NSM Challenge Week 4...Colette Juniper
Sunday, September 30, 2012
My blog roll has been filed lately with pictures of Colette's new pattern launch party. Oh how I envy you other bloggers and your big fancy towns, and big fancy meet ups. I'm stuck here in B.F.E looking forward to the next Watermelon Festival or Chili cook off.....NOT. While others are gassing up on chili or doing the watermelon crawl I'd rather seclude myself in my sewing room. For the time being I'll just live vicariously through you all. I really get excited seeing your pictures and hearing your stories about your meet ups and what not.
My weekly challenge for the month of September has come to an end. It's hard to believe that October is here already and I'll soon be busy making Vito a Halloween costume. Poor dog, how I torture him so. Last year I made him a pumpkin costume. Any ideas for what it should be this year?
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| I like to EAT pumpkin, not wear it!!! |
For my last challenge I made my first pair of pants! Colette's Juniper wide leg trousers. How cute are these!! I only wish mine turned out as cute. I started with a muslin made out of an old bed sheet. I cut a size 4 and the fit was pretty good. I could stand to let the butt out a little (no more chocolate chip cookies for me) and my waist needed to come in about an inch.
This was a beginner pattern and very easy to follow. As always with Colette patterns the directions were clear and illustrations very easy to follow. For this particular pattern there is also a blog tutorial on how to sew a fly front. Thanks sooo much for that!!! Putting pants together is a lot easier than I thought it would be so I do see more pants in my future (my co-workers will be thankful). I'm not really pleased with how my final version turned out and that's because of the fabric I chose. Big fail! I got a houndstooth suiting fabric from Joann's. It's a poly/rayon/spandex blend..yuck! I totally did not know it was spandex until I got it home and started cutting. I guess I had my eyes closed that day. It shows every lump and bulge in the rear. Pantylines..oh yes. I can not wear my shirt tucked in like I intended too because it just looks tacky. And the fraying is just ridonkulous!!
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| Pocket bulge and jazz hands..oh my! |
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| excuse the wrinkles, I forgot how to use my iron |
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| yay for fun pockets! |
This fabric just kind of hangs on me. I brought the waistband in a whole inch and it could stand to come in a little more. I guess that's due to the stretchiness, and yes I know they are way too long. I just knew I was never going to wear these so I didn't really care anymore.
They just seem really wide on me too. Maybe these can be saved if I shorten them and bring in the legs to reduce the width some. What's your opinion? I will be making another version of these, I'll just follow the fabric suggestions more closely and choose something medium weight and NO poly/spandex garb.
I just got a few samples from Mood as possibilities for the Anise jacket.
I really love the mustard wool on the left. I think that's my pick for the Anise. I'm thinking the turquoise tweed in the middle would look good for my second go around for the Juniper pants.
Hope ya'll have a great week!
21 comments
The pants look cute! You're right-- I think they could be a bit narrower through the leg on the next go-round. But they're a really nice style on you!
ReplyDeleteI LOVE the pumpkin costume! Vito is so dang cute!
I think I'm going to try and narrow the legs on these and see how that goes. Vito loves the pumpkin costume as well...haha
DeleteVito wants to be Yoda for Halloween. Great job on the pants. They so look pretty wide though on you. You must be so tiny
ReplyDeleteAhh I've seen some pugs in Yoda costumes. So hilarious!
Deletecutest pumpkin ever! are you taking him out trick-or-treating?
ReplyDeleteI live way out in the country so I don't get to take him anywhere. I usually have about 1 or 2 trick or treaters so I dress him up for that. When I lived in town I had another pug Maizy Girl and I would dress her up for all the trick or treaters and walk her around the block. The kids loved it! She loved it too. I don't think Vito cares for it too much. lol!
DeleteI think the pants look good! How long did they take you sew up? I'm scared of pants!
ReplyDeleteI was scared of pants too! I worked on these off and on for a couple of days, I say total 8 hours. Now that I know what I'm doing I think I could easily get them done in a day.
DeleteOh my gosh! I'm scared of pants too but yours look pretty amazing even if you're not the happiest with them! I'm sure your next ones are going to be killer! :)
ReplyDeleteThanks! I sure hope so!
DeleteHaha I love Vitos costume so cute. There are just so many things to dress pugs in cant wait to see what you make him this year! No ideas though sorry. I loved spider pug but that might work better on black pugs. I love your version of these pants they look super comfy! It's always good to make them once and then figure out what material you might like better for next time. I'd say that happens to me about 80% of the time lol.
ReplyDeleteYep it's all a learning experience! I learn something new with every project!
DeleteI'm giggling over the pumpkin costume. That is hilarious. I like the pants! Would it be weird to say your butt looks good? Ha, well..I hope not...I just always check out my butt, it's my number one concern with pants, lol.:P But seriously I see what you mean about them being wide and even though I think they actually still look good, they would probably look even better just a bit thinner. but really, good job. I had the hardest time ever with the Clovers, they were really just awful so I've been afraid of this pattern but I love it so. I should just do it, right? Hopefully my first go around turns out as good as yours!
ReplyDeleteYes, Just do it!! I was suprised at how quickly these came together. I'm going to make them a little narrower but for now they are in a wad in the corner of my sewing room. lol. I need to just get on it!
DeleteHi! I just came across your blog while googling for the Juniper pants that I am trying to make. I smiled at your comments about envying the other bloggers their meet ups and such... I too, live off the grid. Way off the grid!! So I know what you mean.
ReplyDeleteI'll be back to visit again!
Yes it's kind of a bummer living in the sticks
DeleteFor what I've been seen it around this pants are very very wide. I'm going to adjust them, but first I need to know how! I love your little pumpkin!!!!!
ReplyDeleteThanks! He's a stinker! I still need to fix the width on my pants too. I think I'm going to start first by taking in the inseam.
DeleteYou know what? I think I bought the exact same fabric you used for your pants... the stuff I got at JoAnn's is identical and it was in the suiting area. I made a dress but it came out AWFUL.. I don't even know if I want to show it on my blog! I have it stashed in a bin, I want to take it out and try again, salvage what I can but I'm so angry at the fabric it's not happening!!
ReplyDeleteBtw - I love the pumpkin costume! OMG SO CUTE!
well then let's just blame it on the fabric because as you can see these pants are atrocious! Mine are in a wad in the bottom of my failures pile. I think when we have our first bonfire this fall I shall burn them!
ReplyDeleteI think it will make you feel a lot better! I'm just determined to get mine to look nice.. but I don't think it will happen.. STUPID FABRIC!
ReplyDelete