Inside workings

I don't like stiff waistbands.....I like them to be comfortable so I use two layers of very firm iron on interfacing. I always make my waistbands 1" wide and lately I have been backing them with lining fabric so that they are not bulky......I stitch the lining onto the waistband by hand with felling stitches. This takes quite a few hours of hand sewing but my waistband is not bulky and it looks very tailored, IMHO.

My thread is passed through beeswax a couple of times and ironed in between layers of muslin to remove the excess wax.

Waxed thread

This is what the inside of my waistband looks like before I have lined it........

The stitches are catch stitches holding the lining of the trousers and the waistband facing together, I also took out bulk from darts and so on before I did this.This is a clearer picture.....basting top and bottom of waistband, catch stitches holding fabric and lining together and the end of the waisband turned in and hemmed trying to keep the end of the waistband square. This picture is from the right side of my trousers.

Red nails

I haven't got lots of nail varnish but I am partial to a few strong colours.... I bought this last year

it's from Clarins and goes on beautifully....undercoat, 2 coats of polish and a top coat......actually the undercoat and top coat are the same clear varnish.....I wouldn't waste my money buying 2 bottles of clear varnish.......I also use my body lotion as hand cream.

Summing up

HAPPY NEW YEAR!
Summing up what I have done over the last year.....which isn't very much, and I must do better this year.......3 pairs of trousers, 1 top and a scalf, it really is pathetic considering what some people sew. To be fair to myself my mother was very, very poorly and I can't concentrate on anything when I am worried.....then I spent several weeks trying to fit muslins for 2 blouses, I did eventually put them both to one side because I got fed up of them, I will get them out again to try. Fitting gets me so frustrated.

I am trying to get organized with my sewing so I am making a pair of Spring/Summer trousers from my TNT pattern and I am half way.

This is my welt pocket.....still with the chalk lines.......not a very good picture either. I am putting in a full loose lining and I 'm using bremsilk from MacCulloch and Wallis. I am wanting a white blouse (very loose fitting) to go with these, I also want a pair of navy flat pumps

This is the shirt pattern that I love and is probably out of print, I have had it for years and is only in a size 14 but it is huge and might be alright with a FBA. I have made view A before many years ago but it was far too big and I didn't have the know how to make it smaller so it was no good by the time I had finished with it, but I still love the relaxed design.

I think I will try view C this time but I will have to do a dreaded muslin before I start...oh how I wish I didn't have to alter patterns.....really, that is what takes up my sewing time ......tut!

It's Christmas

Here are a few of my Christmas decorations, I intended to take some last year but my camera broke and I didn't get them done. Inside of my porch.....looking out onto the snow...... brrrr it's very cold.

Close up of wreath which is covered in red berries...artificial ones.

Wreath on the front door..I think this is supposed to be an indoor wreath but I quite like it outside...it survived last winter I hope it survives again.

Close up of my decorations on the tree...some of these decorations are probably over 50 years old, some are years younger but all of them are treasured.

I put my Xmas tree in the dining room.....snow in the back garden and the temperatures are 0 degrees. The log man is coming this afternoon we need to stock up because it is so cold.

I have had this Santa for quite a number of years. I bought 2 one for each side of the mantle but I gave one to my daughter.

Sitting room mantle.

Wreath inside the front porch.....as you can see we have snow. Those little cross stitch decorations were made for me by my daughter when she was very young.

These are flowers my husband bought me....just because he wanted to.....ah

More trousers

I know..I know more trousers.........but I have eventually ordered some samples for a jacket. I have only tried to make a jacket once and it was a total disaster but I have to say I am a little better at fitting now.

I have had some navy chino cotton for about 5 years, it has been washed and ready for cutting for a long time now....so I am making a couple of pairs of summer weight trousers (I am always behind with my sewing e.g. making winter garments in the winter and summer garments in the summer) and they will be ready for the warmer weather.

I have been on a couple of months trying to perfect my blouse muslin but it is still not right, I have put it to one side for now, I am so frustrated trying to fit my top half.....I don't know what I will do about my jacket lol lol.

I am using my TNT trouser pattern, if it's not broken then don't fix it....that's my motto, I hate fitting anyway.






Here are a couple of pictures of my muslin....I changed the front darts to princess seams......this fabric is stiff cotton so it does not have any drape whatsoever, maybe that is my problem, I don't know, or maybe I am just too picky.

Worry....Worry

As I said in my last post my Mum hasn't been very well for a couple of months now.......she is 77 years old and still does her daily regime of exercises but lately her breathing has been terrible. She hasn't been to the doctors for years and after much persuasion she finally decided she needed an ambulance.
She has been given every test under the sun but they can't decide whether she has had a slight heart attack or not, but she has had fluid on her lungs....no pain.
We are just awaiting more results.
Sewing is off the cards for the moment...I have more important things to see to.

Sewing through the heartache

At last I have finished these trousers, I have had a trumatic time over the last couple of months and didn't feel much like sewing.....as I have mentioned before we have lost 2 of our old labradors and although they have had a wonderful life I miss them terribly. One of my favourite aunts has also died, I was very, very upset but it was a blessing because she suffered terribly and my Mum hasn't been her usual self lately....so all in all a pretty miserable couple of months.

These trousers are based on my TNT pattern, I have made the legs slimmer and put in a slant pocket instead of the usual side pockets. I had also intended to put studs in the pockets and do a welt pocket in the back, however, I have been on so long with them that I didn't do the welt pocket and I should have put the studs in the pockets before I stitched the side seams because my little gadget for putting in the studs wasn't long enough. This is the back , I am quite happy with the fit of these. I had intended to use these trousers for walking my dogs, hense the cord fabric, but I think they are too good at the moment for pushing into wellies and getting all muddy.

I am not quite sure if these sandals go with these trousers, when I measured the hem I had flat shoes on......my DH thinks they look alright but I'm not sure.

I traced my TNT pattern, I measured the bottom width of another pair of trousers I had, then tapered the bottom of the pattern to about the crotch area ( I didn't want to touch the hips and waist or the darts so I stopped at the crotch). I stitched the darts then underlined each piece, then stitched everything together as one. I also had to adapt the top of the trousers for the slant pockets and make a pattern for the new pocket.....I think I did alright with the pockets, maybe a few tweaks here and there will be needed. I sewed everything together in my usual way but I tacked the side seams for fitting.....I needed to take them in another 1/4" at the bottom tapering to the crotch once again, I will adjust the pattern accordingly.

I am not sure whether it was worth all the hastle of changing the pockets because I can't wear anything tucked into my waist....my figure won't allow it.....so my pockets won't be seen anyway.

I am delighted that I have a new TNT pattern for trousers to work with, it will be well used I can tell you, like all of my patterns.

What is up next?.....the blouse I am wearing in the picture I have made quite a few times now, I might have a go at doing something different with that. I made two of these blouses out of linen, this one and a white one, they have been washed and worn over and over again, I have certainly had my wear out of them.

I could buy a new pattern for a shirt but the shape of it would end up like the one in the picture, so I might as well save myself some money and try to do somthing with my TNT pattern.