Fabric: Stretch Crepe fabric (97% Wool 3% Spandex) By B. Black & Sons; purchased from M&L Fabrics in Anaheim, CA
Pattern: Colette Patterns "Clover"
Others: Necklace - David Aubrey Jewelry; Top - Mystree; Shoes - Nine West
Like many other sewists/tailors, I am a fan of Colette Patterns. I made Marty's Maui Shirt based on their only men's pattern, Negroni, and I have other dress patterns as well as The Colette Sewing Handbook. Love the designs! In preparation for the designer and CEO behind Colette Patterns, Sarai Mitnick visiting LA next Friday, I decided to make this pair as well as a Macaron dress.
I am almost done with the Macaron Dress and will be blogging about it soon! But in the meantime, these pants were really quick. I mean, I cut and sewed through 80% of the pants in one night. I always trace my patterns and then cut really slowly so this means alot. Usually cutting alone takes all of Day 1 for me (I don't sew full time so this usually means 2~4 hours I have in the evenings).
Then Day 2 was a disaster. I took out the invisible zipper I bought from M&L Fabrics, and noticed that the staple was actually IN the zipper teeth. I didn't think much of it and just took it out carefully. Then I used my invisible zipper foot for the first time (I usually use a regular zipper foot and just go slow), but it ended up making me sew through the teeth. I had to pick out the thread really carefully since it was black thread against black crepe fabric AND a black zipper and I couldn't see well. I read someone else's blog about how she loves to sew with crepe fabric because the thread just melts into the fabric, so nice, etc etc. Well, yah that was exactly the problem. The fabric was ultra nice but it was totally impossible to pick the thread.
It's okay, I'm a patient person, EXCEPT this happened 4 times.
GRRR. And then, I finally succeeded working with the invisible zipper foot and made sure the thread didn't get into the teeth. I turned it inside out and tried to zip it up, YOU KNOW, SO I KNOW I PUT IT IN RIGHT AND STUFF?!?!??!?!?!
Well, the zipper pull just came RIGHT out of the zipper. HEAD TO DESK. Three times.
At this point, I hated my zipper and the invisible zipper foot. Both went straight to the trash can.
Instead I grabbed a YELLOW regular zipper from my stash and sewed it into the pants, with a regular zipper foot. There. Who cares about the zipper showing. It's yellow and cute.
Will I wear them again? YES YES and YES! These fit perfectly. Don't hate me but I didn't make a full muslin (I made ONE leg with some flannel with stable stretch to see how it'll drape and fit around my thighs) and I didn't make ANY adjustments because I liked the muslin as is. The wool crepe is definitely one of the nicest fabric I've ever worked with so that helps and I am short so the length was perfect and not awkward. I love many of Colette Patterns designs but the pants length in the sample photos looked a bit awkward for me.
Will I make them again? This one is also YES YES YES! I bought enough lightweight corduroy fabric enough for two pairs already. :)