Jalie #3461 Pull-on Jeans!

So, when I saw people raving about this pattern and these jeans, I knew I would have to give them a try. It’s been around 90 degrees here, so making jeans has not been a high priority for me. But now that I feel that Fall is coming, I wanted to get these done. And I am SO glad I did.

I have to say, these jeans are as great as everyone has said they are!

They are very comfortable and are just like jeans, but pull-on.

I used a stretch twill for these. I used this pair as a wearable muslin since I didn’t know how they would fit. While the pictures look like they are really pulling in the front, they don’t feel that way. You must make sure to use a fabric with the correct amount of stretch as the pattern tells you. I used the measurements on the envelope to determine my size and that’s what I made. I needed less adjustments with these than with regular jeans patterns. The only thing I did was to slightly pull in the elastic in the back in order to eliminate any back gap I might have (as is the case with regular jeans).

While there are no actual front pockets, the back pockets are real.

This is a pattern I can see making again. I’d like to find a patterned stretch twill or denim for the next pair.

Closet clean out & Fall sewing plan

The other day I decided to clean out my closet in order to reorganize and make room for new stuff. When you sew as much as I do, and I’m sure many of you have experienced this as well, you can easily run out of room to store the new things you’ve made. So I decided it was time to purge.

I ended up with about three bags of clothing and purses to donate and only a few things to trash. I also found a few things that need fixing in some way (hemming, etc.).

I thought this would be a good way to get me to start thinking about sewing for the next season. It’s a little difficult since temps are still in the 90’s and summer is in full effect here. But I thought I’d at least try a sewing plan. The clean up did help me to see what I’m lacking and what I would like to have.

The next step will be to write out what I’d like to make and maybe add some pattern options for those garments. I should also add color options as well. Then, when I really sit down to sew for Fall, I can forget about everything I had planned and buy new patterns like I always do – Ha Ha!

That’s all for now.

McCall’s 5248 Nightgown

I wanted something cute to wear to bed (other than my usual top and shorts), so I decided to make this nightgown. I’ve had this pattern for a while (I believe it’s out-of-print at this time), but I never made the gown.

And since this wouldn’t take a lot of material, I figured I could also use up another piece of fabric from my stash. I had recently bought a similar style nightgown (Calvin Klein) from Nordstrom during the sale, so I knew I would like this style. Although the one I bought is knit, it’s the same basic style.

I worked on this yesterday. The whole thing took about 4-5 hours from start to finish. I wasn’t in a hurry, but if I was, it could have been done in just a few hours.

I used a cotton shirting material that washes well and doesn’t wrinkle too much. It’s also very soft and gets softer the more it’s washed.

All in all, a pretty easy project.