All the Leggings Fit For Print

All of New York: it's possible you can thank ME for this gloriously hot (and unfortunately pollen-encrusted) weather we are having. Because just before it hit, I sewed up the raddest pair of printed leggings in some spandex-with-poly-blend that probably won't be practical again until late-October. That is how life works: you sew something you love, and then the weather changes so you cannot wear it. Somebody hand me some linen.

Seriously. I just single-handedly installed an AC in our bedroom AND I DIDN'T EVEN KILL ANYONE. I could have, you know. But I was willing to take that risk because it is heat-wave-in-May hot here today and my seasonal allergies mean I can't crack a window (I wiped down my windowsills yesterday and they were all greenish-yellow. What a fool I have been. Also, we went to the Botanical Garden for Mother's Day, an unfortunate decision I regretted all last night in bed, where I lay with a cool cloth on my eyes like some Victorian invalid).

Anyway, leggings:

I bought this printed stretch fabric at Metro Textile, intending it for my stretch sewing class at Bread & Yoga. Nobody snapped it up for their kiddie leggings (our first project) so I swapped it out for some other...perhaps less offensively bright and patterned prints. Last laugh? I'll have you right here:

I made the pattern for these leggings by cutting open a raggedy old pair of Steven Madden leggings and using them as a guide. It's a one-piece pattern, with just an inseam. I like not having a seam along the side to interrupt that print. That print, after all, is the one that will do all the interrupting.

It is the kind of print that you have to plan for carefully, lest you end up with two red whatever-those-ares on your tush. These leggings could have gone baboon-butt so quickly.... And because I am a generous mom, I plan on making a pair for my kid because she asked so nicely — AND was the one who sweetly brought me that cool cloth I mentioned earlier. How sweet it is when our kids grow up enough to take care of us from time to time.

Are you in the thick of summer sewing yet (for those of you in the Northern Hemisphere)? Just tell me to make a Gabriola skirt already...

McCalls 6404 Re-do

Sadly, in the world of sewing (as in nearly everywhere else), you get what you pay for. (Except when it comes to bargains like Craftsy classes on sale or McCall's $1.88 pattern sale, both which are happening right now. You're welcome).

I'm sure there are exceptions to this rule, but in my experience I'll always regret using cheapo fabric — especially if I want, you know, to, like, actually wear the garment in question. 

Today's Exhibit A is my leather patch leggings, which I sewed from McCall's 6404, a pattern I liked even though it had a wacky amount of ease built-in (I took them in to reduce wrinkling after this picture was shot):  

Ease-y rider

But then I was riding the bus with my preschooler on a rainy day when I noticed little black specs all over her hands. "What have you been touching?!" I asked her, alarmed. 

"Nothing!" she insisted. And that's when I noticed, it was all over my hands too! Looking around, it became clear that the culprit was my leather-patch leggings, the knees of which were shedding a layer of ...what? plastic? Ick!

So I threw them in my sewing bin, hoping something could be done to salvage them eventually. I loved the main fabric (a soft and lovely double knit) too much to toss them. But clearly the el cheapo pleather patches were not up to the task of actually being worn. Rage!

Luckily, I had just enough of the gray double-knit left to make knee patches (hurray for hoarding!). Unpicking all those seams last weekend was an unpleasant experience. In the middle of it, I was considering other hobbies. My sister-in-law just began log-rolling classes. That sounds fun.

Incidentally, that double-knit cost twice as much per yard as the faux leather. And when I re-did these leggings with knee patches made in the same fabric, I finally got what I paid for:

Not the best photo in the world (I suck at selfies!), but I'm very happy to now have a pair of very wearable leggings (though the back rise on this pattern is dangerously low for me; I have to wear a looooong top to keep my underpants under wraps when I bend over or sit down):

I like the subtlety on the seaming now. To anyone considering this pattern, I would suggest adding a few inches to the length (and the back rise if you have a round butt!), and sewing the smallest size you think woud fit you. There was so much excess in these after my initial pass at this pattern.

Is there any case in which cheap fabric doesn't come back to burn you? What's your biggest fabric fail?

FInished Project: Rock and Roll Leggings!

That would be a D chord, FYI

Last winter I refashioned a pair of longjohns into leather patch leggings, and then proceeded to wear them to DEATH. Granted, the faux leather I used wasn't the highest quality, and they were a touch too tight, which meant more wear and tear on the seams than a pair of pants can handle in a season. Still, I loved layering them with T-shirts, tunics and cardigans, and wore them until the weather warmed and I couldn't deny they were destined for the landfill.

But with Fall finally here in NYC, sewing another, better pair was high on my list of things to make this month. And luckily for me, they appear to be just as in fashion this fall as they were last winter. You can find both high- and low-end examples, from these pricey stretch-corduroy riding pants: 

....to super cheap maternity leggings at H&M:

So when McCall's/Vogue/Butterick held one of the its bi-monthly pattern sales (OK, maybe they're not bi-monthly, but they happen often enough that you probably never need pay full-price for a pattern from those three makers), I scooped up McCall's 6404, an easy Misses leggings pattern with four variations:

Sometimes you have to look past the styling to see the potential!

