And her name shall be......

I've been hunting the used markets for another sewing machine.  No, you're quite right.....  I certainly don't need another machine but need and want are two different animals aren't they.  That's what I thought....  


I like to watch craigslist and ebay for machines as you can find good deals if you're patient.  Usually I only look at local ebay listings because shipping a sewing machine is both risky and really expensive.  However I will have a machine shipped if there is no other way.  I bought a Pfaff 360 months ago on ebay that I never even told you about because it arrived broken from extremely negligent packing.  It looked fine on the outside but the repair guy finally gave up on it after having it for over two months.  He said it would need to be completely broken down and rebuilt costing a small fortune.  I ended up leaving it with him in Alabama to be recycled as scrap metal.
Anyway...  that was a downer story sorry!


Yesterday the stars lined up and I found my newest machine.  The price was staying low due to the overinflated shipping price and it was in Quincy which is about 30 minutes from me.  
I paid $31.89  


Introducing the Singer 99-  (I don't know why the dash but that's just how it is)

I guess a lot of people mistakenly think this is a featherweight because of it's small size.  It is small and cute but it's no lightweight by any means.  It may be the heaviest home machine I own at this point.  What did Singer think people were going to be sewing, bricks?

It's a very pretty straight stitch only machine with reverse.  Apparently some of the earlier 99 series did not have reverse stitch.  It also uses class 66 drop in bobbins which I find to be a bit of a downer.  I know I know, they're supposed to be more convenient but I don't find that to be the case.  The bobbin tension is difficult to adjust and I have yet to figure out how to pull the hook for cleaning on the Rocketeer which is also a drop in bobbin.  See that little bobbin tension screw in the center of above photo on the right?  To get to that you have to angle the screw driver which makes it extremely easy to mess up the slot on the top of the screw.  Unlike a lot of people (you know who you are) I adjust my bobbin tension all the time and this system is a PITA.

Something I really enjoy when purchasing old vintage machines is discovering little things here and there which lead me to wonder about the previous owner.  This machine had a few oddities.  First off the bobbin tension was set so high I could hardly pull the thread out.  I don't know what she was sewing but it must have been all puckered seams with the knots pulled to the back side.  Pool old gal probably couldn't figure out what she was doing wrong.


A note on the inside of the case still holds true today. I even go a step further by setting my presser foot pressure to the lowest setting AND lowering the foot if I don't plan on using a machine for a while.  Unfortunately the pressure foot spring on the 99 had been compressed for too long and needs to be replaced.  I tried to stretch it out and the brittle metal literally exploded into tiny pieces.  Woops!  Hopefully it'll only run me a few dollars.

The light is very pretty on this machine with a glass lens that focuses the light on the machine bed.  A nice touch.


Considering the condition of the cord I'm assuming this is a newer 99 series.  The Bakelite foot controller says 1950 to me but I'll have to have Singer run the serial number to be sure.  It smells like a dusty attic which I enjoy.  The case was not covered with dust and the machine was almost perfectly clean.  I will admit that I did wax it for the photos.....  


You have two options today, the easier to load Picasa slide show for those in a hurry and/or the critically acclaimed animated YouTube slideshow set to music.  Personally I've seen them both about a dozen times...  I highly recommend the second choice because I think it'll make you smile.


Picasa Slide Show:



YouTube Animated Slide Show:

are those felt pants you're wearing....

Yes folks...  I am finally finished with the Burda 7616 felt pants project.  This is one of those projects that feels like it took forever.  When I look back I realize I just picked the thread color 13 days ago...


The pants were mostly finished last weekend but there were a few issues that needed to be attended before anyone could see them.  The pattern modifications I made while great in my sheet muslins were not working out for the thick felt.  Mostly I had too much fabric in the crotch area which while comfortable, was very strange looking.  Also the button ended up being too far inside the waist band and the waist itself was a little loose.  


To fix these issues I ripped out the entire crotch and cut off the excess fabric, opened the center back seam and resewed it smaller, and cut the button hole bigger.  Oh yeah, the first buttonhole was totally mangled so I pulled out all that and hand wrapped some stitches around the hole.  It's felt so these stitches are mostly decorative anyway since it's not unraveling.


