If you are intrigued by pics of me wearing stuff I've made, then you're going to be all into the next couple of posts.

Recently, I alluded to the fact that, over the past couple of weeks - with the awareness that most of my sew-jo is going to be spent on the tailored Spring Suit - to spend a bit of time each evening prepping a couple of "simple" sewing projects. (Note: Is it just me or is nothing actually simple?)

I decided on a new version of the Tiramisu in navy wool jersey and another pair of the Kwik Sew denim leggings, as I'd already sorted out fitting for both of them. Alas, you know that every fabric is its own mysterious experience, so I might as well not have considered myself safe on fit.

Anyway, everything was going well: One night I'd prep fabric. Next night, review the pattern. Next few nights, cutting fabric. You know, really "sensible" style. And then I got sick and a crap-load of cut up fabric sat on the floor of my sewga room driving me nuts. Does your sewing ever taunt you?

Finally, today I felt better enough to sew, and sew I did.

First up, photos of denim leggings (long-winded story on ridiculous fit issues to follow, below):

FYI, I realize they are marginally too tight. That's part of the story... Also, they haven't had any chance to stretch - as they always do!

I find this photo inexplicably humorous. I'm like a kindergarten teacher in skin-tight denim.

Here I am, working my sex-ay. Note, however, my cool styling with the boots. It's double zippers!

Scott called this one "Canadian Gothic" and I had to include it - in all it's wan-ness - because it really does show you how I feel. This pic is saying: I'm fucking tired of this winter. No one does pallor like me.

OK, on with the story...

I bought the denim with S when we went fabric shopping recently. It's REALLY nice. Alas, it has (maybe) 10 per cent stretch. My other Kwik Sew (3807) denim leggings were made with very stretchy denim (like practically yoga material) and so, last year, I fitted the large-fitting pattern to that fabric. Well, when first I tried on one basted leg of these (which is to say "attempted to get them over my ankles") I suspected it wasn't going to be an easy sew.

I spent the first 2 hours absolutely certain I was wasting my time. The only reason I kept going is because I have a kid who's a bit smaller than me - and because I wanted to sew.

How I "fixed" things:

• The SAs are serged to 1/4" - 1/8", depending on where you look. And then reinforced!
• As a result, I had to cut the SAs on the zippers, and fray check them. Interesting side-note: The zips are 2 diff lengths (7" and 8") and I don't care! I kept it that way on purpose and I think it's weird and subversive. Plus, you really can't tell the difference unless I hold both legs up to you, exactly at the same height and tell you where to look.
• I wouldn't have bothered with the zippers - which took a LONG time to figure out in light of my sizing plight - but I knew it was the only way I'd be able to get these things on and off. Note to reader: I NEVER have to worry about inserting zippers to give room for my calves. So it gives you some idea of what I was working with.

Not a fix - but before I cut this, I did lengthen the waistline by 1 inch as my previous pair was muffin-y low. Alas, it ain't enough! I have decided that I hate anything more than a cm below my navel and I don't need to pretend otherwise. From now on, I'm making everything high forever! First thing I did after finishing the pants was to go to the pattern and add another inch to the waist height.

Note: Even though denim with a stretch waistband is not art, it's a very good solution when you don't feel like buttoning. Especially if it goes up high enough.

While there's pulling in the crotch right now, I'm actually fairly convinced it's going to stretch out. I've never had a pair of pants that didn't get too big in that area after wearing a couple of times.

On the plus side, I've refined this pattern still further and I continue to be happy with my original crotch length and depth alterations, made a year ago. And I've determined that I much prefer it with a stiff denim, all things being equal. So maybe, next time, I cut a version with an extra 1 inch seam allowance. Note that these are made in the size small - and I mini-ed and changed them up still further to fit my shape.

So, whatcha think?

Mercifully, I remade the denim leggings with some alterations and they worked. What I mean is, I know they look as they're meant to. I'd show them to you on my dress form but, wait, my dress form is useless to me in its current state. Even my kid came into the sewga room and said: That doesn't look anything like you. There's nothing like spending a bomb of money and, yet, being in limbo. It's moments like this that I wish I had thousands of bucks to blow on a Wolf custom form... BTW, can you believe that company has the nerve to charge so much given the crappiness of its website??

