Aperiodic check-in number X

[shermarama]

Hiya! How's it going out there in sewing land? What have you been up to, what have you learned, what are you eyeing up next?

I have taken on another jersey / knit fabric pattern, this time for some joggers - the Waves and Wild Field Trip Joggers, in the adult female fit. This is for fabrics with less stretch, 20-50% widthways, and I have my eye on it for making winter trousers out of some heavy merino / polyester mix I got cheap from a local deadstock specialist, but first I made a test version in some fabric I've had sitting around for ages.

The fabric is a light-to-mid cotton / elastane knit, and it's a white base printed with a mostly solid black surface, apart from the pseudo-constellations, planets, moons and unicorns (yeah, no idea) in turquoise. I can no longer remember when I bought it, even, but it kept looking at me from the stash. Given the dark print on a light base, I wanted to use it in a garment where it wouldn't have to stretch much and have the light part show.

I sort of dislike print-at-home patterns because there's so many stages to printing, glueing, and tracing, but then also this is quite compatible with the size changes I need to make to things so it's not all bad, and I find once I've got to the point of having cut-out pattern pieces, I can just leave it a couple of days and then it's like arriving at a new pattern that I didn't have to do all that work for. So I did that with these, adding 2cm to the rise, but below the line of the angled hip pockets (so I wouldn't have to redraft any pocket lines) and added a straight 12cm all in one go just below the knee, since I reckoned that width would sit comfortably past my calves.

The waistband has you stitch most of it on as a big loop, then feed in elastic that's almost as wide as the waistband, sew that into a complete loop, and then finish sewing up the waistband; I made the elastic a little longer than suggested, and it's come out well in terms of being firm enough to stay up but not so firm it's constricting. Because the fabric is on the light and stretchy side compared to what was specified, too, they're very free-moving all round, really, without being loose enough to be annoying.

So... especially with the turquoise cuffs at the bottom, basically I've made pyjama bottoms, but ones that I can just about get away with wearing out of the house :D The biggest problem I'm having with that at the moment is that most of my wardrobe is variations on greens and browns, passing through yellow and orange and red if they're warm ones, and most of it doesn't really go with turquoise at all. But, hey, for something to wear around the house on a slow morning, they're a winner.

Comments

[zenigotchas]

Looks comfy as fuck and professional.

Maybe you'll eventually find a look with them you're happy with, but tbh just having something cozy to wear at home is always a great addition to a wardrobe (I've got a pair like that and they're my fave pair of pajama pants. I think cuffs really help make them more insulating and cozy). I wouldn't even worry about them not matching but I'm someone who prefers wearing her pajamas for as long as possible within a day (including going out to get the mail and stuff), so I don't really think about that when I'm in my comfy/pajama clothes lol. Comfort over fashion for me! Hahaha.

I keep putting off my crop top project... Mostly because it costs a lot of spoons but you've given me SOME drive to pick it back up so I can finally be done with it and wear it haha. I'm trying to singletask over multitasking so it is the only sewing project I'm doing rn.

[a_natural_beauty]

Those look wonderful! They look very comfortable, too!

[shermarama]

I find one useful thing about sewing is that you can do it as many small tasks, and each one still gets you somewhere - even just pinning a seam, so that next time you feel like it, the seam is ready to sew. So I hope your project continues to go, at whatever speed it does!

[zenigotchas]

Funny you should say that because pinning is exactly where I left off! Anyway you're right, in that sense it's a very forgiving hobby and it's nice because you can just chunk your goals/tasks up and take it slowly while still making progress. It's like they say, "Slow is smooth and smooth is fast."

Thanks, I hope I can get it done no matter how long it takes :D

[nou]

I’ve mainly been making more sleeves :( :( :( I’m satisfied with my short-sleeve pattern now, but I want to make a long sleeve too, so I’ve been testing some of them. One day I will be done with making sleeve muslins, but that day is not today.

I did make some patchwork though, from leftover scraps of muslin (white cotton poplin) that I dyed. This is going to be a cushion cover once I decide whether to do the same again for the other side or to do something different.

The deep pink in the middle is the result of my first attempt at getting a good low-immersion purple (as you can see, it was a complete failure in terms of the actual goal, though quite interesting in itself), and subsequent attempts radiate out from there, to the purple in the corners that’s basically what I was aiming for.

[nou]

*support* *encouragement* *support* :)

[yossi]

I went to a "sewing machine basics" class at the local tool library and the class project was a tote bag. So now I have a cool purple and green tote bag, which is very exciting. :)

I'm making an "Albert" (apron) from freesewing.org as my first "real" project. Because I am a fool (affectionate) I got some duck canvas for it (it's going to be a woodshop apron), so I've been experiencing how that affects my machine's ability to deal with existence lol. I have it hemmed and the straps sewn on and now I need to figure out the pockets. The pattern has one patch pocket on the apron bib but I do want to put a few more lower down. I have enough material but I want a contrasting color so I'll pop back over to the store in the next day or so and get something.

[nou]

It’s so nice to have a tote bag in colours you like! (I am also a fan of purple and green.)

I’ve been pondering the Albert apron too (my household already has three aprons but sometimes there are more than three people in the house doing messy things) but it’s a fair way down the to-do list at the moment. Please report back once yours is finished!