In sewing these pants I tried to keep the following in mind:

1. conservative use of bright orange top stitching thread, I didn't want these to look like a joke when I was done.
2. take time for small details that will make these pants unique
3. reduce bulk anywhere I could including using raw edges where appropriate
4. only use notions I had in stock, no buying extra stuff

The raw edges turned out great and being felt are actually hard to notice.  I used them on the cargo pockets, side seam pocket facing, leg opening, inside waist band, belt loops, inside welt pockets, all seam allowances.  Speaking seam allowances.  The wool doesn't really take a crease which means the seam allowances sort of flop around inside the pants. I have three options: Leave them as they are, trim them short which might loose seam integrity, or the most correct.. to hand stitch them down similar to blind stitching a hem.  I might get around to this if I'm really bored in the next week, we'll see.

I reduced the size of the cargo pockets even more since I sewed the pattern the first time.  The slim pocket just looks so much better.  I also included a facing on the front side seam pockets this time and I was sure to turn my pocket bag fabric so no matter if you were looking inside the pants or inside the pocket the right side faced you.  I'm sure I'm not the first to do this but I felt rather crafty thinking of this.  I also choose to overcast the raw pocket bag edge instead of using the serger since I feel it makes things look more handcrafted.  I also prefer this type of treatment for pocket bag finishing because it's flatter and helps avoid seeing the bag outline on the outside of the pants.

I almost forgot to mention the welt pockets.  As suggested by a reader I tried out Kathleen Fasanella's welt pocket tutorial over at her blog fashion-incubator.com.  I will admit, I had to read it quite a few times and go back and forth to really understand what I was doing but WOW, that technique makes a easy and beautiful welt pocket.  I might ever call it fool proof but don't want to offend anyone who can't make it work.  Considering this is my second attempt at a welt pocket and first using this system I've basically mastered the technique.  Just another reason to love the work Kathleen is doing over there.

Top stitching in orange is very cool and really pops on the dark gray I used just enough to give these pants some youth without trying to hard to be trendy.  The pants are very heavy and the fabric doesn't fall away from your body but rather clings and bunches.  I think next time I come across some wool felt I'll make jeans from it instead of slacks.  

The slide show includes a lot of captions explaining details of construction:

Last weekends thrift shop finds...

I do not know why but I have an aversion to IKEA, or at least shopping there.  That place is like Costco, just try to walk out without spending under $100 on stuff you didn't know you needed.  I think I'm also a little wary of the quality factor...  I remember growing up things made in Japan were considered junk, then Taiwan, Korea, now China.  Find something made in Japan these days and it means quality, go figure.  This brings me to my first purchase.  A second hand IKEA lamp.  I like this a lot..... it's made of glass and not plastic.  I also like that I had the small base light bulb for it already so no hardware store trip was necessary.  I probably paid half the new price which shows just how much I liked it.

I found this great stainless sauce pan as well.  Non-molested and very clean for it's age.  They had the whole set in fact and I was very proud of myself for leaving it's brothers and sisters behind only needing this one size.  I've already used it three times!

Everyone keeps talking about felting and I wanted to get in on the action.  This sweater was hand knit in Nepal out of some very serious wool that may have been better suited for scouring pads.  I had read somewhere that to felt something you needed to remove the oils from the wool while agitating.  Light bulb moment...  dishwasher detergent (non-bleach kind) is excellent at removing oils.  Threw this sweater in the wash with a cup of store brand powder and it felted up big time.  

The body is extremely thick now and I'm not exactly sure what I'll end up doing with it.  A coworker suggested I use clippers to shave the fuzz off and I thought that sounded like a great idea.  Either I'll cut it up and use the pieces to make something or I'll try to refashion something from the general shape.

Makes me itch just looking at it......    Please, give me some ideas!  

So far I'm either going to make a bag of sorts out of the body using the arms as handles, or cut it into squares for things like coasters.  

Ready for rivets? what about tack/jeans buttons?

A little over a week back Sue asked me if I had ever done any videos or how-to for attaching rivets and the answer was no, I hadn't.


It seems that since I started sewing jeans a year or so ago a HUGE number of people have been taking the plunge and whipping out their own jeans which is pretty awesome.  I have no idea why there was the misconception that jeans were difficult, time consuming yes i'll agree, but difficult no.  

I think a lot of the home-sewn jeans revival has to to do with Jalie 2908 womens stretch jean pattern.  I have no idea what Jalie did different from other pattern makers but whatever it was people loved it.  I have seen a few pairs in person and I admit they are a great fitting basic stretch jean.  Check out some of the reviews over at PatternReview.com if you need more proof, the reviews don't lie....


