Made more Arthur pants, still working towards perfection

 So I lied about not making more Arthur pants.  Right after my first pair I got the pattern pieces out and changed where I had shortened things.  

I shortened the rise by 2" and shortened the legs by 1". I didn't change size. 

I made a pair in knit fabric.  I really can't tell the difference because it's a heavy velvet knit and there's so much fabric everywhere that they feel just as big as the first time around.  Oh well.  Better make more.  

So for the third time I also trimmed an edge of the curve, I left the pockets alone, and trimmed a max of 1 cm off the side pieces below that.  I made this pair in some luscious linen from a sample sale.  It's so beautiful.  I love it so much.  I love these so much.  I wore them on my trip to Europe where it was hot and I think the crotch is just a tiny bit droopy but otherwise they are winners and in a fabric store in Bern I even impressed the shop ladies who were inspired to take down the pattern name and research further.  BUT I think I can still take out a lot of volume from the side leg.  

 

So I did that, this time I went ahead and cut the curve down including the pocket.  I reshaped the pocket opening to be the same, but the result is that I loose some of the front waistband - maybe about 2 cm.  I had another length of linen from the sample sale and I thought I should do my experiments with fabric that shows the shape, so here we are.  

 

I think I am finally really happy with this shape.  It's still got a curve but it's not exaggerated.  The slightly smaller waist makes just a bit less volume on the front.  Maybe the back has too much volume but I can't see it so I don't care.  I wanted to immediately make a lovely loungey pair but they are still pretty big consumers of fabric, so I didn't have enough grey knit after cutting out a new singlet.  I am visiting the States...maybe I need some special trip fabric?  

Also my tops in grey and pale green are both cropped Blomma tanks.  They are my new favourite things ever for winter, because I can wear them with all my new high waisted pants and my cropped sweaters that I have been making.   

 

 

Dreamy starry Helene and a Blomma hack

 So how about an epic win?

After my first pair of Helene jeans, I wore them around, and reflected on the vision I had for this fabric.  It's been stashed for awhile, being a special designer fabric and etc etc, but I felt pretty confident that I could match my inspiration.  I sized up to a 6, used the straight leg pattern, removed 2" from the rise, and the 30" inseam (interestingly - this was LONGER than the 32" inseam of the other pair.)  My vision was of a pair of fitting to slightly oversized jeans with a straight leg and about an ankle length which I planned to not hem.  I had considered different lengths for the front and back hem - a nice addition I've seen on some RTW, but it would have required planning ahead and cutting the different lengths and felt like too much at the time, so I skipped it. 

The denim is probably 10 oz and has no stretch.  I made sure to use a zipper that wasn't too short this time, and I was really surprised that these jeans came together in one day with no hitches at all, in fact, they felt very meditative.  Have I finally got the handle on denim??  I used gutermann topstitching thread and it didn't thread nest on the back.  

And then I went to put in the button...

And for the first time in my life, the button ripped almost through the fabric.  It was literally the final step, as I had already done the rivets.  I was in horrified shock.  This immediately led me to try to find solutions which were, at this moment, unnecessary - because the button hasn't pulled all the way through I'll have to wear the jeans as they are until it does, and then orchestrate a fix.  But anyway I sewed on a scrap of leather behind the button, and clearly that will be my fix - I'll put little pieces of leather front and back of the hole after interfacing them, and then apply a new button. I might topstitch that area of the WB in a spiral to strengthen it for all this. 

Aside from that catastrophic denouement, the jeans are perfect.  I did, however, stop there and I did not put on a little leather patch on the back.  Maybe I'll do that when I replace the button...

 

I'm wearing them here with my new Blomma top.  I realised at the beginning of summer that I needed a cropped linen tank top.  I got 2m of linen knit from The Fabric Box, used the Blomma, widened the back by an inch or so, cropped it, and used the armhole binding technique from the Briar tee.  It has been the perfect addition to my summer wardrobe as waistbands creep up!  

StyleArc Logan shacket review & a peek at the Blomma tank

I was trawling the webs for shacket patterns about November.  I had some specific features in mind but the fabrics I wanted were from the States so I had to rein in my excitement. My absolute favourite fabric also only had a small yardage available.  I ended up buying two different plaid flannels (both are Robert Kaufman mammoth) and the benefit of this pattern is the low required yardage.  Naturally once I finally got around to sewing my plans changed and this is the larger piece - I have a new scheme in mind for the smaller one. 

The other pattern I want to try is the Trish Newbery Carter Shirt Jacket (a new to me company!) but I've decided not to use flannel for it, rather to use a double faced coating I've had sitting around so it will be really more on the jackety side of shacket.  It has features I think are more shacket appropriate, like pocket flaps, button cuffs and a nice shaped hem and I am hoping it will work out nicely in my heavier fabric.

I used a size 8 in this pattern and am happy with how the size fit.  Generally I find Style Arc true to size even if I don't think every pattern is a winner.  This is the first thing I've made by them that I have loved and that fit me just as I wanted. 

I would call this the lazy shacket pattern.  The yoke is not doubled.  There are no sleeve plackets. The hem is a small hem and you can't make it larger because it won't go around the curves (I tried).  If you want to sew the side seam pockets down to the front so they don't flap (just a personal preference for me) beware because they overlap the front chest pockets.  

As always Style Arc provide only the most skimpy of instructions.  They were totally sufficient for this project.  I used french seams wherever I felt like (shoulders, sleeves) but not on the side seams as I still haven't conquered french seaming in side seam pockets.  I first heard of this being done by Carolyn but there is a tutorial here.

The tank is a Blomma tank, free pattern by Paradise patterns.  I experimented with various methods of sewing the bands using my coverstitch machine, not entirely successfully.  I love the grey one and then made another in rib which feels quite heavy: 

The Blomma is an excellent addition to one's stable of free tank top patterns, I suspect when summer comes around I will do more experiments. 

While I was sewing this shacket it seemed too flimsy because of all that single layering.  I didn't think too highly of it.  I made a feeble attempt to pattern match, as usual lining up something irrelevant and therefore missing the big show of the side seams matching up, but it's close enough and I'm not too bothered.  I was therefore pretty surprised in the end when I put it on and discovered it's a substantial feeling overlayer that meets all of my desires to wear old-man chic.  In the end I'm really happy with this shacket though I'm keen to make a heavier one too.  It's not a pattern I would make hundreds of times, but I'm happy.