Inspiration...Wide Legged Pants

 I really like the look of these pants.  The wide leg would be comfortable.  Here is the first glance:

This is the Linen-Cotton Twill Wide Legged Pant by Polo Ralph Lauren. Price tag: $398.00.  Details:  high rise sits high on the hip, flat front, side slant pockets, back buttoned welt pockets, full length, wide legs, zip fly, belt loops, linen/cotton, dry clean.

I love that these pants are styled with a casual shoe.  Here is the pattern that I would use to recreate:

This is the Hollywood Trousers by Liesl & Co.  They are a fitted, moderately high-waisted, wide legged pant pattern.  The only thing missing is the welt pockets but that is an easy detail to add.

The linen/cotton twill might be a hard combination to find.  However, there are lots of twill blends available.  Both Mood and Califabrics has many variations of a twill blend.  Hope you are inspired to create something wonderful. 

Happy Stitching!

Washaway Wonder Tape...

 For years I have used Collins Washaway Wonder Tape to help with the sewing.  Any time that you need to stitch close to an edge and do not want to use a pin, the washaway wonder tape is the answer.  Of course you could always baste, if you are enjoying slow sewing.

The washaway wonder tape is a tape that is for basting and you can sew through it without gumming up your needle.  Collins brand is the one I have always used.  Unfortunately, it has gotten extremely hard to find.  So, I have started looking for alteratives and I have found two that seems to work well.  Here is the first one:

The Dritz Washaway Wonder Tape was my first tape to try.  This tape seemed to work well.  

The second tape that I tried was this one:

This is the Wawak Wash Away Tape.  

All three of these tapes are double-sided adhesive tapes that dissolve in water.  Of the three tapes, the Wawak is the most cost effective.  It is about half the price of the other two tapes.  Unfortunately, it is out of stock at Wawak until October.    The Dritz and Wawak tapes look and act like the same tape.  Both look different than the Collins tape.  

I found the Dritz tape on Amazon and the Wawak tape at a new local fabric/craft store.  The Collins tape might be found in quilt stores.  I have not been to any local quilt stores to see what they might have in stock.  I do need to visit to see if anyone carries thread because it is a true bummer to have to wait for thread to arrive to start a project.

Happy Stitching!

Inspiration...Printed Shirt

 I have become obsessed with the Poetry website.  Here is another shirt:

This is the Printed Shirt from Poetry.  Price tag: $198.00.  Details:  100% cotton, machine washable, short boxy silhouette, delicate collar and stand, double yoke, soft gathering at front and back yoke, full length sleeves, gently gathered sleeves into a narrow cuff with one button, gently curved shirt-tail hem.

I love this blouse but I can not bring myself to order it nor can I not think about the price.  I would be terrified that I would do something to it.  A pattern is not hard to come come up with.  To me, this is the Liesl & Co Classic Shirt with some minor modifications:

I have made this pattern like seven times in the past two years.  There is nothing like having a pattern that you can just sew and not worry about the fit.  However, it does boring to make the exact shirt over and over.  Here are the changes that I would make to view B:

• Take away the pockets
• Add enough width to the from bodice to make the gathers to the yoke
• Narrow the cuff
• Add length to the sleeve to make up for the narrow cuff
• Add width to the back bodice to gather into the yoke (remember that there is pleats)
• Change the placket to a plain blouse placket.

I think that is all the changes.  I will be on the look out for some kind of fabric that gives the feel of this shirt.  Hope you are inspired to create something wonderful.

Happy Stitching!

Inspiration...Christmas Pillow

 Christmas is my favorite time of the year.  I love decorating and will start the day after Thanksgiving and end around the epiphany.  This year I found this pillow cover:

This is the Nostalgic Tree Embroidered Pillow Cover from the Pottery Barn.  Price tag: $99.50.  Description: 50% cotton/27% linen/23% rayon, reverses to 100% cotton melange in solid color, zipper closure, accomodates 20-inch insert, spot clean.

I truly love the idea of making this pillow cover.  The embroidery would be a definite slow down for me because I am slow.  Here are generally instructions for creating a pillow cover:

1.  Size - I make mine the same size as the pillow insert so that the dog ears are less likely to show.  Example - this is a 20-inch pillow insert add 1-inch to the that to allow for 1/2-inch seam allowances.

2.  Decide how you want to do the zipper.  I have instructions for a lapped zipper here.  

3.  Generally instruction for how I decided on the sizes for the back are here.  

4.  How to create your piping here.

If you want to see the floor pillows that the created, do a floor pillow search.  I still have those pillow covers and forms.

Now for the embroidery, I think I would just free hand something and start embroidering.  Don't forget to locate little ornaments for the tree.

Happy Stitching!

Inspiration...Jacket and Skirt

 This outfit is create a long and lean silhouette.  It gives a little bit of the 90s feel.

This is the Camel Hair Patch Pocket Collarless Jacket by Lafayette 148 New York. Price tag: $2198.00.  Details:  camel hair, dry clean, straight fit, twill lining, dolman long sleeve, snap closure, patch pockets, tonal pickstitch finish.

This is the Camel Hair Slim Pencil Skirt by Lafayette 148 New York.  Price tag: $1198.00.  Details:  slim silhouette, sits at waist, zip back, lower calf length, waist darts, lined, charmeuse piping with pickstitching at the waist, camel hair, vented back, dry clean.

Here is a detail shot of the pick stitching for the jacket:

Here is a detail shot of the piping and pick stitching on the skirt:

Here is a video on how to accomplish pickstitching from Threads.

To complete the outfit, check out the Striped Silk French Cuffed Blouse by Lafayette 148.  Price tag: $998.00.  All items can be found on the Lafayette 148 website.

This is such a great outfit for working at an office.  I suppose if you just wanted to dress up a bit on a daily basis it would still be great.  Now, for some patterns:

This is the Atelier Scammit Claudie jacket pattern.  The view on the upper left is the one that I thinking would do a fair job for the inspiration jacket.  You would need to add a closure as this pattern is meant to be open.  

This is an older Butterick pattern from the 2000s.  View A has the kickpleat.  This has pockets which you can leave or take away depending on the look you are wanting.  This might be difficult to find but anything similar would work.

I have made this particular pattern and I found it to have a very pronounced high curve.  So, keep that in mind and be sure to make a muslin or toile.

Fabric - 

• Easy care - a brushed cotton twill - a Mood fabric
• Medium care - a wool fabric - online fabric store
• More effort care - a cashmere camel hair herringbone - etsy store

Hope you are inspired to create something wonderful.

Happy Stitching!