Jalie - Pants For Me

This is going to be an ongoing post. It just won't be as simple as writing and posting. I am undertaking a project. This will be an event. ;)

I am trying some new stuff. I have decided that after making Kwik Sew patterns several times, I am ready to try to challenge myself a little bit. I bought myself a Jalie pattern. I always need pants, so I decided to try to create my own. If I can perfect this, I'm set, right? It's like saying, if I can climb Mount Everest, I will be content with my life. Yikes.

I am hoping I can keep my motivation alive by posting as I progress. So here goes........

I am planning to attempt Jalie pattern 968. The pattern contains 32 sizes, within which is mine. I hope? When the pattern arrived, I looked long and hard at the sizing. I know what size to buy in Ready To Wear (RTW) clothing, but something told me that it would be best to start by taking my measurements.

Hm. I was measuring all over the board! My waist is a W, my hips are an S or T, and my length is a P! What the heck do I do with that? I appealed to the best sewing gathering ever, the SewingMamas online group. And as they always do, they responded and were tremendously helpful. If a little contradictory! But the majority vote was that yes, it is best to take your measurements before attempting the pattern, not to use your RTW size. And at least one person told me that she, also, measures all over the board, and that she deals with this by simply tracing the pattern according to her measurements. Make the waist size W, the hips size S/T and the legs P! Simple, right? What a pain in the, um, hips!! Who can actually read those itty bitty letters and follow the lines properly? Ak! Anyhow, I did the best I could. I'm fairly confident that my size W waist is going to be a mistake, but ......   ... ... Anyhow, the pieces are traced. There are 12 of them. Oh god. =) So I'm trying a new type of pattern for the first time, doing it by my actual measurements for the first time, and attempting something with TWELVE parts for the first time. This is doomed to failure!! But the Sewing Mamas suggest making "muslin" pants first. Basically trying the pattern out with an inexpensive fabric to test the sizing before using the fabric you want the final product to be in. Ok..... This is another new thing for me. It's hard for me to imagine "wasting" the time to make a fake pair of pants, but I definitely understand the point to this exercise, and if it eventually means I can make these pants over and over again for myself, it's certainly worth it. And with so many firsts, it would be best to noodle on something that doesn't really matter the first time around.

So for now, the pattern pieces sit in a heap, waiting for me to find some inexpensive fabric to goof off with. And from this view, the project seems almost insurmountable. But I'm gonna try.

*********************************************************************************

Jan 1: Tonight I really wanted to play with my new serger, but after a little while of doing just that, I made myself turn it off and focus on this opus. And I have to say, after fiddling with things for about and hour, I am enjoying myself. =) This is a picture of a piece of my "fake" pants, the pair I'm making to practice the new sewing tasks on and check how the sizing is going to come out. Here is a piece of thermal fabric that I've had for years, and have no memory of where it came from. I wanted to use something I had rather than spend money on new fabric... Anyhow, the stretch and drape will be very different, but that's ok. So I made a pocket, which is sorta cute. Soon I'll start getting the long pieces together to see how I did with measuring. (oy) I do look forward to making the "real" pair out of green corduroy. I am excited because I found a contest on Sewing Mamas. During each month of 2011 there will be a sewing challenge. The first month happens to be "sew something for yourself." That fits right in with this crazy project, and will help keep me motivated. Each item for the challenge has to be done by the last day of the month. Great timing.
*********************************************************************************

Jan 2: Plugging along... a little bit each day. Here I am sewing the back leg pieces together at the rear. Yokes are on. I forgot to buy a zipper, so my project is on hold until I go shopping! (Or find one kicking around....)






*******************************************************************************
Jan 3: Dear god, the things I did tonight on those fake pants..... There are so many details that every day that I work on them, the number of ways to screw them up increases a lot! Agh. But tonight I definitely gained an appreciation for the reasons behind making a mock pair of pants first.

Anyhow, tonight I sewed the zipper on to one side of the front, created a, shoot I've already forgotten the name.... thingy that goes behind the zipper, sewed the zipper on to the other side of the front, top stitched around the fly area, then got to a direction that instructed me to create two bar tacks. Um.... that seemed like a good place to stop! (I have since learned that a bar tack is a bunch of stitches in one area, done either by hand or machine, that are placed in stress areas on clothing, such as at the base of the fly)
*********************************************************************************

Jan 4: Pockets. Linings. Words I can't remember. One piece of a pocket sewn on the wrong side of another piece. My fault? Yes, of course, but my excuse is that 1) I'm doing this for the first time and 2) It is very difficult to tell the front from the back of the fabric I'm using. :D It took me 1.5 hours to cut all of the pocket piecs, stitch some of them together and stitch two of the pieces onto the pants front... At the same time, I started to develop the feeling that I am capable of making pants with the "real" fabric, and that it should go quite a bit more smoothly and ?quickly? the second time around. I'm not done yet... but at least it seems that while new, nothing is beyond my comprehension and ability. Here's hoping.

