Trouser try out

I nearly have my trouser pattern the way I want it. But these cotton trousers will work for the summer. They call it 'Wearable Toile'. The fabric doesn't have alot of give, but I had enough of it to do the trial before I cut into the nice dark blue linen I got at the Knitting and Stitching show.

Pictures are fuzzy because I tried the photo in the mirror trick.

more finishing

A few more of the wearable toiles hanging on the cupboard doors. Really they are on the way to getting to finishing the jacket toile which I hope will finally be the result.

Trousers finished - finally trousers that fit me properly. I know I can go ahead and make more when I get a chance.

Blouse finished...made on the way to getting the dress right. But now I can make some more blouses and tops.

This may not seem so exciting to you, but it is like having a whole boutique available with everything in your size, and also in styles and colours of your own choice.
Mind you the toiles were made of what was on hand and I have finished them to wear.
BUT...the next ones!

more alteration

Tonight I went to the reception for the Exhibition at the College, part of Reading Arts Week. I will show you photos of some of the other art work, but for now, here is a photo of the dragons safely ensconced in a glass case.

And here is a photo of the Solar Optics pieces along with a few of the other pieces donated for the Canvas Project. These are being sold for £25 to raise money for supported learning at the college.

and earlier today:
Along with sorting a bit more of my studio, I finished off the hems of the other pair of linen trousers.

... a little like the turquoise pair, but on an angle.

mending and altering

After such a long day yesterday, today was a bit of conserving strength sort of day, since I have quite a few other things going on in the next week.

So, I mended a hat for a Certain Lad going off on adventures for a couple weeks.

I also shortened some crop trousers to a length more suitable to me. I did this a few weeks ago to a white pair I bought. The resulting length still left it with a rather wide finish, which I wasn't happy with. So, on the white pair, I just tucked out the fullness at the side seam. There was 2 extra buttons which were meant to replace the one at the waist and one of the buttoned pockets (slightly smaller), should they go missing. So, I shortened the buttonhole length, put the small button at the waist, and stitched the 2 larger ones on the tuck at the hem for a feature! They are very comfortable. I have been wearing them alot and have them on now!
So...a photo in a very unclean mirror.

I hadn't got around to shortening two linen pairs, so started that today. This turquoise pair has been taken in slightly at the inner seam near the hem, but it wasn't quite enough. Or at least it looked rather plain. So, I tried a few horizontal tucks. I think they really help make them look alot better. I plan to wear them to the exhibition at College on Saturday (Caversham) when I will be demonstrating Machine Embroidery again.

I still have a natural linen pair which has been chopped now, but needs to be hemmed. I shall have to think what I might do to the hem of those!

green skirt and trouser

I have still been busy with paperwork for college. But today I took time out to cut out a skirt and a pair of trousers from green fabric I have been hanging onto for sometime. I even had time to put the zip in!

 I have a linen jacket I made that has some green in. However, I don't wear it much since I don't have anything to wear it with. Although the colour will be the same, I don't think it will be a problem to have a skirt AND a pair of trousers of the same colours.

shorts

This Monday, the topic for the C+G class is drafting trousers. So, I tried on my last attempt at getting this right for myself, and made some changes.

This trial in brown linen will work well enough for a pair of shorts come summer...if I finish them off. Most of my trouser trials get to this point and then live on a hanger on the cupboard door in their unfinished state. I have been researching fitting adjustments for trousers ahead of the fitting session for next Monday, just to remind myself of what to try. I have seen some ideas which I might try to get my pattern one more step to wearable. I am happy with the fit on the upper part, but don't like the fact that the legs are so big. I feel it doesn't work on me with being short.

I do think it is easier to see how to help someone else with fitting adjustments than helping yourself. anything you do to twist round and see or to twist round and pin, etc messes up something else!

Now you know why I like to make skirts!

trousers - part 2

Yesterday I got my trousers sewn up. They just need a waistband and hems.

The photo is a bit boring...they are just basic trousers. I may put welt pockets in at some point in the foggy future, but for now, they will do.

I haven't done a fly for sometime, so I tried to follow the directions for a fly from the Armstrong drafting book but it really did my head in. Finally, I just did it by instinct. That always works better for me. Aterwards I remembered I could have gone to the Reader's Digest Complete Book of Sewing. It has quite understandable directions for construction techniques. It is what I will be directing my students to for the most part. When you first start drafting your own patterns, it is a bit intimidating to work out how to sew things together, especially if you have always had a pattern sheet to tell you the construction sequence.

Although there are updated versions of the Reader's Digest Complete Book of Sewing, it is combined with their Complete Book of Needlework. If you ever find either of the older books in charity shops or elsewhere, snap them up. They have clear, illustrated directions for all sorts of necessary techniques.

trousers

Well, not much accomplished today, due to a migraine. But yesterday I also lengthened my trouser pattern and cut out a pair to try. I had been given enough "bottom weight" fabric to make some trousers, so that will do for a trial.

Sometimes when you do a knee length toile, like I did the other day, you run into problems when you lengthen them. So, it pays to try it out in a fabric that isn't too precious, first. I followed the slacks look from Helen Joseph-Armstrong's book "Pattern Making for Fashion Design". The trousers should fit fairly well...or at least better than RTW (Ready to Wear). If I need to make any adjustments, I can do that for future pairs.

I don't actually intend to wear dark blue gabardine trousers at this time of year! But I know the autumn will get busy when I start to teach. My legs don't do too well with the cold, so I will have at least one pair to wear when the weather starts to turn. The ones I had got too big. (Yes!)

at long last

So, I have been doing some diversionary occupations today.

I finished sewing the journal quilts together and sent them off. Rare for me, they don't need to be there til the end of July!

Then because it was too tense to watch Andy Murray's tennis game all through, I decided to cut and adjust my trouser toile while I listened!! I had a trouser block from 2004, and as I am now back to a similar weight, I thought it might not be too hard to work from that. So, this doesn't look like much, but believe me, I have been putting it off for years.

Now to see what sorts of trousers I can make.

Oh...and what I was diverting from? I am meant to be doing paperwork and assignments for my teaching training course which finishes on the 14th July! Okay, I am so chuffed with having a fitting trouser that I will probably accomplish much more when I work on the assignments tomorrow.

By the way, you may have noticed on the side bar that I put the courses I am going to teach in the next term at New Directions. The workshops at the library are there as well.

I am really excited about being asked to teach the City and Guilds Creative Techniques: Fashion 2! City and Guilds have reworked the Creative Studies Programme. This course will be similar to the old "Part 1" or the Certificate. I am looking forward to starting new with the new students embarking on the programme. The course will be on a Monday evening at the West Reading Centre on Wilson Road. If you live in the Thames Valley area and are interested in getting the City and Guilds qualification, do check it out. You can contact New Directions on 0845 842 0012. Or email enquires to info@newdirectionsreading.co.uk