March Stashbusting or Why You Should Never Shop With Alzheimer's Lady

   I grabbed the first pair of dark wash jeans I saw off the shelf and hustled into the dressing room. Granny Alzheimer was getting fidgety but there was no way I was going to serve biscuits and gravy to the high school boys football team tomorrow morning in the same pair of shorts I'd been wearing all week. That same pair of shorts with that hole in the bum I'd just discovered this morning. Yeah....
   So I ignored the tag proclaiming these jeans had a slimming panel built in, didn't look at the fabric content and didn't really stop to see how they fit. I pulled them on and they didn't fall down so I whisked them off, gathered up Granny before she could disappear among the clothing racks and we headed to check out and home.
   It wasn't until I put them on the next morning and tried to put my cell phone in my pocket that I realized the "slimming panel" meant "we didn't put in the front pockets and all that top stitching that looks like front pockets is FAKE". I got another surprise the first time I sat down then stood back up. I stood up but my pants didn't. They stayed down where they had slid when I had sat. Being tall and these being low cut meant that unless I wanted to start a midriff bearing trend or share my undies with the world I was going to have to do some careful wardrobe planning when I wore these babies.

Look at those weird wrinkles! What kind of fabric does that!

   Plan my wardrobe I did. These were the only skinny jeans I owned and unfortunately were my go to pants for all my tunic tops or any time I needed to be a bit dressy. These were the only nice jeans I had and I wore them. I wore them even after the fabric started showing it's poor quality by getting these weird wrinkles and growing a size after every wear.  I wore them even when I was disgusted with the poor craftsmanship. I wore them.

UNTIL TODAY!

Today I finished my first Maritime Shorts jeans hack and I am super proud. It was just going to be a tester pair from some navy twill I found in the stash but it was too good of quality fabric to waste so I broke out the top stitching thread and Voila! 

Proud does not fully describe how I feel about these pants. Relieved, elated, delighted! I have a lovely pair of trousers that really don't look this wrinkly in real life. Trousers that fit me very well and don't have weird wrinkles or bagginess in the wrong places. I also used up an entire piece of stash fabric so GO ME! 

It's all in the details. I'm liking these "guts" shots. How about you?

This is my main accomplishment for this month. I also managed to make two simple skirt shorts and a pair of lengthened Maritime shorts. Next month, as I continue my Maritime Marathon I'll show you all my pattern alterations and adjustments. 

My loud red Maritime Shorts! Fun Fun! More guts too!

Right now I am going to try to bask in the glow of what I have accomplished instead of looking at my 

to do list in despair... it's at times like these I wonder if I have early onset dementia because I'm not sure where March went. What did you get accomplished this month?

Top 5 Hits and Misses and Reflections of 2013

My Hits, those "favorite creations, most worn or most loved" seemed to match with my misses, those "sewing fails, UFOs, worn once or complete disasters".  So I decided to collage them together.

Hit: Maxi Red Velvet A neutral color allows it to be accessorized and it's simplicity means I can were it anywhere.
Miss: Maxi Tiramisu I only wore it a few times because it was big, heavy and too odd of a design.

Hits! I've got a basic straight leg trouser pattern that I love.
Five pairs of Espresso leggings that are seeing tons of wear.
 Lastly, an almost wearable muslin for a bootcut jean. I just have to make two alterations to the pattern for a perfect fit.
From there I can use it for some skinny jeans.

Misses: The green pants are very wearable as pajamas or lounge wear not the elegant trouser I was going for.
Pink was a vintage pattern that I played and played with. I think they'll be cut up into something else this year.
Half Miss: Navy cords were very wearable but I copped out of a fly front for a side zipper and it has given me nothing but trouble. Next time I'll knuckle down and insert my fly front and if I use that heavy of a corduroy, I'll narrow the leg width.

I'm going to interject here and say, "Nanner nanner, Mistress of the Jar! I tried one leggings and four different trouser patterns this year. One of which is now a TNT and another is two alterations from being perfect as well. No trousers were bought by me!"

