTW way. I bound the facing with some polkadotted bias. The rest of the seam allowances are serged.



This is a great pattern, easy to sew (especially since there's no lining, it was a breeze after all the underlining and seam binding I've done lately). I want to sew it again, I will try it in some suiting. I'm also thinking about using this pattern without the underlays, maybe keeping the center one for walking ease and eliminating the rest but keeping the contouring seams.

So one or two skirts from this pattern will follow :)

Read my PR review here

New SWAP

TimmelFabrics SWAP 2008 is ready to start. It's starting on 1 January 2008, but: 1) you can cut and fit everything until then; 2) you can use TWO previously sewn items. And a bought one too. There are several interesting things, and the yearly twist, so go and read the rules here.

The SWAP 2007 photos and commentaries are here.

The article that started the contest and several other wardrobing articles (very interesting reading!!).

And the SWAP 2008 discussion has started already, at the Artisan's Square - go here for the board.

I'm ready to start planning this SWAP, ordered some patterns today (one is Vogue 7975 for my Chanel-type jacket), but it's going to take a while. I would like to incorporate as much as I can from my already existing storyboard, plus I'm still hesitating between a jacket or a coat for this SWAP.

I'll tell you more as soon as I'm having some plans laid down. But until then why don't I go fabric shopping and you go read the rules and prepare to join this year's SWAP? :)

A woman possessed

Yeah. Me. By the ghost of Coco Chanel :)
Carolyn from Diary of a sewing fanatic reminded me of my dream - sewing a Chanel-like jacket. See this post and this one on her blog, about sewing a Jackie Kennedy inspired suit, using the Chanel technique of quilting the lining to the fashion fabric.
And now... let me show you the exact piece that haunts me and then, I will say no more... except that I will be trying my hand at this, including the quilted lining and everything, even if my fabric is not a boucle and is not tweedy, therefore it is harder to "hide" your quilting. I did some tests and hope I can pull it off.

Free designer patterns (downloadable)

You might know about these, because they've been around for a while, but in case you don't or forgot where to find them, here they are:

• Free AlexanderMcQueen pattern (kimono-like top)
• Free Martin Margiella pattern (dress)
• Free Junya Watanabe pattern (dress)
• Free John Galliano pattern (pirate jacket)
• Free Yohji Yamamoto pattern (mysterious jacket)

Have fun with them!

Fourth wardrobe item

I proudly present you... Hot Patterns Artful Dodger Slouchy Man Pants (what a handful of a name :))





Pants lying flat



Back of pants



The pants are fully underlined in organza



I've used Sandra Betzina's method of underlining and finishing the seam allowances at the same time. This gives the pants a couture look.



And as I said in this post, I've applied everything I discovered by peaking inside men's trousers.

Special hem band at the hem



Facing of fly extension is cut from lining, on the bias and on the double and there is a buttonhole to secure the extension to the pants. The button (you can't see it in the picture) is sewn to the bias binding of the fly facing. Pocket bags are bound too.



"Fake" (meaning there is no pocket bag) double welt pocket, secured with buttonhole and button. I've used Debbie Cook tutorial for this and I absolutely loved it!



For the fly front, I usually follow Sandra Betzina's method. This time I followed Sigrid's tutorial and I liked it a lot.

And this is the pre-made waist band. Remember the yuck Christian Dior logo? I hated it and covered it with a silvery bray pre-folded satin bias ribbon. And I finally managed to order labels!!! Do you like them? I got 144 for 7.95 sterling pounds. Not bad, isn't it?



Read my detailed PR review here.

IMPORTANT POST

Dear all,
There seems to be a problem with my feeds so those of you subscribing to my blog haven't received the feed with my post yesterday.
Hope I solved the problem but I'm not sure yet and if not, I might have to change my feeds location which would mean that all of those subscribed will have to subscribe again. I would hate that but it's not up to me

Third wardrobe piece

So, here it is, Vogue 8425....



Back,



I love the high waist and wanted to keep it unwrinkled and nice-looking, therefore I've decided to add a sturdier fusible (fusibles that I buy here in notion shops don't have a name or code or whatever, therefore you've got a photo below) and boning (for that I've added a center seam to the facing instead of cutting it on the fold).



I chose that type of boning that you can sew through, because it is practical, flexible, it keeps its shape and it doesn't need any end treatment, because it doesn't poke.

I've sewn the boning to the seam allowances with a wide zigzag



Then topstitched the seam allowances closed to one side



This is how it looks from the right side



I added lace at the lining hem, to make it look nicer. And in case the lining peaks, at least you have some nice sexy lace to show :)



And I've secured the hem of the lining to the hem of the skirt with finger-crocheted thread



And this is the facing stitched to the invisible zipper



To sew an invisible zipper and to cleanly join the facing to the zipper, a great tutorial by Jinjer Markley on Kathleen Fasanella's site: part 1 and part 2 of the tutorial

Since I've read this tutorial (two years ago), I've only used this method!

For more details, read my PR review of the pattern.