Happy Friday! Before I get going here, I want to thank everyone for the great response to the July Blogger Bundle. It is a beauty and I am happy to announce that Kathie L will be receiving a bundle in the mail soon. She won the drawing for the giveaway! Yay for happy, squishy mail – it’s coming your way Kathie!
I actually do have a finish to share – not a quilt finish but something to check off the WIP list nonetheless. I began making a pair of pants in May – Well, I actually bought the fabric over a year ago and it sat on a shelf until May. But then Me Made May rolled around and I got excited about making some clothes. I got these nearly done in May – they only needed to be hemmed. It took me until mid-July to hem them. Why?? Now it is too hot to wear pants. Silly me.
So these were a very easy make. The pattern for these was Vogue 7294. The pattern was from 2001 and the pants had a high waisted cut. I took a few inches out of the rise so they would hit me below the waist. There isn’t a waistband – just a simple elastic waist. I don’t tuck my shirts in so this won’t be an issue.
The biggest issue I ran into was the fabric I chose for the pants. It was not a good choice at all! It is too light weight and it frayed continually, making it a pain to sew with. I did the best I could, making sure to finish each seam with a zig zag stitch to help with the fraying. My plan is to hand wash these (in the washing machine – my washer has a “hand wash” cycle) and hang them to dry. I really have no idea how long they will last? For all I know, they may disintegrate upon first wearing.
I was concerned that this lightweight material would make the pants look like pajamas. To be honest, they do look a lot like pj’s. But I like them anyway. They are comfortable and they have pockets in them!! However, I am afraid to use said pockets because of the lightweight, easily frayed fabric. Yikes, these are going to be some high maintenance pants! 😉
In closing, does anyone need a good book to read over the summer? I just finished two and both of them were excellent. The first one was The Spool of Blue Thread, by Anne Tyler. I am a huge fan of Anne Tyler’s. She writes such great stories about regular people. I love how she develops her characters. The reader always comes away feeling like he really knows those people. Great read!
The second book I read is the The Book of Unknown Americans, by Cristina Henriquez. It iss a timely novel about several families who came to the US from various countries such as Mexico, Puerto Rico and Venezuela. The relationships between the families, their history, and a love story between two young teens make this book hard to put down. Have you read anything good lately? I am ready for another book.
Hope everyone has a great weekend. We are having lunch with my in-laws on Saturday and then we will be home all day Sunday. Supposedly it isn’t supposed to be over 90 degrees this weekend so that will be a nice break from this crazy heatwave.
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I’m so impressed with your garment making skills Bernie! The pants look great on you and they look so comfortable.
Thank you Beth – You are so sweet. I only ever make very simple patterns that don’t require much fuss to get them to fit correctly though. Have a good weekend!
Don’t you always look so nice in your me-made clothing! I do hope these pants last more than one wash n wear😄
Me too Sarah!! I know they aren’t something I will be wearing years from now, saying Oh, I remember when I made those. Haha – the fabric was so annoying. Now I know!!
Great pants! I have a top and some oriental fabric on the cutting table for my next clothing project. I enjoyed Spool of Blue Thread, but was a bit disappointed that it wasn’t more about sewing. I have a review of it on Goodreads, giving it 4 stars, as long sections of flashbacks and easily manipulated characters are a bit irritating. Still, Ann Tyler is a wonderful writer.
She is a great writer. I read the interview with her at the bak of the book (by Anna Quindlen) and enjoyed it – I thought it was a nice peek into Anne Tyler’s writing process. (I couldn’t believe her book drafts are always in long hand!). The flashbacks didn’t bother me but the characters were a little predictable – Still a really good book though. Good luck with the sewing projects!!
The pants are a pretty color; I think they will not look like pj pants to others. I just finished Clock Dance by Anne Tyler, which I enjoyed, so I’d recommend that if you like her. I’m going to read Spool of Blue Thread I think. I also enjoyed the Louise Penny series, which begins with Still Life. They are murder mysteries that take place in Quebec. Looking forward to my Blogger Bundle arriving!