And though my first crack at this pattern turned up a few fit issues that will need adjusting before I make 10 more pairs, I was happy enough with the results to put on some black eye makeup and grab my husband's guitar for a photo shoot. The main fabric is a double-knit from Fabric.com for $12/yard — a price that was worth it: the drape and feel of this fabric is just lovely. The faux leather was from this place on 39th Street in the Garment District. (I don't remember the name and can't find it on Google street view — darn those roll-down metal gates!)

The saggy, baggy knees will require more than just a side seam adjustment; this wrinkling is the result of the leggings being too lengthy through the knee for my petite frame. Luckily, that's an easy adjustment to make on the pattern.

Really, I can live with this — and will be wearing them to the playground today. Like Dixie DIY once wrote about the overfitting we do as sewers, we put up with a lot of imperfections in the ready-to-wear stuff we buy, so why sweat every little fit issue in our self-made garments? (That's a rough paraphrase, and I'm sticking with it — at least until I sew my second pair, which I know will fit much better).

I also need to add an inch-and-a-half to the back rise; my round butt requires a little more fabric to cover it than most, apparently. But that's something I don't need documented in pictorial form on the Internets. Just imagine a little dip at center back. 

I see so much possibility in this pattern now: black on black; a bright hue with brown faux leather; stretch denim leggings with faux suede patches; zebra print ponte with black patches: 

Ok, maybe not for me. But I could picture this on a few of you...admit it. If not this, what would you make with McCall's 6404?

Preview: DIY Leather Patch Leggings!

I have too much work today to linger here long, so this post is merely a preview to whet your tastebuds for some sweet DIY Leather Patch Legging Action. Here's the inspiration (from H&M):

 

And my first attempt, which I made using fake leather from AK Fabrics on 39th Street ($10/yard) and a pair of old Mountain Equipment Co-op long johns:

 

I love the way they look, but I need to work out the easiest way to accomplish this cool DIY project. My first pair involved some trial and error. I'll be back soon with a tutorial after I get the time to make another pair of these!

Fabric rationing in these tough times

You know that sad feeling you get halfway through a vacation that something you looked so forward to is almost over? (I was going to say Christmas, but I wanted to be more inclusive and I am so OVER Christmas right now).

Anyway, That's the feeling I have in using up the remainder of this amazing peacock printed silk I bought at Metro Textile Corp. on 37th Street — which readers may recognize as the fabric from my beloved Bombshell Dress. But my husband started school today which means our budget is tighter than ever, so when the whim hit this week to make something new, rather than go shopping, I had to fish out some remnants and decide what to do. I should have worked harder on the pattern to ensure I didn't mess up and waste these last precious scraps, because the results are a little wonky. But the fabric and the silhouette are lovely and it just looks adorable on.

Keep in mind this is not finished (and the photo was shot on my phone because my husband took our SLR to school with him today). The cord on my iron sparked and sizzled last night in a truly frightening foreshadowing of the gigantic fire that burned up nearly a block in my old neighborhood of Inwood a couple hours later. I threw the offending iron in the trash (with a note on it to say it's a fire hazard because I know our super would fish it out. New York City gives supers stiff fines if tenants don't sort out their recyclables. So the crank who keeps our building clean sifts through the trash, picking out the paper and bottles my elderly neighbours can't be bothered to put in another bin. What this means is he sees everything. So now I am extra careful about what I throw away — if I think he can identify me as the tosser. See what you're missing, those of you lucky enough to live in houses?) Anyway, the dress-in-progress:

The skirt in this (very-short; don't worry, I plan on wearing tights with it) dress was made from the black silk satin I used to make this junior bridesmaid dress:

Anyway, I started sewing this on New Year's Eve, so I guess it squeaked in under the gate as a 2011 project, which means I didn't yet break my resolution to take more damn care with the things I make — especially when using such precious pieces of printed fabric. I'll reveal more about the mistakes I made when I post this as a finished project.

As for the iron, I ordered a new one from Amazon this morning, so hopefully I can hem my new dress soon. To that end: without an iron, I can't really do anything — other than plan what I want to sew in the future:

-The Minoru jacket. The pattern arrived in the mail yesterday, but I have yet to buy fabric.
-Pants that fit better than the ones I sewed in 2011 and NEVER wear.
-A bra — to go with all the underpants I made near the end of 2011. It sounds crazy, but Novita of the blog Very Purple Person does it, and hers are amazing. If she hosts a sew-along, I am so on board.
-Soft, comfy, things made from jersey that I will actually put into heavy rotation in my wardrobe (probably atop a pair of black leggings. Here are the prints I am coveting (both available at Harts Fabric).

And, speaking of leggings, I covet these H&M leggings with knee patches:

But I can't be bothered to go into an H&M and spend any money on them (and nor can I afford to), so I'm thinking of trying to finesse my own pair. Any thoughts on what would work best for the patches? Faux leather/vinyl? Any readers out there purging their closet of a pair of faux leather pants or an old icky jacket? Cut me off a leg or an arm and I will figure out how to do this and then post directions! Let's do this, team!