Make It in May - Skirt Complete

I finished my skirt for the Curlypops Make It in May - Skirt sew-along. Using Nicole Mallalieu's A-line skirt pattern and some of the same denim I used to make Liam's jeans, I kept this skirt plain so that it goes with more things in my wardrobe. Nikki's pattern comes with some great instructions to insert an invisible zip (using an invisible zipper foot - if you don't have one you should get one), and the yoke makes for a tidy skirt with no "popping-out" facings as well as helping with that not-so-flat-these-days tummy.



I made the skirt up in the original length and then chopped 13cm from the bottom, before giving it a 2 inch hem. This brought the skirt up to knee length which I think is probably a bit more suitable for running around with the kids.



In addition to changing the length, I added pockets to the skirt. I grabbed a pocket from another pattern and put the pockets into the side-seam. It frustrates me sometimes that I have nowhere to put my keys, especially when out and about with the kids and it isn't always practical to carry a bag. These pockets are pretty discrete, I made them in navy homespun, and nothing falls out of them when I sit down, so I am pretty happy with them.



Have you made anything for yourself lately? What about a skirt? There's still time to join in if you want to make yourself a skirt during the month of May.

Paperback Writer

As part of KCWC , I finally moved these jeans from my UFO basket and completed them. They have been sitting in the basket for months waiting for me to sew them together.



The pattern is Paperback writer, or design 31 from the Winter 2010 issue of Ottobre magazine. I really like the name, the song was playing in my head whilst I was making these jeans.



These jeans are made for boys with long, very skinny legs. It is recommended for those that have a waist size 4cm smaller than the charts in the magazine, so if you've got a skinny-mini, then this pattern is for you.

One thing I would do differently, is I wouldn't add a seam allowance to the curved edges of the front pockets pieces and facings. I did for this pair, but I've gone and chopped it off my pattern pieces because the pockets get in the way of the fly area.



I've added rivets to the top corners of the back pockets and to the side-seam corner of the front pockets as well as to the top corners of the coin pocket. One of the rivets on the coin pocket is completely hidden, so was un-necessary. I would recommend that if you plan to add rivets to the jeans, they can all be added at the end, anyway, so that would be the way to go.



Another point with the rivets is that I have used two kinds, only because I started with one type, and then realised I didn't have enough. So the two rivets on the sides of the pockets are different to the other rivets. I prefer the look of the other rivets, and they also have skinnier post, which means I can push them through a smaller hole more easily.



I used three sewing machines to put these jeans together; my regular machine for the seams, my over-locker for neatening the edges and also the industrial machine for the top-stitching. You could make these jeans on one machine, but by using my industrial machine for the top-stitching, it saved me threading and rethreading my machine over and over. I used Gutermann upholstery thread, in colour 968. This is a 100% polyester thread and is quite a bit heavier than the regular, sew-all thread. A 100m reel is about the same size as a 250m spool of sew-all. Sadly, I have heard rumours that Gutermann are discontinuing the upholstery thread, so I will be on the look-out for a suitable replacement.



I think the most exciting part of making these jeans is that I got to try out my new jeans snaps and dyes for the snap press. I really need to be making lots more jeans to make the investment worthwhile, but don't they look fantastic?!

Kid's Clothes Week - Day 3

As well as pulling zipper teeth yesterday, I was busy working on these jeans for Liam. The cut-out jeans have been sitting in my UFO pile for months, I really hope they will be big enough! I am hoping to get them finished today. I think all the tricky bits are done.



I have been well and truly exceeding my "at least one hour a day" working on kids clothes, as part of the  KCWC , but I have been getting a lot done. It's good to be able to focus on one area at a time. Perhaps I should pencil into my calendar some of my own week-long focus challenges? Like perhaps a "clothes for me" week?

I am still working on this  (it's the same denim as the jeans)



and this



...and will report back later when these are complete!  

If you would like to see what some other crafty people are up to this week, pop on over to Our Creative Spaces and click away.