A Garment A Week – Week 28 – 15/07/16

I managed to get a couple of photos between the rain showers! It was still really windy though.  Winter really feels like it’s here.
I’m looking at these comfy, lounge, track, yoga, pj style pants as a wearable toile, a wearable muslin, a sample of a new pattern lol.  Idea taken from a pinterest image and adjusted to what I wanted.

I don’t particularly like the fabric, it’s a slightly heavier knit but the kind that will stretch out of shape really easily. And the colour isn’t my favourite. But I wanted to check the pattern would work and it was the best option in my stash of fabrics. I definitely need to start making a list of fabrics I need and make a decent trip to Backstreet Bargains in Hamilton!
I also wanted to try using the elastic that already has a drawcord / drawstring running though it. I managed to buy a bag full at a Fieldays stall a few years ago and I usually cut it down and just use half of it.
I decided the elastic should be joined in front and separated in the back for feeding through the casing.   I think the idea was so the opening for the elastic could be at the back of the waistband and so the drawstring was stitched / secured at the back and it won’t be able to be completely pulled out.

I stitched the elastic together in the centre after pulling the drawstring out a few centimetres back from the end.  Leaving a gap in the front between the cords.  Before cutting the elastic in the centre back, I stitched either side of where I was going to cut so the drawcord wouldn’t pull out!

This way of installing the elastic was great in theory lol but I quickly realised that I would have trouble feeding the cords through their allowed holes at the front of the waistband.
I don’t have a buttonhole machine here so I layered the waistband fabric at the front and allowed holes for the drawstring to be pulled through – luckily a crochet hook was all I needed to get the cord through the holes after inserting the elastic.   The overlap of the fabric at the front was around 1cm so I could kinda twist the hole open and see the elastic, which helped to see the loose cord that needed pulling through.  Also the extra thickness of the double stitched portion in the centre helped me feel where it was as I fed the elastic through the casing and made it easier to get it to stop in the right place.

There are nice big pockets which are attached to the front panels. I like to draw my patterns on fabric like calico, muslin or old sheets! As I can then sew them loosely together to check sizes and fit. The one I cut for this pattern fit really nice around the crotch and bum but I think the stretch of this fabric has pulled a bit while I was sewing it together lol. I am going to re-make this pattern in a nice sweatshirt type fabric or just a heavier unbrushed knit.  A fabric that won’t stretch as much.
The cuffs around the legs had to be taken in loads too, it’s just a white knit fabric, not a proper rib but it works ok now it’s tighter, though it definitely doesn’t hug your leg like a rib fabric would.

I like the 3/4 leg look without it being tight like leggings. And if I’d made them an inch longer they’d look ok long too.
Was good to see the ideas and pattern worked, maybe they’ll come out in spring when the colours will work better!