You will like Spool of Blue Thread Wendy – it’s a good one! I will find Clock Dance – I haven’t read that yet. Also, she has a new one coming out soon – tho I can’t remember the title at the moment. Have a great weekend!
Those look so comfy, not at all like jammies. They’ll be great for the fall and cooler evenings. As for high maintenance, I do that for a lot of my clothes. They just last longer. Have a great weekend!
You are right – I have a lot of items I don’t put in the dryer and wash carefully – especially t-shirts and other knit items. Thanks Mari. 🙂
Looks like pants, feels like PJs. You have just provided the answer to a million women’s dreams 🙂
You are so funny Preeti. Your comments (and your blog posts) make me smile, every single time!
Bernie, I didn’t realize you dont own a serger! Bring those pants down to me and we will fix all those internal seams right up! They turned out beautifully and you look great in them.
Actually I do have a (older model) serger but it was in the shop. I am picking it up this morning. I guess I should run a seam over at least the longer seams running up and down the leg of the pants. I didn’t even think of that. I don’t use the serger enough so I am not all that comfortable with it. Maybe someday I can beg you to come up the hill and give me a lesson??? When school is back in session or you aren’t terribly busy? Thanks for the nudge though Susan!
Good books:
Pechinko
The Nightingale
My Husbands Wife
To name a few.
Thank you Judy. Just put them on the ‘list’. Happy weekend to you!
Your pants look awesome. I hope they last long enough for you to enjoy them.
Haha – thanks Anja, me too!
Hi Bernie. Congrats on your finish! Those are nice pants – too bad about the fabric. It’s one of the reasons that I seldom make clothes for myself – it’s just too frustrating when it doesn’t turn out, for what ever reason. Thanks for the Anne Tyler recommendation. I haven’t read one of her books in a long while. I’ll add it to my list. I just finished The Muralist by B.A. Shapiro. It was great. Thanks for linking up to TGIFF!
Thank you Andree! They were fun to make and someone suggested finishing the seams with a serger. That was so coincidental because I picked up my serger (an older one I got at a thrift store some years ago) just yesterday from the repair shop. I am going to try that because it will really help the seams to stop fraying. I love making clothes – they are a lot of fun and (usually) quick to finish than a quilt. But really – sewing pretty much anything is a fun for me. Except hemming…. I do not like having to hem pants, etc.
I think they look cool. In all senses of the word, and if they do fray, just cut them up again into something else. I like your new hairstyle too!
Thanks Helen – I am going to try running the seams through a serger – that could help a lot. As for my hair, I am trying to figure out something different to do with it so I have let it grow out. It is at that awkward stage of being too long and not really shaped? But I need to let it go for a bit longer I think. Hope all is well!!
I just spent the last day and a half with my grandsons which was a blast. The pants look good it’s too bad they are so high maintenance.
Bernie you blew me away long ago with the wedding tales and the skill sets
in your family so nothing that you do surprises me but it is always fun to see 🙂
Your new pants look very comfy.
You are a petite patootie! So adorable. Very cute pattern – I hope the material holds up for you.
Hey it’s OK if they look like PJ’s (although I would wear those anywhere) because I see people wearing PJ’s grocery shopping – LOL!
I see people in flannel pj pants shopping too. What’s the deal? They are comfy and all but really?? Thanks Linda – It’s always so nice to hear from you. 🙂
These pants look awesome! So comfy and professional looking.
With 90 degree temps those pants won’t be too lightweight at all methinks, if you wear them! I’d be in shorts. They look great. I have a top with Island Batik rayon in my immediate future…pattern needs to be cut out and then laid out… Had a quick peek when I looked for the comments as I always scroll down for the box, and saw the blogger bundle, which I missed…called it! on the bari j. Man I love her florals! But you know that right?!
It is now even hotter – hitting triple digits in the afternoon. Yuk – it is a bit annoying at this point – I am ready for it to cool off!! I didn’t know Island Batik made rayons. I bet they are gorgeous! I look forward to seeing the shirt when you finish it. I have had a piece of voile sitting on the dining room table for a week waiting to be cut for a shirt! It isn’t going to happen tho so I just put it away for now. It is too darn busy at the moment.