The goof. The piece on the left should have a piece stitched to its top surface, not the bottom.
*********************************************************************************

 Jan 5: So help me, after tonight's efforts, this goofy project is starting to, sort, in a goofy way, resemble.....pants! Whoa! And not that I'm done yet, I'm not.... I could not wait. I tried them on. I very much expected the size W waist to be gigantic on me but......from what I can tell the size doesn't seem too bad! I am crazy hopeful that I am in the ballpark of having the right size on the pattern. How much easier it would be to create the final pair of pants if I don't have to try to adjust the pattern too much. It's funny. I had one of those nights last night where I just didn't feel like sewing. It happens every few days. I figured I'd just do one step, then watch a movie or something. I sewed right through. =) I have to say, my thought at the end of my sewing time last night was that if it weren't for the little marks added to the pattern pieces and ultimately the fabric pieces to help with lining the pieces up, it would have been much more difficult to do this project.
**********************************************************************************
Jan 6: No pictures tonight. I made and added the belt loops and the "belt." That is to say I'm in the process. Both are sewn on, but the belt gets wrapped around, and the belt loops get sewn to it. I can see the end of the tunnel with this project. Not sure how long it will take me, but not too many days, I'm guessing. Can't wait to see how they fit!
**********************************************************************************

 Jan 7: The fake pants are.......DONE! And the size is...... perfect!! I am seriously amazed. The fake pants have issues. One back pocket, screwed up hems, one backwards belt loop, or, excuse me, carrier. But they fit perfectly. And because they are thermal, they are really comfy! I showed my husband and kids, and my daughter said, "They look like real pants to me!" =) I feel confident that I can do it again, much better this time, with "real" fabric. So tomorrow begins my actual January sewing challenge. So excited.

One pocket. Tee hee.

Oy they look SO goofy close up!! Also very masculine, somehow. The real ones should look great compared to these! But now that I sort of know what I'm doing, I can play around with fabrics!







@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@

Jan 8: Cutting for the "real" pants. I'm being sooooo careful with my fabric use and cutting! =)








**********************************************************************************

Jan 9: Pockets created and sewn on. I'm already in love with these pants.

Though tonight I sewed the zipper on incorrectly - twice. Ergh.




**********************************************************************************
Jan 10: No pictures tonight. I needed to focus. I needed to figure the zipper thing out. My very confidence in this project depended on it. I carefully removed the stitches for the second time, including top stitching. I did this before my actual sewing time, so that I'd be able to use my sewing time to move forward. This time I got it right. I read it and reread it and reread it until I was really sure of what it was telling me to do. Then I stitched the zipper on again. And this time I'm sure I did it right. Phew. And I got the front put together ok, I think. And this time I remembered to put the tiny pocket on before assembling the front and hip pockets. (What is that pocket called? Something to find out.) Anyhow, I know no one cares, but I was really proud of my sewing tonight. I felt "in the zone" and could have stayed there for quite a while. Success with sewing makes me feel good.
**********************************************************************************

Jan 12: What started out as a seam ripping party (again, oh well) turned into a great hour of sewing this morning. =) The pockets are attached on the front and look good! =)

Ok. The pants front and back pieces are now together. Lots of topstitching and placement stitching and whatnot. I am starting to look forward to the end of this project. I love how these pants are coming out, but I have been working on this project now for 12 days, and my attention span for it is starting to wane. I want to take a break, but will not let myself until these are done. I'm thinking two more sewing days (about 2-3 hours, that is) should do it. It is a little frustrating to have to start and stop so often. I only have about 1 to 1 1/2 hours to sew each evening. Though I am very grateful to have it!
**********************************************************************************
I filled this in yesterday, but it seems to have disappeared...?? I shall try again.

Jan 12: The front and back are now together. Pants are folded so they don't drag on the sawdusty floor.








Making the strips for the belt loops, or "carriers."

