Slow pants

I've been working on pants for the last month. After like, 14 muslins, I've finally figured out how to make Burda pants fit my stumpy limbed, flat-assed (never thought I was deficient there!) self. I also learned that really, you can't go back. I have Burda back issues from 2005 and 2006 with pants with adorable details (these are both from the February 2006 issue):
You would think that this would be my best bet. Classic cut, Burda's petite design. While this fit, it was so high waisted that it was saggy in weird places around my hips.


This one had such a cute waistband... but in 2006 I guess Burda was all about the matronly look because these were so long in the crotch and big around my hips and thighs I felt like I'd aged 15 years.

I decided to go with a more recent Burda design, though I was a little leery of doing so. It seems to me that Burda's all about skinny pants lately and as much as I love me my skinny pants and jeans I do need some variety. July 2009 had these, and I made them fit, flat seat alteration and all. I've already cut out fabric for two pairs of lined wool pants, and hope to sew them up this week.

A little behind: 1 dress (Simplicity 2497) and 2 fabrics

I bought this pattern in the fall, thinking I wouldn't have the chance to make and wear it.


After I saw AllisonC's green silk dress, I knew I had to find an occasion for it... and it just so happened that Lee decided to get tickets to go to a New Year's party in DC, so I needed(!) a dress. I sewed this up just in time to leave on December 30th, and haven't had a chance to take photos until now. (It turns out that all those wonky photos meant my camera was dying, and I didn't have a chance to replace it this week.) As always, photos from that night are too facedrunkbooky to post.

The dress came together very quickly, made of gold silk shantung that I bought years and years ago. No major alterations other than shortening it. I wore it with the black tights you see here and a pair of black kitten heels. The party turned out to be a bust, but I got lots of compliments on my dress!

And I decided to keep the muslin, which I made out of multicolored seersucker from the stash. I have a feeling that this dress won't stand up to much washing because the seersucker turned out to be threadbare in some spots, but I guess that's what I can expect from $2/yard fabric from Joann Fabrics. I intended to bring this with me when visiting friends in Puerto Rico, but didn't have time to hem it until after my trip.


Nevertheless, I love how the stripes turned out in the collar and am glad that I cut the front as two pieces on the bias to make chevron stripes in the front. Here is a photo of me, seated, that shows the stripes in the ruffle collar, bodice and skirt.