Anyway..   One of the issues people have with making their own jeans is attaching the hardware.  People selling rivets on ebay make them sound deceptively easy to attach.  In truth I suppose they are but it's not as simple as just hammering them in.  I've attached a LOT of rivets and I've learned a few tricks that make the process easier.  I've also attached my share of jeans buttons which are otherwise known as tack buttons.  Though not as difficult they have their own set of challenges.  


This is my first how-to video in a long time and I hope the important points come across clear enough.  A rewarding project to work on to be sure, I think you'll enjoy it!  If you like, click the direct link above the videos and watch full screen in 720p over at YouTube.  The quality difference is quite apparent and worth waiting for them to load up.  There were some audio out of sync issues with the first upload Friday I cleaned them up and uploaded fresh copies.  Should be all almost perfect now.


Rivet Video Part 1


Rivet Video Part 2


Jeans Button/Tack Button Video 

I'm not just messing around here....

I started getting requests for specific videos and I LOVE it.  Coming up with ideas is not particularly easy and sometimes I feel like I make the same videos over and over.  I'm not sure if you've ever checked out my YouTube channel but I've got over 50 videos in there from the last 8 months!  Now I will admit some of them are a little rough....  you can certainly see my progression and growth through this new-to-me visual format.


There are a few videos which are particularly great I did way back in the beginning that still make me smile, a lot!


Anyways....   I'm taking suggestions for new videos.  I'm thinking mostly how-to but I suppose any topic is worth suggesting.  I've created a little space there in the upper right of the blog where I will list ideas that I get.  If you see an idea you like please chime in and let me know, leave comments on postings or email me.  Most popular ideas will push to the top of the list.  I'll even remake earlier videos so don't hesitate to ask if that's what you want to see.


Now, two of my all time favorite little videos.  Actually they were slide shows set to music since I didn't know how to do any video editing six months ago.  Looking back at the first videos I remember now why I even started doing this.  I had a friend back in California who had bought a great old vintage machine and didn't know a thing about how to make it work.  These basic videos were done specifically for her, simple how to thread a bobbin, attaching a needle, french seaming, etc....   interesting how far it's come!  


Sit back and enjoy some classic BrianSews entertainment:

went for blades, came back with a bit more..

This Sunday I had my freshly printed Joann 50% off coupon in hand as I drove into the parking lot of the store.  I've been putting off buying rotary blades for so long that I've developed a special cutting technique to get the most out of my old blade.  It's a sort of back and forth motion, rather like sawing...  maybe you've hear of it?


As Mom would say, "that Joann is one smart cookie"  Wouldn't you know it, all the rotary blades and accessories were already 50% off!  Considering how often you can get these things at a discount I wonder who pays full price unless it's an emergency?  So, feeling lured in to the store and downright tricked I checked out the clearance section.  OH YES!  It was marked an additional 50% off, that's like 50% off 50% which means you could find some sweet deals if you dig.


And dig I did...


I have a confession.  A rayon confession....   Ever since I discovered the evils of rayon I've been even more obsessed with the stuff.  I want a little rayon blended into everything I buy and knowing that it's bad somehow is doing the opposite of deterring me from wanting these fibers that come from the wrong side of the tracks.  So with that said:




I got three and a half yards of this beautiful "bamboo" knit (refer to evils of rayon).  Thick yummy soft and as the label said "Eco Friendly"  Hmm, yeah I'll go with that.  It's always interesting to me how rayon knits don't seem to shrink considerably while rayon wovens shrink in alarming ways.














Gotta love soft cotton jersey.  This is the thin stuff with the subtle color variations that makes favorite t-shirts.  

Poly/Rayon suiting of sorts.  This has pants written all over it.  Brown with some nice thin stripes.  

Thick poly/rayon denim, or should I say twill?  Depends on your definition of denim being of cotton or being twill.  Anyway..  this stuff is thick and has some good give to it possibly with a little lycra/spandex.  Because of it's thickness it has a softer more feminine feel to it which means I'll have to choose the pant style carefully so I don't look like i'm wearing ladies stuff.

One of my favorite pieces is this really nice summer weight pant fabric.  It looks a bit like twill/denim but it's not.  I believe it's a cotton/rayon blend and has a nice hand and good drape.  Feels like denim but much thinner.

I've been really liking unique denim lately so this piece jumped out at me.  I feel like this stuff has been around for ages so you probably recognize it.  After examination I see that it's made by using some sort of process where the lighter areas are bleached.  This is great because when it fades the design will fade with it.  Lends to some great distressing techniques I think.

