Thanks so much for all the comments yesterday on my Au Bonheurs pants. Who knows, maybe in a few months, after they've aged a bit, I might like them better. We'll see. They did have one great purpose, however. Sewing up that pattern gave me enough justification to order a few more patterns from Au Bonheurs. :)
I ordered three more pants patterns and a skirt pattern. So, stay tuned! I do find that it is getting easier and easier to use these patterns as I get more used to the sewing French that they use. And the instructions are so terse, it's getting pretty easy to translate on the fly, though not, perhaps, that instructive. :)
On another subject, I have been wanting to make a trench coat for the last month or two. It's funny how an idea can seep into you, seemingly from nowhere. I'm not sure where the idea originally came from, but now, everywhere I turn, I see trench coats. Yesterday, I went into Neiman Marcus for the first time in a gazillion years (they are across the street from Britex, but I normally never enter) and I saw trench coats galore. I also saw Eskandar clothing up close for the first time. Drool.
Anyway, seeing those trench coats at Neimans really got my obsessive sewing juices flowing. I went back to Britex and bought some hardware for the trench. Last night I pin fit the pattern tissue, and compared the FBA princess technique in Fast Fit by Sandra Betzina to that in Fit for Real People by Palmer/Pletsch. There is no question that the Palmer/Pletsch approach, while more involved, will yield a better result, since the Betzina approach adds only length, not width, and doesn't affect the armscye at all.
Then, this morning, I rushed off bright and early to Fabrix to find some lining and piping fabric for the trench project. (One of the coats at Nieman's piped their coat with a very nice, malleable, vinyl fabric. I couldn't find anything like this at Fabrix, but I found a fabric that should work.)
So, I need to do the FBA, make a muslin, and get going on the real fabric. I'm itching to get off the computer and get started. :)
One of my kids is in New Jersey, and the other in Boston, (both were just in Nantucket, but have headed in different directions with different relatives), so I can really focus on sewing. I hope everyone (who celebrates) has a great 4th!
You didn't say who's pattern you're going to use for the trench. I've got Shermane Fouche's, which is fabulous, if you want to borrow it. Just give me a holler and I'll put it in the post.
ReplyDeleteReAnn
Isn't Eskandar's designs to die for? I had a sewing friend who bought a jacket and knocked off a pattern from it. I've made it several times and love it. I wish I lived close to a place where I could go and touch those clothes...
ReplyDeleteDeb in Indiana
(Femme1 on Stitchers Guild)
ReAnn, thanks for that kind offer!! I didn't know Shermane had a trench coat and I'm jealous you have her patterns. :) Maybe next time, but I've just finished slicing and dicing McCalls 5525 and am about to make up the muslin.
ReplyDeleteDeb, yes, the Eskandar designs are elegant and her fabrics... yummay! But the prices...ouch! I got the little booklet for spring and was just glancing through it. I definitely got some neat ideas, but who knows if I'll have to time to use them!