Tag Archives: pants

2

ADVENTURE PANTS

by

DON’T FORGET TO VISIT MY ETSY SHOP!

When I was backpacking through Europe, I got used to owning only one pair of pants and wearing them till they fell apart. Initially I selected dark, sensible colors, but by the time I was about to leave France I got a little more daring and opted for bright fuchsia.  Now I’m up to three sets of trousers, but I still like the idea of everything I wear being as versatile as possible. I want to go on adventures and get messy along the way, but still look awesome when I get there.

Cue the new adventure pants!

adventure pants adventure pants adventure pants back

Continue reading →

They were heavily modeled on my beloved fuchsia pants, only even better! I didn’t use a pattern, but I’ve made enough pants for myself that I can just cut fabric into the right shape without having to do any prep. The fabric, which I got in the Fashion District, is super stretchy, so I can climb things or lay on the couch comfortably. Even after wearing them for days on end, I don’t really need a belt, although my sheriff buffalo belt is too cool not to wear. The fabric was originally a dark grey but I put it through a couple dye baths to create a wonderfully deep purple that will hide dirt and wear well while still being colorful.

In the spirit of thriftiness, the front pockets are made out of a silky pair of Jason’s boxers that had a big tear. So yes, every time I put my hands in my pockets I am technically digging around in his undies.

adventure pants back pocket adventure pants back pocket adventure pants back pocket

I always like to do something special on the back pockets of pants I make, and it’s never the same thing twice. I usually come up with a design based on my initials, but I also like the idea of telling a story. So these pants have a star shooting across the back. It’s a nice design with plenty of pleasant symbolism. I also did a lot of handstitching details on the pants–Xs along the back yoke and front pockets, a backstitch down the outside leg seams, and a slip stitch on the cuffs. I happened to have the embroidery thread in my stash but it wasn’t quite the color I had in mind. Luckily, after a washing the extra dye in the fabric toned down the brightness of the thread.

adventure pants side adventure pants detail adventure pants detail

0

biased blouse and black pants

by

I LOVE this blouse! This is the first time I’ve cut a garment on the bias. I drafted the pattern myself, the only way I make things nowadays. When I did the neckline and the hem I was somewhere in the lovely grey area between tipsy and drunk, so that’s my favorite part. Gots to have my rum.

in the alley the back of the blouse

RUM + SEWING MACHINE = ADVENTURE ON THE SEWIN’ SEAS

Continue reading →

All the fabric is 100% cotton. The floral fabric is pretty thin, and if I were to wear anything dark under the shirt it would be visible. Like I said, it’s cut on the bias, and there are darts in the front and the back that give it a fit that I love. One of my favorite things about this blouse is that it was all made of scrap fabric. The only thing I bought for this project was the cording that went into the green piping, so I spent about $.75 on my new favorite shirt. Incidentally, the green floral is leftover from the first garment I made without a pattern, a dress way back in early 2006.

the neckline underarm piping the fabric detail of the keyhole neck

Working with the bias definitely presented its own special set of challenges. Making the front and back darts even took a surprising amount of time. The original sketches for this shirt included sleeves, but once I attached them I wasn’t wild about the look, plus is made the body of the blouse fit very differently than it had without sleeves. I love the way the armholes came out and impressed myself with how neat the piping and red trim came out.

my black pants black pants

I made the black pants too, and no pattern for that either. I can’t remember ever having owned black pants before. I wish I’d been able to find some heavy weight fabric with a bit of stretch in it for these. Hopefully in LA I will find some awesome material to cover my butt in.

i am also a monster

1 2 3 4 5 6