I did mention I was going in for blades right?  I also treated myself to a 45mm rotary cutter.  I've only ever used the 65mm and totally learned to do everything I need with that size.  With that said, having two cutters means one is always within reach and I'm already enjoying improved efficiency.  I haven't tried the 45mm on any curves yet but I have a feeling I'm going to be hooked.  

who knew it would come to this?

I don't think if you would have asked me what I would be doing today back in the summer of 2008 I could have predicted any of this.  In September of 2009 I was at the sewing expo in Novi, Michigan.  Mostly I hung out at the PatternReview.com booth but I did my fair share of touring around.  I met some really great people and throughly enjoyed myself.  Well....  it just so happened....   Islander Sewing System was coming out with a new pattern and since they had the photographer on site they decided to shoot the pattern photos at the show.  Oh you know where this is going huh?

Overall I think this is pretty cool being forever remembered for modeling the Baha #214.  I don't remember what they were asking us to do in this photo but it might have been look "mean" or "tough".  hehe   I just noticed also that I'm wearing a black t-shirt under my Baja.  Interesting since I remember taking my t-shirt off and second I don't own any black clothing!

Anyway...  I think it's fun.  You can see another photo from this shoot at the Islander site if you're really that interested.  It's in the banner at the top.

finds, including a sweet viking sewing machine!

Nice freecycle lamp from one block over.  This thing is huge!  I especially like the horse on top...   sweet right?  Puts out some very nice soft light.  Feels cozy...

Not everything can be had for free.  Sometimes you see something and you know, this right here, this is worth paying money for.  Such was the case with the following items.  This mirror is so heavy I'm scared to hang it.  Super thick glass and awesome wood accents.  It was $9.95.  They don't make them like this anymore.

Just when you're thinking that non of this really has anything to do with sewing.....   Check out this sweet little HusqvarnaViking!  It's not my usual heavy vintage machine but even I know that a Viking does not belong in a thrift shop with who knows who molesting it's knobs. This is a 120 manufactured in Sweden no less.

It's in brand new condition, little feet and brushes still tucked inside plastic bags in the machine bed.  Not a scratch or mark on it.  $25

I think I'll end up passing this machine along as I already have more than enough.  Still a great find and fun to get all oiled up and running smooth.

Choosing thread color and amazing freecycle luck...

Choosing thread color and hardware for a project can sometimes take me over an hour.  Especially if it's a project I'm really trying to take my time on.  As is the case with my wool felt cargo pants.  I spent the better part of Friday modifying my pattern tissue and sewing up muslins.  After the third muslin I've decided that it's going to be good enough.  This attitude reminds me that someday, eventually, I'd love to get some formal training in pattern manipulation.  I totally understand how to make things match up when reorganizing a pattern, but curves tend to boggle me at times.  This by the way is one reason I was never great at cutting hair.  Imagining the design, in this case fabric, all expanded and in three dimensions just makes my brain stall out.  I accept this which is why I make up so many muslins and have lots of projects that I never wear because I don't like the fit.  


back to thread....


These pants will be a charcoal gray with black top stitching and a splash of orange thrown in here and there.  I took some photos of the thread color choosing process which turned into a strange little series.  I'm also planning on using Kathleen Fasanella's welt pocket toutorial over at one of my all time favorite blogs fashion-incubator.com.  Something I really like about that blog is it's professionalism and how it attracts professionals in the garment industry.


This strange little slide show just sorta happened...



If I haven't convinced you yet that freecycle is awesome....

I've started to see freecycle.org as a thrift shop of sorts where I get notification of new items as they arrive.  If i'm fast enough they're mine, if I have stuff I no longer need it's picked up right at my door step.  How convenient is that anyway?


Since I moved to Boston with NO furniture besides my ironing table and some office chairs I knew some comfort purchases would be necessary.  I set a budget and said whatever was left after furniture I could spend on a TV to use as a computer monitor.  Well you see what the generosity of the community has provided.  The newest addition to my living room set is this clean looking Pottery Barn glass coffee table that I'm using for my TV stand.  It's in almost perfect condition and provides a nice solid surface, oh and it was free.  Frankly I feel a little shy about the size of the television.  I knew I wanted it to be big enough to use as a computer from the sofa and the price/inch ratio on this model was excellent.  Since I pretty much had my entire budget left over thanks to free stuff I thought, why not?  Unfortunately the box for the thing is huge and must be saved for future transportation.  First TV I've ever owned...   and really it's just a big computer monitor.  


