Cheerfully Observing Thread

 Sometimes it’s really fun to have a basic staple in your wardrobe in a more unusual color and see how much you can do with it. I wanted a pair of white dress slacks for winter, mostly to go with my camel-colored wool coat, but also because so many winter outfits end up being primarily out of dark colors, and I wanted something a little different. I made this pair out of a polyester/rayon double knit, and I modified my favorite pajama pants pattern (Butterick 5963), since I like the fit of them so much. Here are the three things I changed:  1. I slimed down the outside seam from the waist to a few inches above the knees. This gave them a more tailored fit instead of the relaxed look of loungewear.  2. I then sewed the seams about an inch smaller at the waist (and gradually getter smaller to about 8” down where I joined with the side seam) to keep the waist from looking too bulky.  3. I cut the pants about 2” lower in the waist and put a waistband on (note: I usually ...

I made this camel colored wool coat as an alternative to the usual black one I gravitate to in the  winter. I used Vogue pattern #8884, since I really wanted a double-breasted winter coat. I am very happy with the look and the fit of this pattern, and below are some notes about how I did it and things I added to make it as top quality as possible.  The pattern recommended “nylon fusible knit” interfacing, so I used French Fuse interfacing on this coat, and I really like the amount of stability it gave it. On coats I made in the past, I often used horsehair canvas, but wasn’t always happy with the stiffness it added. French Fuse added body to the wool without restricting my ability to move around.  The entire coat and belt are top stitched and edge stitched. Doing all of that was a pretty big time commitment, but it gives it an incredibly polished look.  I made the belt loops with a double needle. This gave me an even row of stitching on the front and finished off the...