Loungewear flares

 

Ok so really this is not at all an original thing to make, but I have already worn these three times and washed them once so really so far they are a very good idea because besides they fit my Fae clothing theme being a lovely watercolour type of print of smudgey florals, they're also a style I enjoy wearing, and they are comfortable which matters at this time of year when you need warm comforting food and clothing to combat the often vile wet weather outside. I actually waited quite a few days to get these trousers photgraphed due to the cold rainy world outside!

These trousers fit the comfort bill fine, and work well as loungewear, which I can still wear out and about and the fabric is nice enough I felt OK to go to a coffee shop at the weekend with a mate and not feel out of place.

On top of that the fabric has now been in the stash more than a year so needs using up. I have also just cut a dress out of the same fabric which pretty much uses it all except for a few small pieces which I need to be a bit inventive with I think if I am to find a way to use them. More on that when I get an idea!

Like the multi coloured flares I made a few months back these are made using a free yoga pants pattern that I have been grateful for the chance to use for a long time now. Its the best stretch flares pattern I  have come accross and being free is a wonderful bonus.

This is the link to the pattern: https://siloandsage.com/2015/03/06/free-yoga-pants-pattern/

Also like the last few versions of these I have widened them a bit to make the flares wider. Well the pattern was released years ago now in a world with straight leg trousers so with changing times this updates it and its just so simple to add a few cm to the side seams. 

Hopefully I will find time to sew up some of the baby clothes I have been cutting out. Once I do I will post about them.

Enjoy your weekend and here's hoping its a sunny one regardless of where on planet Earth you live;

Take care

Bracken

Pink flares and Bixa version 2

What can I say about this outfit but I made it because I can!

Its taken me a whole month to get round to taking photos of this outfit. In the meantime I have not worn it. Mainly thats because of the colour and the sleeves which can be trashed too easily with housework and since lockdown I have done loads of that. In fact I think my house is as clean as it was when I moved into it and I cleaned everywhere before unpacking.

In the end though I want to wear the yoga pants to lounge around in so had to get round to taking the photos!

I bought the pink scuba fabric for 99p from Ebay about 30 seconds before the auction ended. It was advertised as that it had a small mark on it but was 6.5m in length. From the photos most of it would be useable anyway. Its not a colour I would usually buy, I have to admit, but for 99p I will try anything.

Cream Bixa

When I received it I washed it and the stain came out - bargain then. Still not any ideas for what to make from it so into the stash it went. Now I am about to start a new job ( assuming its still there after lockdown anyway) and want some new tops and I am bored so I decided to make another Bixa. Its was already on the To-Do list anyway and at 99p its a cheap risk. So I lengthened the body section because the cream version is a bit short for my age - or so I feel. You have to feel comfortable after all. Its not all about fashion.


Then I joined the top sleeve and bottom (under sleeve parts) together. I lengthened the top overlay to the same length as my new sleeve pattern. I then cut it all out from the pink crepe and the overlay is cream wedding veil tulle.

In the end I am not going to wear this top for work! 

Since the fabric was also huge (6.5m) I decided to cut a "matching" pair of yoga pants using the free pattern from here:
http://ifonlytheywouldnap.net/2015/03/06/free-yoga-pants-pattern/

I used this pattern several times before and I really like it. Its makes for tight slightly flared yoga style trousers. I do not however like "yoga band" waists so cut a proper waistband from some scrap leapardskin print fabric from when I shortened my dress which was about the same time as cutting this hence I knew where it was.  The dress now ends just above my knees and is worn far more than it was, which was never. The resulting waistband is a fake yoga band that has wide elastic in normal waistband with a second strip sewn on top to give the yoga band look. It works for me.

I also added 3cm to the width below the knee on each side of the front and back pattern pieces, which I graded down to the bottom hem to make the flares wider and just hoped they did not twist as a result. It worked and they did not twist. I really like them!

I sewed the trousers up with crepe-side as right side but the top as crepe-side inside. Crepe-side outside for tops for me feels very aging. I prefer a flatter fabric.

It was a bit tricky adding the overlay which turned out very full but with careful pinning it worked. As I went to sew it I also decided to add the ribbons. The ribbon addition was just inspiration.

Well what can I say? Its completely impractical so it really is a case of "just because you can". 

 Because the top is longer than my previous cream version you only see the waistband when I stretch or bend but thats OK. Its a nice touch I think.

 I just could not resist the ribbons. I own a Burda pattern for a medieaval costume top and that has a similar shaped sleeve which gave me the inspiration, but I has made it a top that I do not feel I will wear for work. This shade of pink and the overlay and the flares - well its all a bit OTT really isn't it?
Thats what lockdown is doing to me!

I am not sure the top will get worn much to be honest,  though for a day out somewhere, it has a place in my wardrobe. As previously though with the last Bixa top, this could be a good wedding guest outfit. Or a going out to dinner or a clubbing outfit.

The trousers though, I am aching to wear.  Surprisingly I even do not mind the pale dusky pink colour. I

Looking at these photos I am also aware I need to make some underwear (knickers!) that looks better in these kind of clothes! Its on my next list!

Thanks for popping by and stay safe,

Bracken

Velvet PJ or loungewear pants

 I loved those early 2000s velour/velvet tracksuits. I know its all old hat now but I still loved them. I live in a pretty cold house when its winter because we rely on oil and logs for heating and both are expensive and unlike electric and gas you have to pay out before use and we have no option for a payment plan as such. Anyway what this means is I need warm lounge wear/ Pjs.

I used the rest ( near enough) of my velvet/velour leopardskin for the first pair. Its the same fabric as this top so will work together quite well saving me from making a top to go wth the leopard pair.

I am intending to make a traditional zip front hoody jacket in the black velvet. I bought this black velvet fabric recently and have about 8m of it left so plenty to play with assuming I cock-up the frst hoody since I have not yet made one of these so anything could go wrong. I will show you that top once its made. The black though is a very wearable fabric so Iam pretty happy to have come accross that at a good price and am not unhappy to keep some in the stash forlater projects.

I bought 6m of the green velour a while back in the summer when it was really not the weather so as usual it expanded my stash and in this case rather a lot because it is very bulky fabric so I am hoping to use it all up asap to make space.

I absolutly cannot handle the green version at all. I think all 3 versions show I need to do some exercise 😀 which is not good but I will sort that one. My rear is growing!

My original yoga pants

The pattern is a freebie from Naptime creations and I already made a version here for yoga. This time I missed off the yoga waist band and added elastic which makes for a low waist - 90s style - but I am a fan of this and hate high waists so thats not a problem. You can get the pattern from this link:
https://ifonlytheywouldnap.net/2015/03/06/free-yoga-pants-pattern/

I must have cut slightly off grain tho on the green pants cos one side seam seems to migrate around my leg when wearing but for Pjs, which will probably go out of shape anyway, thats not the end of the world. I was toying with the idea of making a second pair to perfect this but really do I want that many pairs of green velvet lounge pants?

I may yet make a green top but one thing I already discovered about these 3 pairs of pants. I love the black and the leopard print and both work to pop out on a Sunday morning to the local shop but the green is a NOT an out of the house pair. I wore them to Aldi and felt very conspicuous so never again!

As you can see though the leopard print work with my biker jacket:

So a bit of a mixed bag here. Two pairs out of 3 is not so bad but what the hell am I going to do now with the rest of that emerald green velour cos I do not think I am keen on wearing it. I need to decide because it takes up far too much space in my stash and I was doing quite well reducing my fabric stash right down till I pulled that bit of fabric out.

I might manage a Tshirt because that could work with a plain black skirt and jacket but most of 6m remains. Maybe a costume? 

Any ideas?

Bracken