Zinnia Boyfriend Pants

Since I had no commissions this weekend to work on I decided to make something for myself (what a surprise...). I went ahead with one of the five patterns on my current wish list, the Zinnia Boyfriend Pants (digital pattern). I took about 5-6 hours. They were fairly easy, and I think I could have gone a size down from the one I used. They were just a tad bigger than I would have liked, but they still look good. I'm also having to get more used to the higher waist. They aren't at all real high waisted pants, but I did not expect them to be that high. On problem I did have while sewing, was the snagging of the fabric by the machine's needle, and it would pull the grain, so I have some odd (but barely noticeable) lines of the color on the wrong side of the fabric. With all of these in mind, I would definitely make another pair of these pants. They are very comfortable. I did them in a regualr cotton (hobby lobby wins again!), and they are great for warm weather (and living in MS I know hot, humid weather, I promise). The front and back (!) pockets are splendidly spacious.

I also feel like I have been officially inducted into the great crafting world as I have bought my first jar of Mod Podge to make a collage for my Art Appreciation class. Of course, I did it on sewing as art, and plan to call it "The Craft of Clothing." My stash of J.Crew catalogs have finally served a greater purpose, and it didn't cost me anything.




"The Craft of Clothing"

Do what I say, not what I do, and buy enough fabric the first time you go to the store. Instinct can fail you. Tremendously. Or by a yard and a half.

The front.

 The back.

Those pockets are at least 8 inches deep.

I have a small appreciation for double topstitching.

 The back pockets are also really deep. Above the yoke you can see the snagging and pulling the needle did (the little white lines).

This, my friends, is a fake fly. I was so relieved when I realized that I didn't have to put in a zipper or button hole!

Happy Sewing!

Five Fabulous Patterns

         There's nothing like taking summer courses and getting past the halfway point. I just reached that point this past Friday. Don't get me wrong -- I do really like my classes (World Lit and Art Appreciation). These last three weeks have really been a blur of classes, homework, scholarship applications, reading Atlas, alterations and commissions, and preparing for Thailand. If you get up at 5:30 on a daily basis for more than a month you have my respect because it's hard. However, the busyness keeps me accountable for my tasks; I must get them done or face the consequences.
         As far as sewing goes this month, I have taken out and replaced/lengthened/redone more sleeves than I can count, made mime robes from a civil war jacket pattern (who knew they were compatible??), taken in some pants, altered some dance costume sleeves and leotard, hand stitched back binding on a beautiful quilt (I impressed my self with the speed I've gotten up to without sacrificing quality; also, I would love to learn to quilt), and some other smaller things. Hooray for jobs! Right now I'm about to make two pairs of elastic waist pants, which should be a relative breeze.
      To balance out the lengthy word vomit of my life, I hope, dear readers you would take a look at these awesome patterns. These are some I either hope to get to (in skill) or have just added to my "MUST DO" list because they're wonderful.

1. This sweet pattern: Peony by Colette Patterns https://www.colettepatterns.com/sewing/peony
2. Zinnia Boyfriend Pants by Tamanegi-Kobo. http://tmngkobo.onlinestores.jp/Bottoms-c-329/Zinnia--Boyfriend-Pants-p-8888.html/language/en
    I actually own this pattern and plan to make it in a red cotton floral.
3. Sew Over Its 1940s Tea Dress http://shop.sewoverit.co.uk/collections/dressmaking-patterns/products/1940s-tea-dress
4. Sewaholic's Gabriola Skirt http://www.sewaholicpatterns.com/gabriola-skirt/
5. BurdaStyle's Blue Mood One Shoulder Dress, because it just looks cool. http://www.burdastyle.com/pattern_store/patterns/one-shoulder-dress-062014?utm_source=burdastyle&utm_medium=blog&utm_campaign=bsawblog060914-oneshoulderdress

Sew on!