Hey they sew folk,
how’s it all going with you all?
It’s not bad here- spent last weekend visiting Mama FOB in the country and managed to pop into Millie Moon in Frome.
Mother FOB came away with a Merchant & Mills patterns (which she has now added to my sew list for her) and I came away with some Merchant & Mills chambray which is looking like it’s going to be a Jazz dress from Ready to Sew.
Otherwise wading through workload and the other sludge of the mind as per usual.
What’s the deal with the weather huh?
London is currently in a meh mood (pathetic fallacy do you think?!) where it’s not freezing, but chillier than expected and the occasional torrential downpour makes an appearance too between dreamy blue skies. I know…inane weather chat…but its not so inane when it affects my sew pile!
Anyway I decided to whip up some of the True Bias Emerson pants. I thought that these could see me through the slightly chiller days as long as I had a jacket on standby. It is worth mentioning since making these, I can’t find a top that quite goes with them, so now have got myself into an endless sewing loop.
I got this khaki suiting from somewhere cheap-o on eBay. I had first thought I’d make a Kalle shirt dress from it, but after playing with the fabric for a while felt it was a touch too heavy for and that the placket and collar would be too bulky…So after rerouting to some bottoms, I chose the Emersons.
I have sewn the True Bias Ogden cami (who hasn’t?) and found that a pleasure and felt the same for this pattern. The design is simple and not over complicated and the instructions were clear.
I went into this sew, planning to finish it in one day for some quick satisfaction and cheap thrills.
What is the well known enemy of cheap thrills? grading between sizes.
As the pattern is already a pretty relaxed style, I didn’t bother to grade at all and in all honesty I could have done with a little more room through the hip…the waist and length are spot on though.
What is the other well know enemy of cheap thrills? interfacing.
I didn’t bother to interface the front waistband or pockets as the pattern suggested and now the front waist band does scrunch up a bit, but I can live with it.
Also in my last testament to ‘canny be bothered’, I sewed these with black thread, as that was what was in my machine and serger. At the time I thought it was a good enough match, but actually it’s showing up some pretty wibbly stitching. Maybe in the future I should remember what the cost of cheap thrills really is…
I do like these pants and they have temporarily sated my need to sew stuff in khaki- somewhere in my mind I have decided this colour suits me and looks classy as fuck.
If I were to make then again I might raise the waist band a little, as I have a high waist. Also in a last minute flourish, I decided the hem the legs using a decorative stitch on my machine- when there are so many stitches to choose from sometimes I just can’t help myself, but I’m not totally in love with the finish.
I think these will become a useful piece in to mooch about in and maybe on holidays a bit- maybe trying them again and being more considered could help. I have also bought the Joanne pattern from Ready to Sew, so we could be looking at a battle of the culottes.
…and just for as a little crapola weather treat…
Fuck Off Bunting. 