Setting up a big LCD television to be a computer monitor is a little weird.  Colors, contrast, brightness, etc..  are all different.  If i'm watching something on hulu I want the picture to be bright and vibrant, if I'm typing up an email that same type of vibrancy gives me a headache.  Also this is set up as a multiple monitor system so I have a computer screen in the "office" as well.  This means one computer but two keyboards.  It's taking some getting used to but the new wireless keyboard is pretty awesome.  It's small and designed to be used almost like a game controller with buttons and a track ball right where your fingers fall.  I'm feeling rather high tech all of a sudden.


Today's projects include sewing more on the wool pants, so far I've done the darts...   and I have a request to do a video showing my rivet attaching technique.  I need to pick up a hammer for that one so a trip to HomeDepot is in order.  Wouldn't you know it, there's a Joann's close by AND they just sent me a 50% off coupon.  I think...  it might be time for some new rotary blades!!


I'll post that rivet video as soon as it's done.  

tape and tissue... plus free patterns!

Today I go check the mail I'm reminded of the kind of generosity that always makes me smile.  A BrianSews reader has sent me a some men's patterns she didn't have a use for.  How cool is that?  It's actually the second time someone has sent me patterns since starting the blog.  I've also received about six yards of really funky vintage upholstery fabric from a fellow PatternReview.com member.  You can see a sampling of that yellow flowered fabric behind the cushions.  I've found that sewing is such a sharing hobby and brings out a lot of community in people.  I encourage you go through your stash and pass along some items you're no longer using or will never use.  If you don't know someone who sews try listing them on freecycle, I guarantee they'll be snapped up and you'll score instant gifting karma.

On the way home from work today I stopped by a fellow freecycler's house and picked up four floor pillows she was done using.  I just noticed looking at the photo that they have removable zippered covers!  I have a feeling the value of these cushions is more in the covers than the slightly squished foam inside.  I'm not sure exactly what I'll use them for but they will get used...

Update!  Floor cushions don't just pop into your life without reason.  Today on freecycle I saw up for grabs a beautiful sold wood drop leaf coffee table.  Exactly what I needed for my growing living room set!  It opens up to a roomy low slung dining table that I'm absolutely loving.  It's sturdy and fits well with the eclectic mix I've got going on here.

So Joey and Vogue 8435 generated a lot of interest, some great comments and quite a number of emails.  In case you wanted to know a bit more of the process we went through I just happed to be filming as we made some of the pattern modifications to the tissue paper.  After recording such a long video I wasn't sure exactly how to use it.  The original clip is an hour long and more than even I'm willing to sit through.  So I speed it up and narrated it to cool music!  I make it sound so simple right?  Truth be told this was one of the more challenging videos I've produced.  The super long length and huge raw file size made changes cumbersome and editing software a bit unpredictable.  In the end I like the way it turned out!  Maybe not keep you on the edge of your seat but worth a view....

home dec friday...

As you may know I've been on a serious hunt for a sofa, couch, or anything besides the floor and office chairs to sit on.  This search has all but worn me out for the last month..


I'm happy to report that I found the perfect sofa for me with freecycle!  


It's perfect for a few reasons:

1. It was free
2. Removable cushions that can be easily recovered
3. Small enough to move on my own
4. Funky cool!

This piece of furniture had been in the owners family since the 50's and it was obvious she was having a hard time letting go of it.  The wood frame is solid maple and the cushions have the original fabric.  Speaking of the cushions, these things weigh a ton and are full of all kinds of amazing horse hair and steel spring stuffing.  You notice that they haven't broken down at all for the last 50 years, and likely never will.  It's not a soft squishy sort of comfort, firm, but with give.

First let me say that I'm extremely grateful to be able to sit on it exactly like it is without getting any ick feelings whatsoever.  However I need to transform this sofa into something a bit more comfortable for lounging around on.  First order of business is those arms, wood is not comfy to rest against in this case.  I took a trip out to Building 19 which specializes in deeply discounted everything and anything.  They had some standard square throw pillows that were a little small for $6.99 that I was going to try and get away with using.  Browsing through the bed pillow section I found a twin pack of big squishy king size pillows for $15.99.  Out went the throw pillows and I came home with some new ideas.

During the sofa search I had picked up some fabric at IKEA that had been discounted to $1 a yard, now you know that's my golden price point as far as fabric goes.  One of the pieces was this strange print that reminded me of lizards but only the tails, legs and feet.  It's heavy weight and pretty much made for my pillow project.  You'll have to excuse the photo, it's two pieces of fabric which is why the print seems a bit off.  I didn't think to take photos until it was all cut into smaller pieces.  

Snakes and lizards right?

I wanted to make a very firm pillow that would fit the end of the sofa and not squish through that space below the arm.  I also wanted to avoid zippers and use buttons to hold the overlap closed.  This was my first attempt at making pillows and I learned a few things along the way.  You can see the finished size is much smaller than the king size bed pillow meaning when it's all squished in there it's quite dense.

I will eventually make covers for the cushions, but for now covering the whole thing with these cool thrift shop afghans is really easy and extremely cozy.  Also they can be thrown in the laundry so easily.

Here's a little before and after slide show:

Joey and Vogue 8435

My friend Joey works at a high end clothing boutique and often sees things he wants but in no way can afford.  This is of course the story of why many people start to sew including myself.  Joey wanted a specific look and knew he could probably make this item himself.

At first he proposed just trying to make it up from scratch pattern and all from a few photos.  I convinced him that what we should do is start with a pattern that has similar features and modify it to fit the look of the jacket.

Joey decided Vogue 8435 was a good match.  We made changes to the tissue and constructed two muslins out of old sheets before cutting out the project fabric.  This pattern is designed to be sewn in a knit which is a far cry from the heavy linen he decided on.  We broadened the shoulders and back, lengthening the sleeves and took out all curves at the side seams.  The back was designed to be cut in two pieces with a curved center back seam and it was modified to be cut on the fold.  Neck was brought down in the back and the entire collar was redesigned and integrated into the front pieces.  Also all ease was taken out of the sleeve caps so they would lay flat and drop off the shoulders.

I really want to post photos of the inspiration piece but I hesitate with conflict of interest in mind for Joey considering he's selling this piece currently.  Until I get the go ahead you'll just have to trust that the two jackets look very similar.

I'll let Joey explain his take on the project..

Review of Burda 7616: Men's Cargo Slacks

This has been one hectic week!


I have had these pants done since Friday.  In fact I've even washed and worn them twice already...   Unfortunately by the time I've sat down to write up a little review my creative juices are in the red.

I was also having a bit of a time uploading my video to YouTube.  (Skip this part if technical stuff makes you yawn..)  Since I've been using the HD webcam I've been a bit lazy about my video editing.  The really nice editor I use has to convert the raw file and it takes extra time so I've been using Microsoft Movie Maker.  It's quick and easy, uses the raw file exactly the way it is which makes sense since it's all Microsoft products.  Anyway..  I was also enjoying that the files were really small and easy to upload.  Well guess what, they're really small because Movie Maker is cutting out half my frames and doing other compression stuff I don't want.  I mean, what's the point of shooting in HD if it's not HD when I'm done editing it right?  I'm sure there are some setting that need adjusting and I'm sure I'll find them eventually.  The point is I switched back to my good video editor (Pinnacle Studio) and the file ended up being like oh...  5 times as big.  The movie you'll notice is also a lot richer in effects that just aren't possible with Movie Maker.  It's also in full 720p HD too for anyone who cares to watch me on their 57" plasma screen.  This 2gb file will bring almost any internet connection to it's knees and screaming to a halt for everything besides the YouTube upload.  On a really fast connection this file takes an hour to upload, on a regular speed connection you're talking oh...  4 or 5 hours.  If anything interrupts the upload you have to start over again, this upload took me a few tries per day since last Friday before I had success.

Ok tune back in here!

Back to the pants:  This is the first pants pattern I've used besides KwikSew 2123 which is basically how I learned to sew jeans.  All the pants I've made up to this point have been in jeans style even though I'm using fabrics appropriate for slacks.  I loved this pattern!  It really worked out well for me.  These are essentially a muslin for the "real" pair that I'm going to sew up in the wool felt I showed you here a few weeks back.  The pattern instructions were standard Burda so I ended up using Ann Rowley's double welt pocket guide and the fly zipper instructions from the KwikSew jeans pattern.  I read the instructions for the fly zipper in the Burda pattern and I was thankful that those were not my only source for instruction.


There were mistakes made as expected in any muslin/first run of a pattern.  My welt pockets were a bit off and I didn't quite understand the inseam pocket which I talk about in the video.  I had lengthened the leg 2" and shortened the rise 1" and the fit is great in those regards.  I need to make the upper thigh a bit larger in the back to fix some weird bunching under the seat area but besides that the fit is pretty awesome.  I talk about all this stuff in more detail in the video so I'll stop ruining the suspense for you.


I will absolutely be sewing these pants again and again!


Here's the slide show with captions:



And the YouTube video direct link: