A Pants Hack

Hello there! A recent post was about some life changes and my upcoming sewing plans. Well, speaking of life changes(!), as you might know, I've had to scrap the plans for my daughter's back-to-the-classroom wardrobe! Why? Well, for one of the best reasons possible. She and her husband are expecting their first child! I'm going to be a grandmother--and I'm still wrapping my head around that.

I am so happy for them. They will be wonderful parents and I want to do what I can to support them. I'm thinking babysitting, meal prep, hugs, whatever--but particularly sewing! Now, as you may know, Mehetabel (my not-her-real-name daughter) is 6 feet tall, and regular patterns always need to be adjusted. Throw pregnancy into the mix, and that adds another challenge. A challenge, yes, but not insurmountable! 

When they first talked about trying to get pregnant, I looked around for maternity patterns. There was nothing in the big four books! I found some current, independent patterns, and made some purchases. I also looked at eBay, Etsy, etc., to look for out-of-print and/or vintage-ish patterns, and made some more purchases. I didn't know what time of year all this would hopefully happen, but now I do: mostly winter. 

I should also mention that I still have many of the patterns I used when I was pregnant in the early-80s. I doubt Mehetabel would want any of those--including Nolan Miller's Linda Evans/Dynasty maternity patterns. I was also pregnant in a much warmer climate and primarily during the spring and summer, so our clothing needs were and are completely different.

On YouTube, several people have videos about how to hack RTW jeans for pregnancy. What a brilliant idea! I immediately bought a pair of Levi's on sale in Mehetabel's size--I could not find any RTW maternity jeans online that would be long enough, so this hack seemed like the answer.  Instead of winging it, I decided to use the stomach panel pattern pieces from a recently purchased older pattern: Butterick 5964. The rather cryptic information on the back of the pattern said to purchase fabric with 15% lycra/spandex for the stomach panel which wasn't easy to find. I did find some--only in gray--at Surge Fabrics online. I quickly bought some and awaited my package.

I was nervous about cutting into the jeans, but nothing ventured, nothing gained. I used the pattern pieces to trace out the area to be removed, and used the stomach panel pieces to cut out the 15% spandex tummy piece. 

Sewing was a breeze. I sewed the panel piece on my regular machine using a stretch stitch, and finished the seams with the serger. I considered doubling the fabric as shown in one of the videos, but I was worried that that would make the garment too hot. So, using the pattern's instructions, I finished off the top of the panel but with my coverstitch rather than the regular stitch of the instructions. By the way, the panel fabric has 50 UPF protection, so her stomach won't get burned!

This was a super quick and easy project. The jeans fit Mehetabel well, and she's pleased with them. Although, if I make them again, I will probably start the tummy panel a little higher up and leave a little more of the front fly. Who knows if these jeans fit her throughout the pregnancy, but we'll find out!

Next up, I'm either going to make some gray jeans for me, or pants--or--a top--for Mehetabel. Definitely on the list: more maternity clothes. Who knows what I'll make?!

Thank you for your kind comments following my recent news. I am recovering very well and am looking forward to new challenges.

Until next time ~ Grammy Peggy

Conference Capsule: A Dress with a Difference!

Well, I'm back. I thought I would be back sooner, but life.  It's all good. Wonderful, in fact. In my last post, I'd written about sewing some outfits for my daughter to wear on hot fall days and nights. My daughter read that post, and she mentioned that I might need to re-think the whole concept. Hmmm. I'll wait a bit before I tell you why. You'll probably guess.

She did need some new clothes for a conference she was attending in Idaho. The other dresses I made were no longer comfortable, so I set out to make something appropriate for her.

I thought about a lot of different options, like the Tilly and the Buttons Indigo Dress, the Love Notions Pemberley Dress, and the Pattern Emporium Every Day's a Weekend Dress. But then I decided just to use the same bodice mash-up I'd used before, blogged here and here. But this time, I cut 3 inches off the length of the bodice. Instead of the flared skirt with a fitted waist I'd used before, I made two rectangles at 26" x 35" for the skirt, and I made smaller and shorter bodice ties.

The bodice was underlined with a mystery knit lining. I added stay tape to the shoulders and a stretch stitch on the seams which were then finished with the serger. The hems were done on the coverstitch machine. I added facings to the neckline to finish it, and they were hand sewn to the underlining.

Here's the finished garment--and it's a success! So after whipping up this first version out of this "Famous Dress Designer" polka dot ITY fabric from Fabricmart Fabrics, I wanted to make another one out of a pretty floral border print ITY from fabric.com. But I ran out of time!

So, do you know why she nixed my earlier wardrobe plans? That's right. She's expecting a baby boy in the spring! She's in her second trimester now. She's got her energy back and is thriving. I am so happy for her and Aloysius. They'll be wonderful parents!

Now you know why the plans have changed. Drastically. I have some maternity patterns in my stash, including ones I used in the 80s. However, I was heavily pregnant in the very hot summer, and her biggest times will be in the snowy winter and early spring. Also, the patterns I used were big and billowy--as things were at the time. Shoulder pads? No problem! Want to dress like a pregnant Princess Di? Sure! But those patterns just don't cut it for the here and now. And I knew Mehetabel wouldn't need a full-term maternity dress for the conference because while her other dresses were too snug in the tummy, she wasn't ready for a big waistline or dipping front hem. This change to the previous conference pattern worked just fine for her then 4 month belly.

Here she is in situ at the conference about a month ago:

That's it for now. Thank you for reading and thank you for your kind words on my last post. I really do hope to be back on the blog soon! Take care ~ Peggy

A Stroke of Luck--and Plans for the Future

Hi folks ~ Long time, no blog! It's been a combo of boring and scary around these parts. 

Like many of you, I have been being extremely careful during the pandemic, not seeing people outside of my bubble, using curbside service if I need to buy groceries, always wearing a mask when I'm doing so, and attending Zoom meetings. I haven't had a need for new clothes, and my daughter hasn't either. Well, I'm fully vaccinated now, so I have a bit more freedom, but with the Delta variant all around us, I'm back to being hyper-vigilant. The pandemic is definitely the reason for the boring part of my first statement.

The other part of my statement, the scary part, I wasn't going to write about. But, it did happen and a lot of what I'm doing now stems from that: I had a stroke. I spent five days in the hospital and then moved in with my daughter, Mehetabel, and son-in-law, Aloysius, for the first part of my recovery. I'm very lucky in so many ways. They took care of me thoroughly and were so kind and loving that I don't think I can thank them adequately. After a bit, I moved back to my house which felt wonderful--as if I were no longer a victim (not that the kids made me feel that way; the stroke did). I had physical and occupational therapists, and a nurse, all of whom provided in-home care. They were wonderful, but I'm happy to say that I have graduated from those services. I'm back exercising in the pool most days, driving, and doing most of the normal things. One caveat I made was to hire housecleaners--because if I'm going to wear out easily, I don't want to waste my time cleaning!

While the stroke was scary, it was also what I'm calling a stroke of luck. Besides all the support I have, I'm lucky that I am alive, and I'm lucky that the stroke affected my cerebellum and not another part of my brain. I had no cognitive losses and no paralysis. The cerebellum affects equilibrium, so my balance was way off. I'm much better now, but I still careen and lurch sometimes! I'm sure it will get better with time. 

So, that's what I've been up to. I'm ready to get back to normalcy--in more ways than one! My daughter, who had been teaching remotely, will be going back to the classroom in August. She teaches at a local university and is completing her PhD dissertation. Teaching from home involved looking professional on top and ready for bed on the bottom! It'll be back to real clothes come August, and I've been daydreaming a lot about some possible new outfits!

We live in the high dessert, and it is hot here in the summer. Triple digit hot. That heat usually carries on at least through the end of September, followed by a few weeks of autumn, and then a cold, snowy winter. For now, I want to concentrate on making clothes that'll look professional but will be thermally cool. I'm thinking loose, linen pants, good-looking tops, and sleeveless dresses. Generally, I like a topper to complete an outfit. It's just too hot for that right now.

The first thing I'm going to make, because my serger is already threaded with navy, is a pair of wide-legged pants in a navy linen blend. I've never used this particular fabric before. It is by Telio and is a blend of linen, cotton, and "Cool Max" polyester that I purchased from fabric.com. I think I'll use Simplicity 8841 but make the pants full length instead of cropped. I blogged about this pattern here and Mehetabel likes it, so I think it'll be a great addition to her summer work-wardrobe. 

I'd like to make a few tops to go with these pants. I have an Art Gallery fabric with touches of  navy in cotton jersey that I thought might make a nice top from the Love Notions Willow Wrap Dress and Top. I've never made this pattern before, but why not give it a try? I love a surplice neckline.

I also have a black linen blend that will make a nice pair of pants. I might use the same pattern as for the navy, or I might use the Closet Core Patterns Pietra Pants. I'm going to make a pair of Pietra shorts to test the fit and see if Mehetabel has a preference.  For this one, I think I'll make the sleeveless wrap and tie blouse from Simplicity 8752 which is now out-of-print, but is on clearance on the Simplicity website. I passed by this pattern when I first saw it, but I liked the one that Vivmom Sews showed on a YouTube video. If I have enough, I think I'll use a rayon I purchased a while ago from fabricmartfabrics.com.

Next, I think a sleeveless dress is in order. Maybe the Turner Dress from Cashmerette (sans sleeves) in this red/white polka dot I purchased from fabric.com. This'll be my first time making a Cashmerette pattern for Mehetabel. I think the size 12 C-cup will work, but we'll see.

Another dress I like--and one I've made before--is a classic shirt dress based on a Dior design. As a pattern, it was originally sold as McCall's 6891, but it seems to now be Butterick 6843. I blogged about it here. Here's a photo of Mehetabel in the first dress. The second photo shows the fabric I'd like to use, a stretch cotton poplin from Mood.

Lastly, I might make the Style Arc Asha Dress, possibly as a top. I like this pattern, and I like that it brings the current shirring trend to a top or dress that looks more professional than a lot of the shirring one sees right now. For instance, the Nap Dress is cute, but I doubt Mehetabel would think it's appropriate for a college professor. I'll have to check my stash for suitable fabrics.

Of course, I might change my mind about some or all of this! And I might add a few more pieces. Such fun! I've been blessed with a full recovery and continued life, and this project is one of the many things I'm looking forward to doing.