First of all, I apologize for this post publishing without photos! I had intended to save it as a draft, and had not intended it to publish! But that’s okay. I took photos of it today on my ancient dress form so you can have a look. And now on to the original post:
I had to write that title. I am not a very trendy person, rather the opposite. But this was a completely impulsive make, and all within a week. I don’t know why, but this combination of patterns really struck my fancy. It also checks off a lot of the current trends: big sleeves, blousey peasant-style top, high waist, wide legs….
First, the trousers: Burdastyle 03-2019-102.
High-waisted, straight-legged wannabe kinda sorta cargo trousers with big patch pockets. I have been staring at the lightweight loden stretch-cotton fabric since last December, when I had hoped to make trousers? jeans? a jacket? I really couldn’t decide, although I wanted bottoms of some sort. Most of my fabric is neatly stored away out of sight, which isn’t very conducive to inspiration, but I have an excellent fabric stash-pattern memory which serves me relatively well as I look for inspiration. “I have the perfect fabric for that outfit!” sort of thinking. Funnily enough, I have never put this length of fabric away after mulling it over for a couple of months, like I do so many times to so many lengths. I just kept it lying out where I could see it because I was determined to sew up something with it. So here is my new pair of currently trending stylish trousers.
I had to add 4 cm to the pattern length. I will not wear wide-legged short trousers, as I think I look short enough. And I prefer the option of rolling up hems to wishing I had more hem to let down.
The fun part was all the hardware for the belt. I added a front fly zip instead of the side zip suggested by Burda.
And a close up of the very deep patch pockets.
I like these. I may make another pair from a drapier, softer fabric in my go-to favourite deep chocolatey brown. Yum!
And now the top: Burdastyle 3-2019-103.
About the fabric: I purchased a Liberty Art Fabric dress by Lord & Taylor a few years ago on clearance. It was missing it’s belt, but I absolutely loved the print (if anyone knows the name of it, please let me know, because I cannot find anything other than “Tropical” in all my sleuthing.) The only place I have found anything remotely close to it was at Shaukut’s website in the UK, and so I purchased this length of silk-cotton voile, but the colourway is different from the dress. After looking at it sitting beside my loden fabric, I decided they looked good together, and, since I wanted something easy to sew that would be a showcase for the fabric, and rescue it from ‘stash sentencing’, I compulsively traced it off and sewed it up.
I made some changes:
- raised the CF by 5 cm
- forward shoulder adjustment 1.5 cm
- sloped shoulder adjustment 1.5 cm
The pattern calls for a belt with carriers. I just cut the belt – a little shorter due to my 1 yard of fabric! – and will wear it around my neck, or as a belt, depending on the day.
Have you done any compulsive, impulsive or inexplicable-without-any-forethought sewing lately?