Outfit Remix

I am still getting caught up on posting new garments.  I am planning to roll them out one every second day. 

I took a photo of my outfit today, though, since I'm trying to do some remixing in my outfits.  I tend to wear the exact same outfits over and over.  I don't think I have every done this combo before, though, not that it's earth-shattering.  :-)  

The pants are Simplicity 1696 and the blouse is Simplicity 3789.

Simplicity 1696 in black textured cotton

Hello!  Well, I got my act together today and photographed one of my un-blogged sewn projects.  Of course, these cropped pants are probably 6 months old, but you have to start somewhere, right?

This is my third version of Simplicity 1696.  I also made them in army green and navy/white jacquard.

I left off any back pockets on this pair - real or faux.  The fit in the legs is the best I've done with this pattern, though.  I took out some length in the back pattern piece right under the bum where I was getting wrinkles before.  I'm sure the fit also has a lot to do with the stretch factor of this fabric.  :-)

The waistband could be snugger, but who wants to rip all those side seams and waistband top stitching?

My only issue with these (and with the other two pair, honestly) is that they fit great first thing in the morning, and then they get baggier throughout the day.  These are the worst for that, and I think it is because the fabric is textured and as I move around and sit in them, it kind of flattens out the texture.  Every time I wash and dry them, they go back to the original fit.

Here is a closeup of the fabric texture.  I t is another purchase from Pennie Fabrics in Sarasota.

Simplicity 1696 and Faux Welt Pocket Tutorial

Hi, everyone!  This is my second creation from Simplicity 1696, also known as my new favorite pants pattern ever.  We just took these photos after I've worn the pants all day, and we rode bike to my kids' school and walked around for a couple of hours for a Fall Festival.  So... they've been through a lot today and still look great (if a little baggier than they did this morning, and you can see there's something in my pocket).

 I rolled them up today, but they hit right at my ankle bone unhemmed.

 The fabric is from my recent shopping trip to Pennie Fabrics.  I think it's just a cotton bottomweight.  It feels and behaves a lot like denim.

 I knit the sweater years ago.  I have no idea what the pattern is.  I remember knitting it from a magazine pattern.  Not very helpful  :-)

Here is how I made my faux welt pockets, different from in the
instructions:

This is a pretty quick and dirty tutorial.  It's not the best if you have never made a welt pocket before.  If you've made one or two and are curious how I make basically a welt pocket with no pocket bag, here it is:

Start with a rectangle of fabric about four inches tall and two inches wider than the welt opening.  Place it with the top edge just barely under the top stitching.  Stitch two parallel lines as shown on the pattern.  This pattern only has one line, so I added the second one half inch above.

Here you can see the stitching on the wrong side.

Use your seam ripper to start the slit between the stitching lines.

Use small scissors to finish the job, cutting one long slit and then diagonal slits right to the edge of the stitching lines.

 like so:

Now, shove the welt piece through the slit to the wrong side.

Adjust the welt to fit nicely in the window.

 Fold the welt piece down in the back so that the  fold just reaches the top of the window.  Press in place.

This is where you would add the pocket back for a real welt pocket, but I just fold the excess back up, covering the gap between the top of the welt and the top window seam allowance.

Topstitch everything nicely in place, making sure to get those tiny triangles tucked away to form right angles at the sides.

Simplicity 1696 - My New TNT Pants

I have a new TNT pants pattern - Simplicity 1696.  It's one of their "Amazing Fit" patterns, and it delivered for me.  You definitely need to follow the pattern instructions (not go on auto-pilot, like I usually do) since there are some changes in the seam allowances and order of construction to make them easier to alter as you go along.

 I widened the legs a bit and lengthened them to full length to make some dressier trousers, but now that I know how they fit, I plan to make some more versions - maybe some skinny cords and some crops.

 The only fit change I needed to make was to scoop out the crotch an additional 3/8" and then take in the inner leg seams 3/8" tapered to nothing at the knee.  I think the crotch fit is great on these.  What say you?

 The only real problem I have and am not sure how to fix is the front pockets sticking out a bit.  I can work on that on the next iteration, though.  I will also lower the waistband 1/2", just for personal preference.  No more faux-back welt pockets either.  I'm going for the real thing, even if I stitch them shut with no pocket bags.  They are too bulky made this way.

 This pattern offered straight, average, and curvy fits pieces.  I thought I'd be straight or average since I consider my shape to be pretty rectangular these days.  Imagine my surprise to find out I'm "curvy" all of a sudden.  Any thoughts on getting rid of the wrinkles in the back below?  I think I'm in danger of over-fitting soon.  These already fit better than many of my store-bought pants.

Edited 9/20 - I was so excited about the pattern that I didn't even mention the fabric!  It's a recent purchase from Penny Fabric, a great fabric store in Sarasota (no website, sorry).  It's a cotton woven jaquard, I think, with navy and white.  I should have gotten a closeup.  It's gorgeous!  I'm thinking of getting the same fabric in tan/white on my next trip (if it's still there).