(Incidentally, two things you shouldn't ask me about the status of for the next week or so: the dress form and the bra. The form is in process, but will likely await the purchase of batting and the receipt of extra boob foams. The bra is something I just keep putting off because I have other things to do. I really don't know why I'm avoiding it so effectively. I don't feel stressed by it. Maybe, on some level, I sense that I might be traumatized by another failure learning experience. Maybe it doesn't matter when I do it, and I get that, so I'm just being chill. Really, the jury is out.)

But back to the denim leggings. This time here's what I did:

• I cut the small - and man, was that a smart idea. I don't care if it does say the small fits a size 26 waist, I can tell you that's not true.
• I still had to shorten the crotch length by almost 2 inches.
• I also recreated my "sloper" crotch depth curve on front and back seams.
• I didn't insert the ankle zippers (I wasn't going to waste my time if this version was a fit bust) and the ankles are very snug - when putting the pants on. I have super slim calves - I was going to call them skinny, but I feel that "slim" makes them sound more exotic and lovely - so it's not a problem for me, but it could be on someone more "average" in the calf width.
• They are definitely not long. Esp. once one removes 2 inches in crotch length. If you were tall, you'd need to add length from the get go, crotch length shortening notwithstanding. I'm 5'3" and my hem was a mere half inch. I serged every edge so this was just fine for me.

Thoughts and feelings:

• I don't know that I love them at this moment, though I will give them a fighting chance. They do fit really well in the leg and I suspect they'll look great with tall boots. Having said that, I just can't enjoy the elastic waist vibe. It screams "leggings" rather than "denim". I guess I have a prejudice. I think that elastic waistbands are the purview of the older woman.
• Having said that, I know that the elastic waist will be totally comfortable and will diminish the likelihood of "muffin top". The elastic is 1 inch. I suspect, if your stomach were a challenge-area, you might be able to alter the top of the pants (increase them by 1 inch at the waist) and use 2 inch elastic. How supportive would that be??
  
• I can't advise you if you're a pear - Lord knows, I don't understand you women :-) - but if you are an apple, def. cut one size smaller than your measurements. This pattern fits large.
  

Anyone else made them at this point? Any thoughts or feelings??

I haven't been able to get the denim leggings debacle out of my mind. Maybe it's all of the hope I invested in this - particularly practical - garment. Maybe it's the fact that I did a ton of work and it sucked in the end and I don't know if I should blame myself or the pattern.

Who cares? Well, I do. Because if the pattern sucks, I should warn everyone away from it and throw it to the curb. However, if this is about me sucking, then I should suck it up and try again.

Don't you love how many times I've managed to say suck in this post so far?

Here's where I'm at on the hamster-wheel of my mind: I've got to make them again. And this time I have to make the small.

I put the Kwik Sew pair against my Guido and Mary's (so close to the end, my friends), and saw that the KS's are about 2 inches wider (an each on each outer seam). Interestingly, the crotch length and depth (inasmuch as one can tell in reviewing finished garments, which is difficult) seems similar on each.

But there's no way I would have done this at start of the project - hell, I'm still reluctant - because the waist on the small is supposed to be 26 inches. Which, needless to say, mine is not. Having said all this, have you ever seen a pair of too-large denim leggings with an elastic (rather than yoked "jeans") waist? OMG - it's like something out of Golden Girls. SO HORRIBLE! Somehow baggy and bulge-revealing, all at the same time, in all of the wrong places.

It was almost enough to make me feel bad about myself.

But don't take my word for it. Please, someone else make these and do a post on sizing and issues and guide me on my path.

Pioneering is such hard work.

This morning, well rested, I started to cut the denim leggings pattern.

Back story: I bought the original stretch denim a while ago, then on Thursday, discovered I didn't have enough (or it was going to be exceedingly close, anyway). Friday evening I went out to get another batch of (different gauge) indigo stretch denim but the store only had 2 yards of it left. That was .5 less than the pattern called for, but .25 of a yard more than I had with the other denim. And, when I did sizing (given my "non-tallness"), that would be enough.

When I got home, I noticed 3 puncture wounds in the fabric, about 1/8 yard from the selvedge. Ugh. However, given my frugal smarts, I even figured out, with careful placement, how I could avoid that piece of the fabric.

All was well.

Until I (having reviewed that placement no less than 3 times - you don't fuck around when you have issues) realized that I still managed to set up the fabric wrong - entirely wrong - vis a vis the punctures.

So now the ass of these (super close fitting) denim leggings has 3 small holes. Did I mention I've already spent hours on the pattern and the fabric sourcing and the cutting??

