New Outfit

One of my goals for this year is to make over my wardrobe from store-bought to hand-made clothing. I can hardly believe that I am even able to think about this since not that long ago I was afraid of sewing clothes at all, preferring to stay within the confines of my two dimensional quilting. While I still do love quilting, I got to a point where it just wasn't challenging me anymore.

Now that I have gotten better at sewing my own clothing, I find that these are the garments I am turning to when I want to look and feel my best. I have been increasingly unhappy with the clothing offered in the stores for their lack of good fit, quality, and uniqueness. We all have to spend good money on our clothing, so why spend it on something made with cheap fabric in a sweatshop that looks like everybody else? It does take a lot more time and energy to build a wardrobe this way, but it also has made me stop and think about what I wear, what I want to wear, and the idea of voting with my money.

But enough about that. On to the outfit...

Both pieces are from Colette's line of patterns. The top is the Jasmine pattern and the pants are the Juniper pattern.

I went with the recommended bust measurement for the top and it came out perfectly. I am always worried about the shoulders being too big, since mine are narrow, but this was just fine. I did have to ease from 5/8" to 1/4" seam allowance in the sleeves as my arms are apparently much larger than average. This is a common problem for me...whatever. This was my first time using a cotton lawn fabric and I am hooked! It was a bit of a splurge but so worth it. Not Liberty, though, since I still can't stomach the thought of $30/yard for cotton fabric. The top is cut on the bias and the stretch is equal to a light weight knit. I'm glad I took the time to trace the pattern since I will certainly be using it again.

The trousers are fantastic! As with the Clover and Iris bottoms, these needed no adjustment for me. The one change I did make was to remove the pockets, but you can't tell!

Pockets in pants just add bulk for not much benefit, so I thought I would try them without. It took some thinking but it all came out right. Perhaps I will do a "tutorial" on this the next time I make this pattern. (Like I know so much!) I love the wide leg style.

The fabric is a brushed cotton twill; so wonderfully soft and warmer than I expected. Hopefully not too warm for later spring.

And a view of the back: