Another pair of linen trousers has been added to the summer wardrobe. Back in January I made a pair of Burda trousers using some crisp cotton chino fabric and said at the time that I’d love to make a linen pair – well, I’ve made them! Pants 106 from February 2020 with the interesting seam detail on the front legs and the barrel shape has proved to be a pattern I like very much.
Seam details on the front leg
The linen is from Higgs and Higgs, chartreuse in colour and with some weight and body, it’s not a light linen, so it’s going to be perfect to wear as the weather cools down (not this week, with its 30 deg C offerings!) I think I jinxed the weather with my last post about cool September and thinking of warmer layers! This week, all I’ve wanted is a swimming pool and a lot of shade!
Back to the pattern – I made it with the same adjustments as the last time, but took it in at the waist in the side seams by 1cm each side. The waistband fits better now, so it was the right choice. As the fabric is a little thick and doesn’t have a smooth texture, I decided to cut the inner waistband pieces from a left over piece of Liberty lawn. The colours go together really well and it feels lovely against my skin.
Liberty lawn to line the waistband
There might possibly be another pair in the works for the winter – I have some lovely pieces of wool.
Still with me after that break? Sewing has been a little on the slow side, and most of it has been for the girls, which means that photos are few and far between! I haven’t anything earth shattering to show you, and still haven’t sorted that post for the Terra Pants. Why? Well – I’m not convinced that they were right for me. Looking back at the photos and knowing how I feel when wearing them, the shape just isn’t me. So instead I thought I’d play things safe, and reverted to a favourite pattern of mine, the Teddy Designer Pants from Style Arc.
This is version number 6! I had a length of viscose linen in the stash that I’d bought from Rainbow Fabrics Kilburn last summer, is was a beigey-ivory colour that I knew wasn’t going to stay that way! It was instantly dyed Pewter Grey, but then found itself back in the stash. I had bought another piece of the viscose linen in rust and made a Zadie Jumpsuit with it, only to discover that it was too heavy and had too much drape to be a jumpsuit. That garment is still waiting for me to take the top of and turn the whole thing into something more suitable. So I was concerned that the fabric was too drapey and needed to be sure I’d got the right pattern next time.
In the end I decided on the Teddy Pants because the drape would be fine and I could interface the waistband sufficiently to control any movement there. It was a good choice! I made the 12 with only a leg length adjustment that I’d made way back when I made the first pair. I have also already adjusted the inseam pockets to be caught into the waistband – otherwise they flap around and drive me nuts. I have fancy pockets in these, using up scraps of Liberty to reduce bulk and make it easier to iron!
There isn’t much to say about these, they’re so comfy to wear and I love the relaxed fit and big pleat. They will not be my last pair. Not something I can say about those poor Terra Pants…
I honestly didn’t think it would be such a huge gap between posts this month, especially given how much sewing I’ve done! Anyway, you cannot turn back time, so all I can do is get on and show you all what I’ve been up to! I’m starting with my latest Olya Shirt, pattern from Paper Theory. This is my fourth, and I really do have a plan to make another. We were in London last weekend, so I finally managed to get photos, thanks to Daughter No1!
After making two in different types of viscose and one in cotton lawn, I now have a linen shirt. I sized down with this version, the others are a tad too long in the sleeve, more noticeable in the viscose versions. I thought it might be nice to have an oversized shirt that wasn’t quite that oversized, especially in a fabric that’s stiffer and less drapey. It was the right decision! So this is the size 12, with no alterations or adjustments.
Olya Shirt from Paper Theory
The fabric is from Simply Fabrics in Brixton, the first time I’ve bought fabric from this shop. I’d been browsing for a while, and when I saw this stuff I knew I needed it in my stash. But I hesitated for a bit – hesitation that was rewarded with an announcement of a nice big discount! I used it and swooped in on the fabric. I love it! I think the combination of fabric and pattern has really worked. I like finding different prints like this, and I’m glad I feel comfortable wearing them, as I’m a plains person at heart!
Sewing the shirt went as smoothly as the last three times, if not better because it’s linen, not slippery viscose! I like this smaller size and might stick to it for the next shirt, which is definitely going to happen. I have some left over pieces of linen from various projects that I’m sure I can put together to make a shirt. Fingers crossed, but please, don’t hold your breath!!
Here we are, almost two weeks into September and I still haven’t shown off the last pair of linen trousers made – last month! I have to admit to being in a bit of a sewing funk, but I hope I’ve turned that corner this week! More on that later, I thought I’d pop in and let you all know that I’m still here, and back to sewing. I suppose I also need to admit that I haven’t made those shorts for the other half. August was not shorts weather – so no need!! I will carry on with the sewing for him though, at some point!!
Burda trousers 102, 07/2009
Right, this is another pair of the trousers from Burda July 2009, number 102. I made a pair in reddish linen back in April that have been on constant rotation this year. I love the leg width and length, they’re just so darned comfy to wear! Anyway, in June I bought 2m of a beautiful silvery blue stretch linen from Rags and Rolls on the Seven Sisters Road in Holloway and knew I’d be making another pair.
This time I’ve not used a contrasting fabric for pocket linings or waistbands. Having a stretch content, I sized down from the hip up because otherwise they’d be sliding down by lunchtime! I acutally could do with nipping them in a little more, or making the belt loops and finding myself a belt to wear with them! Again, so nice to wear!
I guess there’s not much more to say about them really, but try to track down the pattern if you want a comfy pair of trousers for the summer (and winter tbh, I’ve made them in wool and lined them before).
In other news – I made a good start to my Autumn sewing this week!! Since Friday last week I’ve cut out and sewn a pair of jeans, a shirt, two sweatshirts and a top. I suddenly got all inspired and have traced a whole load of stuff too, so tomorrow I’m going to try to get some photos of the stuff made so far and get some toiles done. I’m feeling all seasonal!
Remember weeks ago I said I wanted to add green to my palette? Actually, it might even be a month ago! Back in May I bought a stripe olive and ecru tee, which prompted me to buy a few pieces of olive/khaki fabric to create a mini capsule wardrobe that would also fit in with the greys, black and blues of the existing wardrobe. I got a 2m piece of cotton linen from Truro Fabrics and decided to make a pair of Burda trousers with it.
The pattern is style 107 from Burda March 2021. I started with the size 44, but traced the 42 as well, just in case! Knowing I wanted pockets and to move the zip position, I started with the pockets. I drew up a pattern for inseam pockets that would be supported by the facing seam, I don’t like the way the Teddy Pants have flappy pockets, the one thing I have changed on the pattern. I made them deep and wide enough to fit my phone and other items and not have them fall out when I sit down.
I have to have pocketses!
Then I needed to play with the front. I decided to have a front fly zip with fly bearer the way some men’s trousers work. It’s the best way to have a fly zip when there’s no waistband and button. The front detail needed to be operational, rather than purely decorative, so it has working buttonholes for the buttons. It means there are a lot of buttons to faff with when you need to go to the loo, but it works.
Front fly zip with fly bearer
To minimise bulk I used some cotton fabric from the scrap box for the facings, reverse side of the front flap detail and one layer of the pocket bags. The toile showed the 44 at the waist was the right size, but I needed to shave off a little at the hip, so I switched to the 42 and followed that down to the hem. I shortened the crotch depth by 2cm and took 3cm off the overall length of the leg as well. Looking back, I could probably have left this last adjustment, or only taken 1-2cm off.
Toile of the trousers, crotch too low and trouser length too long
I made the toile “wearable” using a pintucked cotton duvet cover that I’d dyed black. I thought it would give the right amount of body. I actually prefer it to the linen version! And I think it’s because it has more body than the linen. So technically I have two new pairs of trousers, and I haven’t wasted the toile fabric, which is nice.
Contrast cotton fabric reduces bulk with all those layers.
As you can see, I omitted the buttoned outside leg detail, that wasn’t the look I was going for, so this isn’t a really good review of the pattern! I’ve changed too many things! But I do like the width of the legs, and I don’t think it makes me look too short, which is always an issue with wide leg, cropped trousers.
I’ve worn both pairs quite a lot since making, and I have to say just one thing. As I don’t tuck my tops in, that cross-over detail in the front doesn’t get seen… So if you tuck, you’ll be good! One other thing – with the addition of the side seam pockets, I’ve removed the taughness/stability given to the cross-over pieces and they can get a bit wavey. So maybe the answer is to just have back pockets, but not patch pockets. A welt would work better, neater.
After a successful winter making terracotta/parika/rust coloured trousers to counter the denim, black and grey, it was time to do the same with the summer wardrobe – assuming summer is actually on the way (along with getting out of lockdown)! I bought a little pile of fabrics from Rainbow Fabrics in the Autumn, one of which was a piece of viscose linen in what I thought was rust, but turns out to be more a red brick/terracotta colour. No matter, I still like the colour, and it will still work with my summer wardrobe!
Burda trousers 102 July 2009
Having already decided on using a tried and tested pattern, Burda 102 from July ’09, I thought it would be a straightforward project. But it seems I’ve done a lot of scribbling on the traced pattern in the past, jumped around with sizes and shortening locations, and generally just made a mess. So I retraced the pattern, the 42 and 44 and toiled the 44, straight – no alterations. I prefer to do that with a pattern I’m using for the first time, then I can see what I need to alter. Given the different cuts and styles, you can’t really assume too much before-hand. I knew I’d need to shorten the leg, guessing around 6 or so cm, and that there would need to be some sort of fiddling with the crotch depth/length. And possibly some faffing with the waist….
In the end, I took a total of 5.5cm out of the leg length, 2.5 in the area between hip and knee and the remainder at the hem. The waistband fitted just fine, but I felt the crotch depth was too short. On measuring the crotch length, and comparing it to the length of the Teddy pants, which are really comfortable, I realised I needed to add 4cm to the overall length. So I lengthened the crotch depth 1cm and added another centimetre to the depth of the waistband. This made all the difference and the pants are now perfectly comfortable to wear!
Finding a suitably coloured zip was impossible, so a red one has sufficed. I used some African waxed cotton for the inside waistband, which helps with stability (no stretching out of linen on my waistband!) The insides are all overlocked to keep them neat and tidy, and found the right button in my stash.
I love the richness of the colour and I just hope it doesn’t fade. This is one problem I’ve been finding with the terracotta coloured fabric. This particular piece is lovely, there’s something devine about a linen and viscose blend. So much so, that when Rainbow Fabrics released new fabrics last month and I saw they had more – I bought more!! This time the colour is more paprika/rust, and I have 3m… I need to decide whether to make another Zadie Jumpsuit or the Wildwood Wrap Dress from Sew House Seven! I bought the dress pattern when it came out – even though I’m not a dress person – because I just loved how it looked on everyone! I have yet to trace and toile the pattern though!
It hasn’t taken me long to make another pair of StyleArc’s Teddy Designer Pants. I had a 3m length of black herringbone linen that I bought from Croft Mill ages ago that had been destined for a jumpsuit, but now has made the perfect pair of black linen Teddy Pants.
Teddy Designer Pants from Style Arc
The fabric is a soft, drapey linen, but has good body. It also attracts every last bit of fluff, dust and feathers… It was narrower than linen usually is, so I used more meterage than I had done with the green pants. I had hoped to get another of the Kana’s Standard jackets I made last year out of the remaining fabric, but it’s looking unlikely. The pants are pretty much the same as the green ones, apart from an adjustment in the back. I darted the back waistband in line with the trouser darts to take out 2x 0.75cm and enlarge and extend the darts a centimetre and a bit. The back fits better now, and has less opportunity to “grow” as the day goes on. I had noticed with the green pair that I was pulling them up more later in the day, so this little adjustment will sort that out.
I changed the order of work, once the front pleats were constructed and basted in place, the centre front was sewn from the base of the zip approx. 5cm. I had cut the front trouser pieces with the fly facing “grwon-on”. Basically, the fly facing pattern piece was taped to the centre front of the trouser piece, marked the centre front line with tailor’s tacks and went from there. The whole fly zip went in like a breeze and looks better finished too. Then I attached the pocket bags to the side seams and then sewed the front and back trouser pieces together. It was a pain in the whatsit trying to do the zip after having sewn the side seams first the last time.
I didn’t alter the length in the end, I’ve decided I like them as they are and I have enough cropped trousers anyway. I can imagine this pattern will be fabulous in a wool suiting or crepe for the winter too. I have a feeling that I’ll be buying something to make another summer pair when on holiday!
Maybe a patterned pair next time? Stripes??
Here’s another shot of that pleat, just for luck.
This pattern’s USP, the pleat and cocoon leg shape
I’ve been after a good jumpsuit for a while, and made one last year from a German magazine that Chris gave me. I liked it a lot, but it needed more adjustments to be perfect. I even bought more fabric to make another, but the summer disappeared on me and I thougth I’d wait. I then had an idea to make a pattern from the top portion of the Sew House Seven Tea Dress and a wide leg trouser pattern (more than likely from a Burda pattern) and see if I could make something work. But other things landed on my sewing table and I hadn’t got round to more than just think of the idea. And then Tara from Paper Theory posted her progress on making a jumpsuit pattern available. I thought I’d just wait for that, given how good her first foray looked last summer when she drafted one for herself.
Navy linen Zadie Jumpsuit by Paper Theory
The pattern was released a week and a half ago now, and I’ve made mine!! Actually, if you look on Instagram there are some great examples of the #ZadieJumpsuit to be seen. Lots of different fabric types, pattern or plain, and on lots of different people. I started by tracing the sizes 14-18. I’ve had a bit of a change in measurements lately, and can start sizing down! (yippee) Checking the finished measurements against my current measurements, and knowing how much ease I can get away with, made me start the toile with the size 16, with no adjustments. I already knew I’d need an FBA, just not necessarily in width. Making the toile means I get a proper idea of how much length I need to add to the bust depth. I also thought I might need to size down in the legs, as they’ve been getting skinnier! The other alteration I thought I’d need would be to shorten the legs – but by how much?
Can you see my whiter than white ankles in this shot? No? Need to shorten the trousers then!
I made the toile in an old duvet cover from the charity shop, and it ran up really quickly. The instructions are really clear and easy to follow, with diagrams if you need them. Once on, I knew I’d need that extra length in the bust depth! Standing up straight, I marked the bust point with a marker pen, then I pulled down the front so the waist was actually on my waist and then marked the bust point again. There was 3cm between the two points. Voila! Extra required bust depth! The crotch depth was also low, like MC Hammer low! 😀 So I pinned up 4cm and it felt much more comfortable. By doing this, I improved the look of the length, the trousers looked like they finished in the right place, so no chopping of leg length! Woohoo…
So, back to the paper pattern, I drew a line perpendicular to the grain line on the bodice front that lined up with the lower marking of my bust point. Then I cut along that line, stuck the bottom bodice piece onto a piece of paper, extended the grainline, drew a line parallel to the cut line 3cm away and taped the upper bodice piece to that line, lining up the grainline. Then I marked a dart at the side seam, the point of which is 5cm short of the bust point. Then I trued up the front line, crossing my fingers that I’d got the curve right! I used the lengthen/shorten lines on the trouser pattern to shorten the crotch depth. I also decided that when cutting I’d move the shoulder line to the 18 on the front, giving me another 0.75cm of length in the front. Maybe I needed it, maybe not! Time will tell once I’m actually wearing the jumpsuit on a regular basis.
Boob wings in all their glory in this photo.
The nature of the fabric is also showing up one tiny flaw. I do need to add some width to the bodice front. Because of the cut of the bodice and the kimono-like dropped shoulder, I have little “boob wings”. There is a triangular section of fabric running from the bust to where the armhole would be. So I need to fix that before making another. It didn’t show up so badly in the soft cotton duvet cover toile, so I thought I’d get away with it…
My fabric is a 3m length of 140cm wide navy Irish linen, 137gsm. It has a crisp handle, but is lightweight and hangs beautifully. It’s been in the stash for a while, and I’d fogotten it was as crisp as it was, but I wasn’t going to buy any more fabric just yet. It will soften with washing ( eventually) but will never quite loose that crispness. The colour though, is great, rich and with lustre.
The cutting layout has you open the fabric to a single layer, right side up, and cut each piece individually. This is because the designer is looking at the best way to cut the pieces with the least amount of wasted fabric, which, with the size and shape of the pattern pieces, is high. So leave plenty of time to do the cutting out!! And follow the diagram, or you’ll be caught short. Seriously, I recon it took as long to cut the pattern as it did to sew the toile!! However, I only had small bits of linen leftover, so it was the most efficient way to cut.
Bias binding on the front, with extra stitching for the ties. Insides are all overlocked.
The pattern itself is easy to put together. You have the option of making it “sleeveless” which really means a short, dropped shoulder sleeve, or adding the sleeve, which gives you long sleeves. This means you can make this jumpsuit for cold weather! I quite fancy making a wool suiting version and wearing a poloneck like the Tessuti Monroe underneath. The front of the bodice is bound with self bias binding, but you can make a bit of a statement if you go for a contrast colour or a different pattern. The bodice is staystitched before the binding goes on, so there’s no chance of stretching the front. The only thing I did differently was to overlock all the pieces before I started sewing, instead of neatening as I sewed.
I really love, love, love this finished project. It’s good to wear, shows no boobage when bending over (a critical aspect of any cross-over top) and stays put when moving about. I double checked that one by doing a crazy lady dance in my sewing room. In hindsight, I could probably easily loose another 2cm in the crotch depth and still have room to sit without squeaking. It is a very forgiving fit! The choice of size 16 was perfect, and while I could size down to a 14 for the width of the legs, this is a wide leg jumpsuit in a lightweight fabric, so no harm done. I will also be removing about 3cm in the leg length. Looking at these photos more shows that they are a tad long on me, you cannot see enough of that overwhelmingly white ankle, just about the same colour as my trainers!
I’m heading home – back to South Africa – for three weeks over the Easter period, and this is going to be the very first item that goes into my suitcase! Along with a large bottle of fake tan… I hadn’t deliberately decided this time to make anything for the trip, so this is a bonus – mostly because I didn’t think the pattern would be available until the summer. So, would I recommend it? In short – yes. I’ve seen it made by tall slim people, and by shorter, fuller figured people, and it looks good both ways. I’m not the tallest person on the block at 1.65cm, but the proportions seem to work. The fit is relaxed and loose, but you don’t feel like the saggy baggy elephant. I have a feeling this will work on pretty much all body types.
Now, will I make another? Heck yeah! I’ve just remembered a black 3m length herringbone linen that’s in the stash, bought 2-3 years ago when I first thought I’d like to try the jumpsuit trend. Might even do the sleeves with that fabric, it has more body than the navy I’ve just used! But first, I have a couple of Kabuki Tees I want to make, and some grey jersey that wants to be a Stellan tee, and make my first ever Style Arc trouser pattern, and I need to make two things for Daughter No2 that I toiled the week before last, and….. BIBS! I want to make a pair of hazel linen Burnside bibs to take with me! Oh boy. There is still the allotment and digging in of muck and starting of dahlias and sowing of seeds to do too. Oh help.
July’s Burda magazine was pretty good, I thought. There were a fair few patterns I marked as interesting to make, either for me or the girls. One that stood out immediately for me to make for myself, was the cropped, slightly flared trousers, 120. The only thing I didn’t want from the pattern was the pleated detail on the hip yoke pockets. It had similar details to the cropped trousers I’ve made heaps of so far, the rusty linen was the last pair.
Burda flared trousers 120 July 2018
I had some turquoise washed linen I’d got from one of the stands at the NEC in March that I decided was perfect. I had the right amount of fabric, which was a good start! I did make a toile, as I always do with trousers, I need to know just how much length to take out of the leg, and whether or not to grade out from the hip up to the waist so I can close the zip.
Burda trousers 120 July 2018
In the end I removed 4 cm from the length of the main pieces in order to get the knee line to line up with my knee, I left the lower trouser piece intact. I also graded out to what would have been a 46 at the waist, because I go straight up from the hip. The waistband pieces are straight, which is perhaps not ideal. I recut them so there’s a centre back seam, which helps with getting a better fit. Although, I have to say, looking at these photos, that I could probably do with making them a little shorter, about 2cm should do the trick. And I need to take them in a bit, they do look rather big in the thigh area, I’m sure I could loose a bit of fabric there easily.
Please excuse the creases, I’d been sitting too long already!
The linen pair are great!! I made them in the first half of July, just after we got back from our Cornish break. The colour is almost a neutral, but has enough colour to stand above. The linen is a bit thicker than I’d really like for the sort of summer we’ve had this year. On the day I delivered the shirtdresses to daughter no2, I wore these trousers – that’s when I finally got those photos done. It was easily the hottest day of the year, it got up to 32C in Birmingham, and I thought I would melt. I’d also sat on a train for 45 minutes, then walked for another 10 in the heat. I was already uncomfortable way before taking photos! No matter, apart from that, they’ve been lovely. I had to make them a little tighter where I’d let the pattern out! The linen, of course, stretches with wear and they ended up hanging a little low, so I took 7.5mm out of the centre back and 1.5cm out of the side seams, necessitating the removal and re-insertion of the invisible zip.