I have come up with one more potential solution - presuming it will work once these babies are in 3D. I've drafted a pocket to sit over the holey part. Alas, pockets can only go in certain spots without looking insane, and I don't know if these holes are going to place themselves within that zone.

Not to mention the fact that I've never done a pocket and I have no idea of how to assemble it. I have to assume one places the pocket before sewing the side seams but I don't know where, specifically, to put it. I guess I'll have to baste the seams, see where everything goes, undo the basting, affix the pocket (once I figure that out) and sew things up again.

And I thought this would be a fast project.

Did I mention that there's no guarantee this garment is going to fit, even if the holes are made invisible?

Take the long view, Krissie. Take the long view.

Update: So I finished these and I have to say, they're horrible. Like leggings more than jeans. I'm going to give them another chance - do a bit more work on the front crotch depth - but I'm not particularly hopeful.

Here's what I had to do to get them to this (less-ill fitting) but still unlovely stage:

• 2 inch crotch length shortening
• removal of fabric (though not enough) from front crotch
• removal of fabric (though not enough) from back leg below crotch and above knee

You know, sometimes you should just cut the smaller size and start again. I made a medium and it was way too big almost everywhere. Now I've altered the shit out of it and it's still not small enough - but weird-of-shape.

I think, in my next try I'll a) cut the small and b) adjust the crotch length and depth according to my current version - maybe just removing a bit more fabric from the front crotch area.

I can't say I love the way the elastic is sewn on. To be honest, I can't say I love the idea of elastic at all. I might try to draft a waistband. (Though that might be a third try alteration, if the second appeals. I don't want to waste my time unnecessarily).

Oh, and my pocket would have been great - I did manage to cover the holes, amazingly, but I have learned you need to sew it so it's parallel with the waist. Otherwise it will look warped and stupid.

Oh well. So much for a good sewing day.

Hello Sewing Peeps:

I decided to have a look at the Kwik Sew 3807 pattern this evening, to compare it against my other pants sloper and to see how I can realize the gains of the sloper in constructing the new denim leggings. Of course, comparing a wide leg, 4-piece pant against a narrow, 2-piece pant is not exactly intuitive. I mean, not the first time you try to do it, at any rate.

Intriguingly, as you sewists probably know, the 2-piece pattern is like the front and back leg pieces attached at the centre. Cool, yes? But I'm having difficulty determining whether I need to decrease the crotch length because the tops of the pieces (i.e. the waistlines) don't exactly align.

Here's what I propose to do: I'm going to diminish crotch length by 1.5 inches (the same amount I did on the sloper) because my only other experience of a stretch fabric pant from Kwik Sew (the yoga pants pattern) was also too long in the crotch - much as the sloper pattern was. Perhaps my crotch length is generally shorter than those in "average" patterns (at least Kwik Sew or the 2 patterns I've already tried), because a) I am proportionately petite (rather than simply short) and/or b) that's just my shape.

In terms of crotch depth (the actual arc of the curves of the crotch lines on the pattern pieces), they seem fairly consistent with the post-alteration ones of my sloper. It's hard to tell, because all the lines don't really match up, but if I just look at arc (disassociated from everything else), that's what I see.

Does anyone have any secrets when it comes to transferring the relevant sloper shapes from one pattern to another - especially when the patterns (while of the same garment type) are different in most other ways?

Thank you all for any info you can provide.

Meet Kwik Sew 3807:


This is one of the most exciting patterns I've ever come across - if only for its sheer wearability in my particular wardrobe.

And it just arrived at my door today! Seriously, there is no garment I don more happily (or, potentially, more frequently) than denim leggings. With tunic tops, big sweaters, asymmetric cardigans - they're fantastic. Warmer (and edgier) than tights or "regular" leggings, they fit like a glove, but with substance.

I am happy to be the guinea pig for this pattern - as I can't seem to find any reviews...

For those taking notes: Contrary to my usual "one-at-a-time" protocol, I am currently working on 3 sewing projects simultaneously - the Pendrell top, these denim leggings and the bra. (Some new lingerie supplies arrived today, and while they're great, I think I may have to alter the size of the wires. Fortunately, I have had excellent service - and superior product - from Dini at Danglez.)

I'm intrigued to see how I'm going to manage a busy period at work and a truly full sewing schedule. Happily, I'm very engaged by all of it, so how bad can it be?