Yikes, My Pants Don’t Fit!

I recently made two pants while at the Lansing Clippers sewing retreat in Shipshewana, Indiana.  I cut them from the same pattern I have used for several years.  However, I lost a little weight after the start of covid, so I altered the pattern at that time.  I tried them on today in order to turn up the hems on them.  What a shock!  I could barely zip them up and it was almost impossible to sit down.   Looks like I found the weight I lost! 

Fall is here and winter is fast approaching, so I need pants.  Do I reach into the back of my closet and retrieve the pants I was wearing two years ago or do I make new ones?  I struggled with that question before I decided to give myself a few weeks to see if I can lose those pounds once again.

This is probably a good time to inspect my wardrobe and see what additions I need to make.  I will try on some of my older pants and see if I can make them do until I can either make new, larger pants or lose some weight.  This will also be a good time to check my shirts and blouses to make sure they fit and coordinate with the pants I have. I   My jackets and coats need to be checked for wear and tear.  Maybe some of those need to be replaced, too. 

Actually, this is a good time of year for all of us to check our wardrobes to see what additions we need.  That way, we can plan what to sew instead of just sewing whatever gets our attention.  If we plan ahead, we can have a more diverse wardrobe with more pieces that coordinate. 

If you are moving your summer clothes to a different closet and moving your fall and winter clothes back into your main closet, this is an excellent time to check to see if any of your garments need repair.  Put those that need buttons sewed, zippers replaced or any other repairs in your sewing room with a sticky note detailing what needs to be done. 

I did make one top while I was at retreat and it still fits.  I made it from a piece of  brown sweater knit I purchased from Zinks Fabric in Ligonier, Indiana.  A picture of that is shown below.

 

Well, I wish you luck in going through your wardrobe.  I hope you will plan to sew some exciting new pieces for yourself. 

Judy

#sewing #planforadditionstowardrobe

 

Bored with Your Wardrobe?

Are you bored with your current wardrobe?  Are you also bored with your sewing projects?  I found that I was bored with my sewing  projects and most of those projects ended up in my wardrobe, so that made my wardrobe boring as well!  I sewed basically the same pieces of clothing all the time; usually, pants, capris, tee-tops and shirts.  I used the same patterns most of the time and the only thing that changed was the fabric. 

Finally, this summer I started to be more observant of what others were wearing.  I noticed that my friends who do not sew were wearing items of clothing that had scallops somewhere on them.  One friend had capri pants that were scalloped at the hems.  I told her I liked them and thought I would try to make some.  Before I could get them cut out, I noticed another friend with a dress that had a scalloped neckline.   Then another friend came to church with a top that was scalloped at the bottom hemline and also at the sleeve hemline.  Then it dawned on me.  I was witnessing a fashion trend!   

I decided to participate in this fashion trend.  I had some hot pink fabric purchased a few months ago during one of my trips to Zink’s Fabrics in Ligonier, Indiana.  I also had a pattern for capris that I have used lots of times I knew I could use this pattern, but I would have to change the pattern to accommodate the scallops at the hemline of the legs.  I decided to do that by adding a facing at the bottom edge of each leg.  I traced both the front and back pieces from the bottom edge up to 2.75 inches from the bottom.  This would be the facing.

It is always best to make a sample before cutting out the entire pattern.  I made my sample by cutting out only the bottom 5 inches or so of one front and one back piece as well as the front and back of one facing.   I sewed the seams on the sample capri together and then sewed the seams of the facing.  Then placing right sides together, I pinned the facing to the capri sample.

Next, I needed to make chalk marks for the scallops.  To do that, I needed something round to trace to make the scallops.  I decided to use a small plastic thread spool cap from my sewing machine.  I traced around one-half of the spool cap to make the scallops.  I then sewed on the chalk line using a stitch of 2.5 on my machine.  I was able to get the scallops sewn, but it was difficult and the scallops were not smooth. 

I felt the first attempt was not perfect, but it was good enough to make a couple of changes and try it on my pants.  So, I sewed the pants together and then added the facing.  This time, I used a larger plastic thread cap to trace the scallops and changed the stitch length on my machine to 1.0 – 1.5.   I used the 1.0 to sew the scallops where they curved the most.  It was easier to get around the curve in a smoother manner by using the very small stitch length.  I knew I would not be ripping out stitches this small so, I hoped for the best outcome!  Once I trimmed the scalloped edge, I knew that although this attempt was not perfect either, I could live with it.  If I make more scalloped capris for next summer, I will definitely try using a more gradual curve between the scallops.  Pictures of the finished product are shown below.

 

I showed the capris with two different tops that I might be able to wear with them.  The navy blue print has small pink flowers, so I think that would work.   I like the pink tee top.  It is maybe one shade lighter than the pants.  I am concerned that if I pair those two together, it may be too much of a bold color.

The one thing I learned from this experience is there are lots of ideas or fashion trends we can use to sew items for our individual wardrobes.  Take a look around you to see what others are wearing.  Also, look at the stock in high end stores or just go browsing at some of the online stores.  It doesn’t cost anything to look.  Once you have an idea in mind, you can always hack a pattern to make it work for you.  We just need to pay attention to the trends as they develop and then decide if they are trends that we like and would feel comfortable wearing. 

I hope you will try adding something new to your sewing soon!

Judy

#sewing #addfashiontrendstoyourwardrobe #patternhacks