Lovely enough to make another pair! Your remember I had some inky blue linen/cupro from Fabworks a couple of months ago (probably longer than I’m thinking). I’d expected a soft, floppy fabric, and got something with lustre and sheen (like a silk) and a lot more body. So it went on the backest of back burners while I decided what to do with them made something else. But then this pattern said, “give it a try”. The body of the fabric would hold the shape, and it’s thinner than the turquoise linen. I had two metres, so why not! Just a note, this particular colour has sold out, but they have other shades on a special offer… There’s also a post with information on how to care for this particular fibre partnership.
I stuck with the original enlargement, this stuff has NO STRETCH! It was the right call. They fit really nicely into the waist and do not fall down during the day, just right. Again, I left off the pleated detail, you’re really never going to see it anyway, and it’ll just make bulk under my tops. More bulk….
So I’m really happy with this pattern, I think it could easily be made in wool for wear with boots and tights in the autumn/winter, in fact, I rather thought this last pair would be slightly transitional. While we’ve certainly had the most amazing summer weather, just how long will it last now it’s August already??
I have another pattern to make quickly from the July Burda, top 117 looks interesting, and I think I’ll make it with one of the pieces of fabric I got from Seasalt. But I just need to finish a couple of tops on order from daughter no 2 first…
This is a post that should have gone up last week, I finally managed to get photos of Daughter No2 in her new dresses last Friday, so I should have got everything sorted on the weekend – except we tuned out over the weekend, because it finally rained! We haven’t had rain since the 27th of April, according to my gardening diary. So it was nice to just relax and do those things you do on a rainy day – together…
Shirtdress 117 from May 2011 Burdastyle
So Burda 117, May 2011. Unfortunately it is not available on the English Burdastyle website, so you’ll have to track down a copy in the flesh or download the German version! Daughter no 2 had spotted it earlier in her hunt for a shirtdress, one of many patterns to try this summer. I love the slim, elegant skirt and little sleeves. The version in the magazine is made in a gorgeous blue and white floral print and it was this and the shape of the dress that drew daughter no 2 to it. Now I was on the look out for a suitable fabric.
Burda dress 117 05/2011
I finally found something suitable from Croft Mill Fabrics and we snapped up the last 2m. It was a blue and white floral print cotton-linen blend, but when it was washed, it turned into a pale blue and darker blue floral print… Luckily the new colour was accepted and approved, but now I needed new thread and a change of button choice.
The blousing in the back that she didn’t really like
I traced the 38, and made a toile using some pretty vintage cotton I bought earlier in the year from a Mid-Century Modern Show in Dulwich. Overall, the dress was approved, I needed to bring it in towards the waist, effectively making it a 36 in that area, and I needed to make a swayback adjustment in the skirt. The back of the dress has vintage inspired fullness, which I really liked, but daughter no 2 didn’t. So I adjusted the pattern to remove most of the blousing. The toile was then finished off, buttons etc from the stash, and now it’s fully wearable.
The pattern is straight forward to make, nothing complicated. The skirt pockets are stitched to the front skirt, which means no flapping about. Apart from nipping in at the waist and reducing the volume in the back, I haven’t altered anything else. The buttons came from the stash as my very local haberdashery closed last winter and my next local in Stratford on Avon will be closing in September. So the stock is very low and choice is worse. I couldn’t trust getting anything online so was desperate to find something suitable from my button box. I wasn’t sure I had anything, the dress needs 10 buttons, and I had nothing that was suitable in those numbers. But I did have two sizes of the same design button that hubby thought would do the job just fine. So I used the 3 bigger buttons on the bodice, and the 6 smaller ones on the skirt. It looks like it was done on purpose, rather than by necessity!
I delivered both dresses to Birmingham on what felt like the hottest day of the year! Oh boy, has this summer been warm! They were both tried on immediately and the squeals of delight told me I’d done my job! 🙂
The new, volume-reduced back view
What I rather like about both dresses is their ability to be worn layered with a tee shirt or cami and jeans/shorts/cropped trousers. Of course, after floating that idea, it had to be tested out, with what I thought was great success. I have since been informed that both dresses have been worn successfully and that she loves them. Phew! 😉
I am still chipping away at that long list of things to make, three more items crossed off the list will hopefully be photographed in a couple of weekends when she and her sister come for a visit.
But I am now on the hunt for a jumpsuit pattern that will be suitable for petites, with sleeves. Other requirements are that it be loose fitting around the waist, be able to be cropped to 7/8 length and be able to be worn in an office. Ideas please hive mind…
THE COMPULSIVE SEAMSTRESS 