Close-up

Stitched and cut into lengths - ready to be sewn on. I got them half-way on tonight. The rest will have to wait. I'm getting to the "almost done" stage, and I am starting to look forward to being done. I am learning a lot on this project, and loving it, but 12 days is starting to stretch my short-attention span a little more than I like. =) Hopefully I"ll have some modeling shots by the weekend.



**********************************************************************************

 Jan 14: The final steps are upon us. Tonight I put the belt on, and sewed the belt loops on. Two steps left: the button hole and button, and the hems. The button hole scares me to bits. I tried the pants on today. After lengthening the belt by (what was it...) 1 1/4" or something like that, I became convinced that the waist would be too wide. It wasn't. I'm so happy about that. I just can't believe how the size worked out. Anyhow, still too many ways to screw up..... can't wait to be done! (So I can breathe...)

=)









**********************************************************************************
Jan 15: They're DONE They're done!!!!!!!!! And I didn't screw them up too badly!! I am so excited.
As you can see, the front "belt" doesn't meet exactly. The area where the button hole is sits higher than the area with the button. Oh well! The rest of the project went so much better than I expected that I will consider this a great success. As of this writing, I have been wearing the pants for several hours, and they are very comfortable! For once, I have a pair of pants that fit me both in the waist and in length. Woot!










I did a "flower" stitch for embellishment on the back pockets. I'll see if I can get a good close-up of that.

The only place I felt I could add my own touch without messing something up!















Wrinkled. Oh well!!

I am so proud of these pants.

Firsts for this project:

*First Jalie pattern
*First button fly
*First successful buttonhole (lol)
*First time using my own measurements
*First jeans-style pockets
*First belt loops

PJ Shirt

 The top to match the pj pants in the last post. My son's reaction when he saw the shirt? "I don't need that." Why, I ask. "Because it doesn't have stripes or spots." Sighs. Let's hope he doesn't refuse to wear it!







For my little monkey!

PJ Pants

I made pj pants from a remnant of peace sign flannel for my DD. My son was broken-hearted that he didn't also get some, so I bought some more peace-sign flannel (a different pattern) and made these. =) I'm making a coordinating top....to be shared later!

Remnant To Scarf

 This is a remnant I picked up from JoAnn Fabrics. It's polyester, so not my usual purchase (I mostly go for cotton) but I thought it was pretty. Because it was so short and wide, it basically asked to become a scarf, so that's what I made. I was going to hem around the edges. I started by overcasting the edge of one short side, and it just looked done that way, so that's what I did all around. It's not the softest scarf, but it's thin, which I prefer. Something like this made with silk would be really nice.

Taggie Blanket

 Yesterday I went to Walmart to pick up some last-minute gift stuff. I was wandering the toy aisles looking for something to give our 5-month-old nephew. As I looked through toys marked "12-months+" I started thinking about what it is that kids at that age like to do. My first thought was grab, and my second was CHEW. That is the beginning of the teething stage, droolies and all. Rather than buy some plastic toxic anything from who knows where (which always seem to be in packaging open to dirt, dust, hands.....) I came up with the idea of making my first taggie blanket. I already have a bin filled to the top with flannel, and a bag of assorted ribbons. Cool!


So this is what I came up with. And it didn't take long at all. I stitched everything inside-out, then flipped it through a small turn-hole, and top-stitched. I think I will stitch it again just to reinforce. Et voila. Having some kind of green or pale blue may have been nice for the reverse, but what I had was white, so there it is. And one more person on my list is done!

And anyone who makes something like this and gets a perfect square is...well.... lying. =)

Remnants!

 I love fabric. I've said that. But I love remnants! There is something about taking a "scrap" and turning it into something functional and fun. I love the lottery of never knowing what I will find in the remnant bin, and the fun of thinking through what a given remnant could become.

Tonight I was meeting a friend for dinner, and got notice that she'd be about 15 minutes late. The restaurant is conveniently located right near JoAnn Fabrics, so off I went. Whohoo!

I found these fabrics. Part of the lottery of it all is you never know exactly how much fabric you will get. The length of the fabric is always on the label, but the width is not. It might be 45", it might be 60". And it makes a big difference on what you can do with it.

Remnants are always marked down. For these two pieces, I paid $2.86. You gotta love that.

My thoughts are that the Christmasy woven fabric would make nice gift bags, and the peace symbol flannel would make cute pj bottoms for the kids. But who knows what will really become of them???........................

Yup, pj bottoms. But there was only enough for one pair. My daughter had begged more and said she just had to have peace signs pjs, so I made them for her. My son was very disappointed when I didn't have a pair for him, too, so I'm hoping JoAnn's has more of this!!