Who's Afraid of the Big Bad Thurlow? - Part 2

Well, I didn't end up cutting out my good Mood wool yet, but after a number of mistakes and fitting issues I finally finished my first pair of Thurlow trousers:

I'd also like to mention that during the fitting process, I've never stared at so many pictures of my ass for so long in my entire life. I went through five fitting variations, and couldn't get the darn thing to fit just right in the back. I took pictures to try to help diagnose fitting problems, hence the excessive ass staring.

I give you -  ass (Thurlow) evolution:

Here's the brief summary:

1. I cut and sewed a straight size 8.  The front looked and fit fine, but there was some serious bunching going on in the back.  I get it, there's a lot of surface area for the fabric to deal with. Time to make adjustments.

2. Extensive internet research led me to add some length to the crotch in the back. Lazy me didn't want to cut a whole new pattern piece, not when I could use masking tape instead.

3. Okay, the small wedge in #2 seemed to help a bit, so lengthening the crotch more is sure to help!  I actually don't think this version was an improvement, but let's keep going forward.

Here's where I gave up on internet research; nothing was exactly what I needed.  I think this is where my "too much" information problem came into play.  When I was a blissfully ignorant sewer, I would pinch and tuck patterns like crazy.  I wanted to go back to relying on that instinct. In hindsight, maybe not such a good move.

4.  This was an attempt to take in fabric under the offending area.  I always have to make a sway back adjustment on my clothes, so maybe I need a "sway ass" adjustment for these? (Okay, I know it's not called a sway ass adjustment, but the combination of frustration and lack of sleep made this hilarious at the time.)  Image 4 shows just the right side pinned up and a bit of improvement.

5. Post sway ass adjustment. I had to abandon my masking tape and cut a new piece. I also scooped out the crotch seam a bit. It needs more, but I feel like I was almost there and ready to cut my fabric for my wearable muslin.

Fast forward about a week, a lot of swearing and me cutting out the waistband backwards, I give you the final version:

I'm trying to focus on the positives instead of the glaring fit issues. I actually think the construction looks good and I love the welt pockets. I don't think I'm going to add belt loops, because I'm not sure how much wear these will see outside of the house. 

The negatives? The fit of course. There's too much room in the crotch in front and still too much bunching in back.  I also needed to adjust the grainline because the side seam curves toward the back. I have no clue how to do this correctly, yet.  

I think I need to start from the beginning and invest in a good fitting book or online class. I'm not sure exactly where to go with this. Going down to a size 6 would probably help because I think this version is a bit too big for me, and I like pants tighter.

All in all, I don't they are bad for my first attempt. I have a lot of work to do to perfect these, but the end product will be worth it because I do love this pattern!

Interlude

I'm still working on my Thurlows, I promise! Here's proof:

Just ignore the fact that I sewed these pieces to the wrong side of the fabric. Oops. Right now, there's been a lot of swearing at muslins and staring at pictures of my butt and other people's butts to try to work out my fitting issues. I'm currently working on a wearable muslin and yes, I broke down and purchased fabric for it. I just didn't trust cutting out my good fabric without making a full test first. For better or worse, it should be complete and ready to share in the next day or two. In the meantime, there are a few non-trouser things to report.

Britex Fabrics, my favorite fabric store in San Francisco, mentioned me on their blog! You can check out the post here.  It's so exciting! I've never felt so much like a celebrity before in my life, and I'm so thankful to them for the shout out!  Now, how to I convince my job that they need to send me to San Francisco soon so that I can make a fabric run? Until then, I'm left to longingly peruse their website.  Don't you think this fabric would make an amazing pair of Thurlows? I've been looking at it for weeks now. (Full disclosure: I have no willpower and purchased some. It was on sale.)

Source http://www.britexfabrics.com/slubby-bittersweet-chocolate-stretch-cotton.html#

I also got a bit bored between my muslins and cut out fabric for three pairs of Rosy Ladyshorts.  I'll try to sew a pair or two if I need a break from my Thurlow marathon.

On the Thurlow front, I didn't think it possible but I'm actually enjoying sewing all of the "fiddly bits" of the pattern. It means I have to take the sewing process slow, which is a good thing. I'm trying to make a conscious effort to focus on enjoying the sewing process and not on the end product. As the great philosopher Neil Peart once wrote, "The point of the journey is not to arrive".

Who's Afraid of the Big Bad Thurlow?

Um, I think I might be...

Crazy, right? I don't think that these pants are the most complicated garment I've ever sewn. Not that I consider them a beginner project, I just think I've tackled more complex projects without a care in the world. I've been putting off sewing this pattern for months now, and I'm trying to figure out why because I really do want a pair of Thurlows!
 
