Get Earthy in Marc Jacobs Silk Twill Wide-Leg Pants

My second designer inspired garment actually encompasses two design trends, earthy tones and "big girl pants".  With Marc Jacobs silk twill I made the first garment of my earth-toned wardrobe.  This is the very first time I've sewn silk twill, but it will not be the last.  I love this fabric and would like at least two more pairs of pants out of it.  If you haven't try silk twill, you should.  You will not be disappointed.
 

It seems like earth tones are always on trend and can be anchor tones for any seasonal wardrobe.  I really like the fact that this trend never goes away and that many of the colors are in my color palette. Wide-leg trousers are on trend and many designers showcased them on the runway as part of their spring/summer collections.  The length does not matter; it's about the way the fabric flows around the legs.  This Marc Jacobs silk twill is fluid and feels great against the skin.  Designers that feature wide-leg trousers are:  Emporio Armani, Marni, and 3.1 Phillip Lim.

Previously, I made view A of McCall's 6515.  This time I made view  D.  This pair was just as easy to make as the last.  The difference are the pleats at the waist and the wide-leg.  As stated in my previous review, it's an easy pant to sew.  For the next wide-leg pair though, I will scoop out the back crotch hook a bit.  Also, I'll make them a tad bit longer.  Here they look a little on the short side.  Worn below with McCall 6042 jacket, and Simplicity 4020 top, View C. 

Vacay Wardrobe Reviews Continue with McCall 6841 and Butterick 5893

Hello,

Today's post is another vacation outfit.  I wanted the colors to be bright and festive. Tangerine, marine blue, tomato read, earthy brown and tan are all color in my pallet.


All of my pattern choices were quick and easy partly because of the limited time I had to make the wardrobe.  I also wanted to make things that traveled well.  I did  not want to worry about pressing clothes before I could wear them.  So several pieces wear made of knit fabrics. 

So let me tell you about my second vacation outfit:  Draped top refashioned into a draped cardigan M6841 and elasticized pants B5893.

McCall 6841 in review:

Pattern Description: MISSES' TOPS: Loose-fitting, pullover tops that have draped front, and back collar. Wrong side may show. A: self-lined back and very narrow hem for front hemline. B and C: front pleated drape and narrow hem.
I started off with making view B.

Pattern Sizing:  SX - XXL.  I used size M.

Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you were done sewing with it?  No.  After I completed the top, I didn't like how it looked on me.  I remembered Audrey's review on this top and followed her lead of refashioning it.

Were the instructions easy to follow? Yes. No difficulty or confusion with the instructions.

What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern?  I liked the drape and hoped it would work with my body type.  I didn't have any dislikes until after I tried it on.  It didn't look the way I had hoped.

Fabric Used:  Polyester jersey from my local Hancock.

Pattern alterations or any design changes you made:  Absolutely no alterations to address fit issues.  I sewed it straight out of the envelope.  In the end I cut the drape down the center front.  Then finished the center front edge the same as the neckline.  So instead of a draped neck top I ended up with a waterfall cardigan.

Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others?  I probably will not sew it again.  I have so many other patterns to sew.  I do recommend it to others.  I like how this top/cardigan is constructed.  The back is double, which creates some body and weight to the garment.  The seam finishing for the armhole requires binding of the same fabric.  These are nice touches to the top/cardigan.

Conclusion: This is a nice addition to my vacation wardrobe.  I can also incorporate it into my summer weekend gear pairing it with a t-shirt dress or with a tank top and slim pants.  Perfect for the weekend.

Butterick 5893 in review:


Pattern Description: MISSES' SHORTS AND PANTS: Loose-fitting shorts or pants with elasticized waistband, pocket variations and narrow hem. A and B: straight-legged, cut on crosswise grain. C: side slits. C and D: flared.  I made view B.

Pattern Sizing: XS to XXL.  I used size medium with modifications.


Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you were done sewing with it?
No, only because of the changes I made to the pants.  I wanted elasticized legs too.

Were the instructions easy to follow? I really didn't use them.  I constructed the pants much like you would construct pajama pants with elastic at the waist and used the same technique for the leg.


What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern? I liked that this pattern was easy and I could get a quick pair of pants out of it in less than two hours. 

Fabric Used: I purchased a colorful polyester print from my local Hancock store.  It was a perfect match for the draped top/cardigan that I made to go with it.  The fabric was light and airy, so I wouldn't be too hot and the pants would help keep the mosquitoes away from my legs.


Pattern alterations or any design changes you made: I only made a few changes:  

• lengthened them by 4 inches
• tapered the width of the legs a bit.
• added elastic to the hem 

Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others?  Yes, This pattern could double for pajama pants and could be used as originally designed.

Conclusion: Quick and easy is what I was going for and this pattern was perfect.  The pattern sews up very quickly.  It's a great pattern for beginners and you can use it to create some funky colorful vacation pants as I did.

