Starting From Scratch: Pants & Shoes

Steps 1 and 2 of the SFS series involve finding a nice pair of good-fitting pants and comfortable shoes.  I made Kwik Sew 2960 last year and really liked the fit, so I used that pattern as my base for this first step.

Hmm.  So I got the top of my head, but not my feet.  Oops.

The fabric is black rayon poly lycra from the stash.  I bought many yards of this in different colors when a certain store had a mega sale.  I fell off the wagon in January and bought even more.  The fabric is good quality and has nice stretch and recovery.  These pictures were taken after a full day of work.  The legs are a little baggy, but definitely wearable.

The nice thing about this pattern is that there are four pieces:  front, back, waistband, and fly shield.  What's not to love?!  Like the SASSSG, I can probably sew these in a day.  Unlike the SASSSG, it is almost guaranteed to take me longer.  The waistband on this pair was all kinds of evil.  I took it off, cut a new waistband, and still hate it.  Something is wonky with the part where it meets the zipper.  I already removed the waistband once - not doing it again. =)

Since my SFS color scheme includes grey, I made a second pair out of another rayon-poly-lycra stretch suiting.  This fabric is SO nice.  Though it's a bit heavier than the black RPL, it sews, presses, and hangs beautifully.

Oddly enough, I didn't encounter any problems with the waistband on this pair.  I don't have the wonky zipper issue either and this is a heavier fabric.  Hmm.  Must be user error.

 

Look at that break on the shoes!  This is why I love sewing.  RTW pants would NOT hang like this on me.  Though the hem doesn't touch the ground, I'll make a slightly deeper hem next time.

Fabric & Notions:

• 2 yards RPL stretch suiting (x 2)
• 7" nylon zipper (x 2)
• non-stretch weft interfacing
• 80/12 universal needle
• serger and regular sewing machine

Construction:   I finished the edges of the pieces first with the serger, sewed the seam, and pressed them open to reduce bulk.  The back crotch seam is sewn and serged together for strength.  I hemmed both pair using the blind hem setting on my machine.

Conclusion:  This is my TNT pattern for stretch wovens.  I've already worn both pair to work and love how comfortable they are.  

***

Step 2 of the series is to get a nice pair of comfortable flat shoes.  2 out of 3 ain't bad, right?  The shoes I'm wearing are nice and flat, but comfortable?  Not so much.  After doing a lot of research, I spent a pretty penny on these shoes only to have my feet hurt after about an hour.  I need more arch support so that the balls of my feet aren't so sore.  Sigh.  The search continues.

Step 3 is to add a cardigan and tee-shirt in the primary neutral color.  So I'm working on a muslin for a BWOF cardigan in black wool jersey and a simple black tee-shirt out of cotton interlock.  I'm super busy this week, so I don't know how much sewing I'll get done.

Until next time, peace!

Stretch vs. Non-stretch Linings

I have a lot of wool.  A lot.  Wool sews nicely and is very warm in these cold arctic climates.  But, this fabric is very expensive to clean.  So I decided that I needed some more washable clothes and recently bought a whole bunch of rayon-poly-lycra stretch woven suitings from Fabric Mart.

Their website doesn't mention the percentages of rayon, polyester, or Lycra, but it did state that the fabric had 4-way stretch - which brings me to my dilemma.  Since I plan to make jackets, skirts and pants out of this fabric, I'll want to include a lining.  I see three ways to make this happen, but they all have their pros and cons.

Option 1:  use a non-stretch lining sewn with smaller seam allowances

• Pros:  I stock up on lining whenever there's a sale or when I have a coupon, so I have plenty on hand.  Plus, my lining is all rayon and breathes/sews very well. 

• Cons:  It doesn't stretch. I don't know if simply cutting the same pieces and using a smaller seam allowance will help preserve the benefit of the fabric's stretch.

Option 2:  use a stretch polyester charmeuse or satin as lining

• Pros:  It stretches and is readily available.

• Cons:  It's polyester.  What can I say?  I'm a fabric snob when it comes to linings. 

Option 3:   use a non-stretch lining cut on the bias

•  Pros:   I'll have comparable stretch.

• Cons:  I'm not sure how the bias will behave in the long run.  Will it hang correctly with the rest of the garment?

What are your thoughts?  Have you lined stretch wovens before?  The fact that this fabric has both crosswise and lengthwise stretch is a bit of a concern.  Though it appears to have good recovery, I wonder how the knee and seat area will look after a full day of wear.  Hmm...

L