I think I'm seriously psyching myself out.  When I was young, I made a few pairs of pants. Nothing difficult and they fit "okay", but that was before I learned that you could, and should, alter patterns for correct fit.  I also make lounge pants all the time. I'm a rockstar when it comes to lounge pants! I'm not sure if that's really a thing to brag about, but there you go.  If you don't believe me, check this out:

These were all 2011 Christmas gifts, using my go-to pattern McCall's 3019. Of course, the only fit issues with these are length and cutting the right size elastic for the waistband.

I think the problem is that I now have too much knowledge. I've read so many blogs where people struggled to perfect their pants fit through through multiple iterations. I don't just mean Thurlows; there are many pants-related fitting posts out there.  Now I'm worried about crotch length, the pants being too tight, or too loose, having to make a gazillion muslins to get it right, etcetera, etcetera.

I cut out most of the pieces that I would need for the muslin weeks ago. I think I'm just worried about messing up my awesome Mood fabric that I've earmarked for this project.  Couldn't you just make a wearable muslin? Well, yes I could but I don't currently have suitable fabric in my stash and I'm trying not to buy new fabric until I use up some of my old stuff first. (I do this every few months, just to see how long it will last.)

So, no more procrastinating. Work permitting, I'm going to start sewing up my muslin tonight! I'm not going to have major fit issues, and I'll be cutting out and not ruining my awesome striped wool this weekend!

Sew me!

And if I mess up, it's only fabric right? It sure isn't doing me any good in a box on a shelf.

When Good Covers Go Bad

With a mixture of shame, mild amusement and a perverse measure of pride, I give you Exhibit A:

Yes, this is the ironing board where all the magic happens. If I'm working with a particularly special fabric, I might put some paper towels down as a buffer between it and the rust stained splendor that is my cover.

Since my tailor ham and sausage project from a few posts back, I've been feeling a drive to complete a few housekeeping projects.  A new ironing board cover was definitely high on that list.

I used the great tutorial posted by the talented Sunni at A Fashionable Stitch.  I used the same Amy Butler floral print used for my tailor ham and sausage project. The tutorial calls for a layer of cotton quilt batting to be sandwiched between your top fabric and a bottom layer of cotton muslin. Well, all of my muslin is earmarked for other projects, so I just cut two layers of the batting.  In my mind, it made perfect sense.

I took off the old cover, removed the drawstring, and used it as my pattern.  As you can see, Macy was a big help supervising the entire project.

The instructions call for bias tape to be sewn along the edges and used as the casing for elastic.  I used scraps of the floral fabric to create my bias tape, but unfortunately did not have appropriate elastic.  I found some sturdy cotton yarn to use instead.

And now, I give you Exhibit B:

No more shame.  The cotton yarn didn't work as well as I had hoped; there are some puckers underneath and the fit is not as tight as I would have liked.  But, from the top I think it looks great and should work well. After a few uses, I may make a few tucks in the bottom to get a better fit, but I'll see how it works out first.

Another Cambie! This One is Wool!

I've finished the third in what will become my Cambie Quartet. (The fourth will be the white floral Cambie that I mentioned here.) I was so excited to photograph and post pictures that I haven't even trimmed all the thread of removed all of the cat fur yet!

 

I have a few minor seam puckering issues in the back, but I feel that I can either steam these out or make a few minor tweaks to the back seam to perfect the fit.

I purchased the wool from Vogue Fabrics. (As always, it was in the remnant section.) I don't exactly know what type of wool it is, maybe wool crepe?  I'll be honest, I wouldn't know wool crepe if it bit me on the ass. I hear it's wonderful and I would really like to work with it, but I've never actually sought it out. This fabric has a nice drape, slightly woven texture, but does not fray (or only very, very minor fraying).

I was all set to cut out and make another Burda pencil skirt with this wool.  The pattern calls for 1 yard, but I had 1 3/4 yards and I didn't want the extra fabric to go to waste! So, I decided a more yardage-appropriate pattern should be used to take advantage of this wonderful fabric.  Cambie to the rescue, yet again.

Production notes: Like all of my Cambies, I cut a size 6 for the top and graded to a size 8 at the hips. I also made my standard swayback and shoulder modifications, mentioned here.

I decided on the "less sweet" straight neck version because I wanted this to be a good business/work event dress.  I also wanted to simplify the straps to make it easier to layer under jackets or cardigans.  Instead of the gathered shell pieces, I used the lining pattern piece for both the shell and lining for a straight strap.

The lining was wine-colored mystery satin fabric that I've had in my stash since high school.  It's so beautiful and think there must be some silk in the fabric content.  Almost too pretty to use just as a lining, but I like that extra touch of luxury.

I also scraped together enough lining fabric to make bias tape for Hong Kong seams on the shell. I was really running low after cutting out the pattern pieces. (Not the best picture, but don't you think the cat fur really makes this shot?)

This dress just screams for a touch of color, and I love the lining fabric.  With the few scraps that I have left, I plan to either purchase a belt kit or try to pull enough scraps together to make a cute sash. 

I love that I can style this with so many other pieces. It's a great, simple basic dress to have in my wardrobe.