Mood Fabric Artsy Graphic Print - Inspiration from the Spring/Summer Designer Collection 2014

Selecting one designer and one fashion trend was a tough job to say the least.  There is so much to choose from.  Many designers like Marni, Prada, Versace, and Jil Sander all showcased bold artsy graphic designs on the runway for Spring/Summer 2014.  This was one of my favorite trends of the season.  The next challenge was how to incorporate this audacious trend into my wardrobe.


  

This is where Mood Fabrics comes in.  They have a beautiful selection of jersey prints that can be transformed into a great statement garment for the season.  Or if you are like me and want to add a little oomph to your wardrobe, you can start with a simple t-shirt using Simplicity 4076.  This is my TNT.  I've made the t-shirt view six times. With this print, I place the prominent images in the lower center front and back.  This t-shirt is a perfect match for this artsy print.

Mood jersey is top quality.  It has a soft hand and sews up beautifully.  It's a light weight jersey that can stand up to washing on the regular cycle.  No fading or pilling.  Great fabric all the way around.

This was part of one of my "easy" wardrobe pieces that I wore during my vacation in Jamaica last week.  I sewed it up in less than two hours, two days before vacation.  Pairing with white cropped pants was perfect for a stroll along the beach after breakfast.

This week, I paired it with my Sandra Betzina jeans, V7608.  Can you believe it?! We're still getting snow and temperatures in the 30's.

Like I said earlier it was difficult to select one designer or one trend to draw inspiration from.  Later, I will also share another post on the Spring/Summer 2014 designer challenge.

Happy Sewing!
C

Vacationing in Jamaica 2014

Last month I went to Jamaica to celebrate my sister's birthday! It was a very much needed escape from the daily grind and the painfully cold winter of 2014. This was the first time in a very long time that I scheduled two solid weeks for vacation. I hesitated because of the unfinished business of the upgrade, but it was best that I step away from it all to rejuvenate and relax. The first few days, I dedicated to making a few things to take on vacation. Nothing fancy; really simply pieces in bright colors, perfect for beautiful Jamaica. Believe it or not, this time of year wasn't extremely hot. I think the average temp was around 85/90 degrees. It was splendid compared to the brutally cold winds of Chi-town.

We lodged at the Riu Negril Resort and Hotel. It was an all inclusive vacation package which is great if you don't want to worry about planning where to eat, play, drink or be entertained. Everything was in walking distance. The hotel and resort layout was open. Not many doors to go through to get to festivities. Your room, disco and the gift shops were the only places where you had turn a knob to gain entrance. The grounds also included a theater, casino, cyber room, a pool bar (among many bars), an ocean side jerk chicken bar-b-Que pit, and several restaurants (buffet and reservation required). The only excursion was a trip to Rick's Cafe by way of the "Wild Thing". This little trip included all you can drink, dancing until you were tired, snorkeling at the reef, swimming at the "caves", and jumping from the cliff at Rick's Cafe. No pressure, do what you feel kind of trip.

It's been a very long time since my last visit to Jamaica. It seemed a little more developed than 26 years ago, but, I could see there was still great disparity among the people. We did not travel to Kingston, which I understand is the most poverty stricken part of the Island.  The country's coastal regions are all about tourism.  Many of the beaches are privately owned by hotels and are not accessible to Jamaican citizens. The people we met were very hospitable and always wore a smile. I returned home saying, "How are you today, My Lady? I hope you enjoyed your vacation in Jamaica." All the way home I was singing Third World's hit "Try Jah Love" and Bob Marley's, "One Love". Both songs are favorites of mine and I was able to hear both while in Jamaica.

Was I ready to come home? NO! I could have stayed at least three more days, but... home we came. So, this vacation post, I'll share a few pictures of Jamaica.  I was enjoying the beautiful Island instead of snapping pictures all day.

These birds where everywhere

The Caves

Popular Special Drink

Favorite Hang Out

Mike aka Big Bird Tour Guide and Swimmer

Mike the Life of the Party

Me Dancing with Mike

Wild Thing Arriving at the Caves

 

The Queen's House (Castle)

Rick's Cafe Mmm Mmmm Good!

Children Dive from the Cliff for Money

Silver Bird Band Excellent!

Energized!

 

Awesome Raggae Band

Silly Me on the Beach

Me and Trice on the Beach

Sunset in Negril, Jamaica

Next posts will be about the vacation garments.
Happy Sewing!
C

Simple Pattern Meets Audacious Fabric - McCall 3830

On Pinterest you can always find runway photos of outrageous fashion designs with over the top embellishment or over the top fabric manipulation.  The designer's runway is the perfect place for inspiration to make garments for the "real way" or "real life".   

My sister asked me to make her a special garment, a skirt.  We went to one of the major textile stores in Chicago to see what we could find.  We walked out with three yards of a "simple finely woven mesh" with strips of faux leather and ribbon/sequins sewn to it.  My sister just wanted a simple skirt made out of it.  She bought enough so that I could get one too, plus a bunch of other fabrics.  ;-)

So this is where the marrying of  simple McCall 3830 and the audacious faux leather/lace skirt began.  The pattern pieces used where the front and back skirt.  I had to figure out how to eliminate the transparency.  So I underlined it with another layer of mesh fabric and lined the skirt with black tricot.

The skirt:  Simple, right?  Not so simple with this fabric.  The challenge was to line up the faux leather strips and the lace so that it matched all the way around.  This was accomplished by aligning the notches of the front and back skirt.  Also, checking the bottom edge to make sure it was even.  As a safety precaution, I added three inches just in case. After carefully cutting the front and back skirt pieces, I underlined it with the mesh.  JuliaBobbin has a tutorial on how to underline lace fabric here. Also, I did a similar process on a lace dress here.

Next obstacle was to determine the curve of the darts to eliminate inconsistency in the fabric.  This was a little tricky. I changed the curve and end point of the dart to avoid sewing the floating circles.

Finally to hem the skirt, I simply measured where the hem should be; removed the faux leather strips; and cut both layers of the mesh about a 1/2" below the last row of the faux leather.

The lining:  I used the skirt pattern for the lining.  I sewed it to the waist of the skirt after the zipper (invisible) was installed and the stay tape was sewn to the waist.  The hem of the lining stops about 1 1/2" above the hem of the skirt.

I'm happy with the results and so was my sister.  So, using the very simple pattern with a standout fabric makes this skirt special.  The project was not hard to do, it just took a little time to figure out how to achieve it.


Happy Sewing!
C

Vogue 1127 - Tying on the Pussy Bow Blouse

Sorry the photos aren't the best quality

I decided that I'd make this blouse a few years ago. It was one of the patterns that I bought to the Palmer-Pletsch workshop in 2012. Marta Alto taught a session on dart rotation. It was of great interest to me as I almost always need to make a FBA. And sometimes I want to maintain the style of the garment without bust darts. So one of my desired take-a-ways from the workshop was to become proficient and confident in making dart rotation to other areas in a garment.

A few of my favorite sewing bloggers (Sarah and Amanda) have made this blouse and were pretty satisfied with the results. Both ladies, made a few changes to the collar and tie. If I make it again, I plan to use some of their changes. But for this one, I followed suggested construction process given in the guide sheet.  


This pattern comes in sizes 6 through 20.

The pattern description -MISSES' JACKET, SKIRT AND BLOUSE: Jacket is fitted and cropped, with lined, long raglan sleeves and standup collar. Skirt is straight-fitting, lined and 1" below normal waist with waistline facing, back darts, back slit and invisible zipper. Length is 2" above mid-knee. Blouse is semi-fitted, sleeveless, front and back gathers, back neckline slit, gathered standup collar and ties.

Amanda stated in her review, the silhouette of the blouse is like a trapeze dress. I probably will never wear it outside my skirt or pants. But it's a good idea to taper it a bit if you plan to wear it outside. Especially if you make a FBA. The instructions were fine. Nothing difficult or confusing.

The combination of the three pieces drew me to this pattern. I like how the seams are finished. Vogue includes a pattern for armhole binding and they recommend french seams for the sides of the blouse. I also like the high collar and the tie. Once I finished the blouse with the bow attached as instructed, I did notice that the tie was a little heavy and I wished I made it as a separate piece. It is very long but that's okay because I'm tall.

I used a georgette print from a local fabric store. The print was a good match for the purple tweed. My alterations were minimal. I made a FBA and rotated the dart of the gathers along the neckline. I also lowered the armhole a little because they were a little snug. There's a great chance that I may try this pattern again. But next time, I will follow Amanda's changes to construct the collar. I do recommend this pattern, the entire set of coordinates.

It is a good pattern to try. It has several construction techniques that will allow the sewist an opportunity to add some unique finishing touches to the finished product. It's worth a try if you like this style. The jacket and skirt are reviewed here.

Oops! I Did It Again!

Too much time has gone by since my last post. Shame on me, again!

I'm thankful that my inactivity has not deterred you from coming to visit my little spot in the cyber-world. I'm grateful for your continued visits and your thoughtful comments.

Truth be told, for the last eight months I've been the project manager for a major upgrade to our research, proposal, and award tracking application. It's been a bear and it's taking an extremely large amount of time to complete and too many over-time hours for me. Our projected Go-Live date was February 23rd. We missed it because of a mis-staged upgrade. So we are still working at it with a new Go-Live date of May 2nd. My fingers and toes are crossed.

In the meantime, I decided that I need to take back some of my time and reinstate my routine "sewing appointments" with me, myself, and I. Mid-March I was grateful to be able to vacation in Jamaica. It was an excellent vacation. We lodged at the Rui Negril hotel and resort. All-inclusive is the best. No worries, be happy. Rum punch, be happy. Raggae music on the beach, be happy. Jerk chicken, be happy.

So, of course, I had a few things to take on vacation. I will blog those soon.

My last post was on my first Mood Sewing Network blog, which was a Vogue Badgley Mischka suit. The part of the project that I did not review was the blouse. It is made using fabric from another store. So I will review that next.

Happy Sewing! C