Hit: the striped knitted sweater was finished the end of last year but I've worn it TONS and always get compliments. So far the wool has shown little sign of wear.
Miss: This sparkle knit sweater was never blogged. I experimented with a vintage pattern and I just feel like the results are messy. I wear it very infrequently.

Hits: Lots of fabulous tops this year! If I had to choose just five of them it would be these: Cabarita,  Beauty, Camo Fluff, Vibrant Tunic, and Nautical Stripe.  Two were made with my TNT knit top pattern and the other three were patterns made with my measurements.
Miss: My Sew Weekly Top started out as a vintage pattern was cut down and still didn't fit me correctly. I already passed this baby on.

Without any scientific study my top patterns for the year were:

• Cake's Hummingbird Top (I made 3 and am loving the camo print one now that the cold weather has come)
• Cake's Red Velvet Dress (I've made 4 dresses 2 for me and 2 for Mom, and one more is planned.)
• Cake's Espresso Leggings (I've made 7 pair and they're in constant rotation.)
• Built By Wendy Sew U Home Stretch knit top pattern (This is my TNT set in sleeve pattern and I've used it at least 6 times for myself and twice for others this year)
• Lastly There have been two children's patterns that I've used quite a bit and have many more plans for. The Parsley Pants and the Tumble Tee. Both simple, both gender neutral, both easy to customize and alter.

Blogging has been so beneficial in helping keep a record of my projects; to helping me think through my choices and discover more about myself. After doing this round up my Top 5 Reflections are:

• When I start with an idea and follow it through I can come up with some beautiful things. My gut leads me well.
• I'm a real baby when it comes to putting in fly fronts........
• Making a list of projects helps me keep from getting overwhelmed by fabric and patterns and allows me to pick up something quickly when I find a few moments to sew.
• A warm turquoise is my magic color! 
• I need to let my time online inspire me and not let myself get sucked into Happiness and Creativity Killing Comparison. I also need to get off the computer and go create more.

Inspirations post here.

So what have you learned this year? Do you have a magic color? Do you ever get HCKC? I hope everyone is enjoying the holiday season and has a Merry Christmas!

Fear of Pants

I am afraid of making pants (trousers for all you foreigners). I think they are complicated, scary and confusing. I decided the only way to overcome my fears is by making lots of them, different kinds, different patterns, different alterations. I will find the perfect pair of pants for me!

With this goal in mind I decided to break out an interesting pants pattern I had bought a couple years ago: Vogue 1050.

Vogue 1050
It lured me in with its cool contrast pleat and flowing legs.

I had just gotten some vibrant green fabric in a loose weave that should be very cool for the summer and decided to give this pattern a go. After reading all the PatternReview reviews I decided to not do the inset pleat to make a more wearable everyday look. I also wanted something without zippers, easy to pull on and off and something I could adjust, depending on where my infusion set was placed. Yes, I'm a Type 1 Diabetic with an OmniPod pump.

Look away all squeamish people! When this is attached to my stomach
any kind of pressure on it drives me crazy. 

Trusting the advice on PatternReview I omitted the zipper and cut the elastic shorter than the pattern said. I made it as tight as I could yet still be able to pull it over my hips.

While I do feel this leans closer towards classy pajama bottoms than classy travel wear, they are very comfortable and adjustable which was what I was going for.

Come sort patterns in your pjs with me!! Any takers?

You can see the side seam bunches here but
it's not that noticeable when your shirt covers it
and you are busy living life.

I really like the loose, wide leg pant; much less fitting issues, but my mother thinks I need to make something that will show my legs a little more. I do need to figure out how to make skinny jeans for my billowy tunic tops so maybe that will be next on the agenda.
I probably won't be making this pattern again since it's a bit fancy for pajama pants and I have no "Tissue Faille or Lightweight Crepe"stashed to make a classy pair like on the pattern cover. It's gotten me ready to tackle zipper insertion in pants again. I just need to decide on a fly front, invisible zipper or side zipper? Do you have a preference?