Sunday 23 February 2014

when lola became suzy

i have been meaning to sew a pair of loose elastic waist pants all summer.  i had been eyeing off the lola pant by style arc.  i like the waist detail - being a flat front and elastic back and also the elastic at the back cuff.  from the art work they look to be a narrow'ish fit, plus i haven't sewn style arc before.


when i finally decided elastic waist pants would be next up and looked into buying the pattern and i realised how gen y my sewing can be - even though i am clearly not gen y!  i was actually shocked when i couldn't find a pdf option - what wait for postage?? how could i?? this is something i haven't really done for patterns before since my return to sewing. i therefore made a last minute switch to suzy.

the suzy pattern from tessuti comes in pdf.  it seems i am in a minority in the sewing blog world, but i really like pdf patterns.  they are so now!  i don't mind putting them together at all.  i do all the cutting in a comfy chair then move to the floor or table to put them together depending how big they are.  lately i seem to be doing a better job at matching them nicely.


according to the tessuti website the suzy pant is a fun and relaxed pleated front pull on pant.  i used a rayon from spotlight but cut the pattern pieces on the cross wise grain so the wiggly lines of the pattern are vertical not horizontal.

the only thing i did different to the instructions was to use 25mm elastic, instead of 12mm.  i did originally use 12mm, but found that the pants dragged down a bit and therefore looked quite large around the hip area - perhaps this is because the rayon is a bit on the heavier side.  the 25mm elastic keeps the pants higher up and less baggy around the hips, but the trade off is the crotch seam sits a bit high.  next time i will consider lowering the crotch seam and lengthening the leg a smidg.


i went with the in seam pockets and was a bit confused at first by the instructions, but if you read them carefully and thoroughly (which often i don't do) it all makes sense and is quite easy.


i constructed them using my sewing machine with straight and zig zag stitch. am happy with this make - would like to try lola sometime, but have a feeling i will make a few more suzy's first.

am getting the itch to get stuck into some autumn and winter sewing now, is anyone else??

(lastly i should also say for a beautifully made and presented pattern from a great indie company i would be happy to wait for a hard copy in the post, but a quick pair of elastic waist pants really appeals to me in an immediate pdf format!)

emma

10 comments :

  1. Oh I'm the same. I love a pdf. I really hate tracing now. These pants look great and I am a bit tempted to make them. I am definitely turning towards autumn sewing now!

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    1. Thanks and I agree cutting and taping beats tracing any day!

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  2. I agree too - I'm all about pdf patterns. Way too impatient to wait for mail. These pants look great on you - lovely and summery :)

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  3. Thanks Renee, these ones are perfect for summer, have thoughts of making a darker pair for autumn/early winter. I love pdf patterns too! Love your out and about dress. This winter is going to be all about the knit dress for me.

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  4. Hi Emma, It was great to meet you too. Love the witty name of your site. Poor Ernest really did get diddled by Isaac Singer didn't he.

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    1. Hi Gail, glad you like my blog name - I couldn't resist using Ernest as a name for the blog when I stumbled across him googling singer! Looking forward to next time we all meet up.

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  5. Hey Emma - WOW. SO much sewing. Where one earth do you find time? Little Flo takes up all my day. I am totally inspired to get to make myself some clothes. I love those pants - been looking for a good casual pant pattern with flat front and elastic back...will check those out - although I prefer a pattern pattern, not a PDF...am too lazy to do all that printing and matching. :P

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    1. hi elyse, glad you found my blog. hmm peppa pig comes to mind to assist with sewing time! the lola pattern has the flat front detail and is only available in hard copy, no pesky printing. suzy is full elastic waist and can also be purchased in hard copy. Your blogs looks amazing, I need some help with my graphics!

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  6. Haha - I bust out Annie or The Sound of Music when I need to get my sewing on. I totally love what you have been making and am truly, truly impressed. Am totally jealous you went to Billy Bragg though! Thanks for the comment about my blog - if you scroll down to the bottom, you can see the name of the free template I downloaded. Easy-peasy. Looking forward to seeing more stuff!

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    1. hmm not sure how the boys would go with annie or SoM! thanks for your comments about my makes, it is really nice to get so many positive comments through the blogging world. billy bragg was fantastic, great to hear some of the new album too, pity he didn't come here while you were back. Thanks for the blog template tip!

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