Yup - More Clovers....lol

I made two more clovers. The center image and the one on the top left hand corner. I am absolutely hooked on this pattern! Nothing more to say. The middle pair uses stretch cord denim. Stay tuned for more.....maybe clovers. lol

FO - Simplicity 2418 & Clover 3.0

Yes, I have made three clovers in one week. I plan on making several more. I have the fit down to where I like it and think it lends itself to both work and play. This clover version is paired with my new Simplicity 2418 top. I am one happy camper. The outfit is very slimming without compromising comfort. The ankle length looks great with my new 5" Mary Janes to boot.

Stats:

Simplicity 2418 top:
I made a size 14 with zero alterations. The material is a lightweight polyester. Since it is cut on the bias, it has a nice drape. I made the belt extra long.

Clover pants:
I made a straight size 8, reducing the crotch depth by 3/4", adding 3 1/2" at the length mark, and moving the zipper to the back. This version has the front, waistband pockets in a black voille fabric. The pants are made out of a stretch suiting that has some nubby texture to it, which I love.

Up next....another Clover. Yup, I'm hooked. lol

FO - Versace Inspired Clover

I completed my second version of Clover the other day. This pair is in a bold black and white floral print. It is a bottom weight fabric that has about 3% stretch, so it was perfect for my Clover pattern. I was looking over the new Marie Clair magazine that just came out and they had a piece on Versace-inspired prints including bold pants. I had already put my fabric on the cutting table to breathe before cutting into it - so I am feeling VERY on-trend. lol. Not my usual M.O.

For this pair of Clover pants I did make some adjustments. I made slightly wider seams than my denim pair, including the inseam and side seams. I added an additional 4" of length at the length line, took in the CB seam at the waist to remove a bit of gaposis, and shortened the crotch depth by 3/4 " (or so). Overall, these are a very well fitting pair of pants. The only really issue I am having is that my zipper is getting stuck at the seam of the waist band. I tried to reduce the bulk there, especially since I used hair canvas interfacing for the waistband, but it is still sticking there when I zip it up. Unzipping isn't a problem once they are on though. Any suggestions on how to fix this (and to avoid it in the future)?

Next up? I'm not sure. I have already cut up the fabric and lining for the new Vogue 1267 pattern, but I just haven't been feeling inspired to sew it. I'm not sure if it's because I'm not great at lining patterns or because of all the darts, but I'm just not feeling the oomph to actually make it. Yikes. I hope I figure out something soon.

Oh my - I almost forgot some FABULOUS news for me (when it comes to knitting). I finished my Hitchiker shawl. I am so happy! I wove in the ends last night. I plan on wearing it to work tomorrow, so I'll post some pictures soon.

FO - Clover in Gold Metallic Denim

I finished my muslin for my first attempt at sewing Clover. This is for Colette Pattern's sewalong that is happening here at the Coletterie blog. I think that the photos do not do these pants any justice. I have been out and about and have actually had four strangers of all walks of life stop me to comment on how fabulous these pants/jeans look on me. Score!

I purchased some stretch denim a gold metalic color from Yardage Town for this project. I really love the outcome, although it might not be the best material to interpret fitting issues, since the metallic shows a lot of wrinkles naturally. I think the fit is fairly good, although I failed to let my fabric lay out on the cutting table to breathe before cutting it. I think it did grow a tiny bit after wearing it out to dinner with friends.I did get some nice compliments, which is always affirming. Janell claims she rarely EVER gives compliments on clothing so I felt fabulous. I wore it with my second Sorbetto top and a RTW cardigan out to dinner. I took pictures in a different top though, so you can see more of the fit.

Any suggestion on fit? I made a size 8 which is much smaller than normal, but I still think it has room. I made a waist adjustment on this one so that is a size 10. I also added some length to the pants. This pattern is for ankle length pants, but with heels, I needed this extra 2-3" to get it to my ankle. The zipper came in perfectly, but unfortunately it looks like there is a small tear in the zipper fabric, so its getting stuck at the top when I zip it. Since this was just the muslin, I don't know that I'll redo it. With my overly narrow hips, I'm still able to pull them off without unzipping them anyway. That makes me think I could have skipped the waist adjustment. What do you think? I'm laying new fabric out on the cutting table today so it can breathe and grow before I cut it. Should I retry this pair exactly as it and then recheck? I really want the perfect fitting pants. That's what's so great about this sewalong.