We Interrupt the Regular Scheduled Programming...

...for Ducks and Couds??? DD#2 was with me last week at Walmart when I picked up household essentials, and at *HER* request we bought some fabric other than cotton muslin for her Spring semi-formal dress. She's going to a sleepover tonight and wanted some new pajama pants. She's always been a cuddly child (well, maybe not so much now at 14 ;) ) but ducks and clouds? She marches to the beat of her own drum and no one elses. Much like her Momma :) .




She thought these print fabrics were cute so I bought them for her, and she's been on my case to get them done by tonight. Yesterday I cut them out and basted them for fit. These are TNT, but she's really fussy about fit. Every fabric seems to feel (fitwise) slightly different to her. So I have to let out or take in a smidge here and there. The waistband just need to be done and the hem edge is already serged so it's just turn under and topstitch.



The original pattern calls for a homemade-like drawstring method, however, I prefer elastic. DD#2 wanted drawstring though. So I decided to blend both methods and use elastic on the back waist and drawstring on the front. I'm telling you--she is fussy. The waistband can't be too loose. That bothers her. So at least she'll be able to adjust the drawstring in the front to her comfort level.



This is the reason why I exclusively use the casing method for elastic over zigzagging elastic to the raw edge. Even if I cut the elastic to what she likes, the minute she tries on the pants she'll say, "Um, it's still too loose. Can you tighten it a bit more?" This usually happens 2 or 3 times until it's the way she likes it. So I'm hoping to avoid this with a drawstring front. The reason why I'm not doing the drawstring in the back is that I personally don't like something cutting into my back and thinnish drawstrings will do that. The same reason why I don't like halters knotted at my neck or back ties at my mid back. It's just a bad feeling. If I don't like it, she definitely won't like it either. So I have to take my shower, get moving, and go out to the fabric store to get some elastic this morning.



Once I'm finished with this, I will post pics of me in my redesigned top. I'm planning on wearing it today, then will baste the back princess seams permanently. I want to make sure I'm happy with the fit after a day's wear before permanently stitching the seams.

The Perfect Pair of Pants

I'm on my quest for it.

I made up the pajama pants 3 days ago for DD#2. I used my serger and sewed them in (a very surprising way for the slow sewer that I am) super speedy. My only issue: They don't fit her! However, they do fit me very nicely. I thought I used the 5/8" SA's on the pattern last time but mustn't have. She needs fine tuning at the side seams and I must have forgotten that. There's no room to let out for extra room with my serged seams either. Last time I do believe I pinfitted the pants on her first. Subsequently, they are too snug around the pants in the crotch area, 3" above and below. The good thing is, *I* now have a very nice-fitting pair of pajama pants. I'll take pics later.

The past two days I've been working diligently on drafting a nice-fitting pair of pants. Instead of trying to reinvent the wheel, I'm working on a pattern I've used before and rather like. Just working on tweaks, redesigning the crotch curve to match my own, etc.

I think there my still be some vertical fullness right below the crotch line. According the FFRP, it says to pinch out the excess to determine the amount, then take a tuck from waist to hem. Unfortunately, the excess is only in a 6 inch area. Above and below, the width of my pattern is fine. So what to do? I'll make these pants up again with all my alterations except for the tuck. Then decide if a tuck is warranted, but then I'll have to add width to the side seam above the crotchline and mid-thigh down to the hem. This will make for a VERY weird looking back piece on my pants.

The other option was to remove it from the back inseam at the top, tapering to 6" down. The only problem there is if I do that, I'll get wrinkles pointing to the inseam to let it back out. Solving one problem creates another. Really a catch 22.

Maybe I'll just bite the bullet and do a vertical seamline from waist to hem on the pants as a design detail. This will also help me tweak the area to reduce the fullness. So many options, don't know which route to take at this point.

But anyway, I'm going to finish my first pair of capris on the pattern and then move on to my cream-colored linen ones.

That's a plan :) !

Happy Easter!

Happy Easter everyone! It was a beautiful day in the Poconos, cool and sunny.

The Easter meal was at my mom and dad's house with ham, corn, green beans, deviled eggs, pasta salad, fruit salad, lettuce salad, and mashed potatoes. Very filling! We had no dessert. None was needed because the Easter bunny was very generous this morning. In fact, we didn't even get a chance to color eggs this year because last night we had to go to a softball tournament. There wasn't even any time to get the baskets, so the Easter bunny couldn't hide them. Just left the candy on the table in a nice big pile to be sorted. My youngest did mental poking and prodding by holding up candy and asking, "Did you buy this?". Hmmm...

Between making the deviled eggs and mashed potatoes, I was able to get DD#2's pajama pants almost done. I put in some temporary ribbon for the waist until I can find the right color. Her pants have a temporary hem until we wash them (100% cotton flannel) a few more times. She hates pants that are too short and that is a typical RTW problem for her. She has a figure just like mine with very long legs and a short-waisted torso. The pajama pants are nice and long, but are hanging on the floor. I will wait for the go-ahead from her before messing around with the current hem though. Let me tell you, they are SO soft! As soon as I finished them I told her I was trying them on. Very nice fit (loose but not too loose), modeled them for her and told her if she didn't want them they'd be mine. She replied, "I'll wear them now." I take them off, and she immediately puts them on :) . She really likes them and can't wait for the next pair. Now that's gratifying sewing!

The pajama pants were actually a Junior-sized Simplicity pattern. She picked out the wrong pattern size (thinking Misses) but the fit is so nice in the Junior-size large that I'm thinking about making a pair for myself in a nice cozy flannel print. I'm going to take a pic of them and do a review in a week or so after the three washings and better ribbon.

Now, to get working on my two tops and Burda coat. I love having three projects to work on at the same time. It makes for very little downtime.