While I'm deciding

While I'm sorting through patterns and fabric and deciding what to actually start with for the "serious sewing", I've been sewing a few things that require little thought.  I also tried a different room for photographing.  It's sunnier, and I thought that the pictures might turn out better.  Not.  I'll continue playing around (perhaps reading of camera manual might also be on the agenda), and hopefully, soon, I'll take much nicer pictures where you can actually see things in detail. 

The latest out of the "studio" are three pair of pants.  I used a pattern that I've had forever - Vogue 9537.  I just checked online, and the pattern is no longer available.  It's still a good basic pattern.  The leg is not too wide (which was the object of the exercise this time around).  I've tweeked it into submission over the years.  I just needed to add to the "what to wear every day while at home" wardrobe, especially now that the weather is colder.  I'm not much of a jeans person.  I don't find them comfortable.  Trousers that can be thrown in the wash are more to my liking - but they have to be comfortable!

These are a twill - I thought that they were a grey, resulting from black thread one way, white thread the other way.  Nooo!  When I took a scrap to the store to buy zipper and thread, I realized that it was brown and white.  Funny how fabric can be so deceiving.  For some reason I decided to top stitch two rows at the hem. (Not that you can really see that.)

These are green corduroy.  It's a sort of olivey green, medium wale (not so obvious in this picture).  I did fly fronts (OK - mock fly fronts) on all these pants.  That seems to be the norm in ready-to-wear, and I follow suit - whether the pattern is that way or not.  Why?  I was browsing pictures from fashion shows on In Style (?) and noticed that fly fronts are not necessarily the norm in the couture collections.  Then, I noticed that a number of the patterns that I've pulled out for suits also have back zips.  For fitting the back (dare I say butt) that would be a bit of a hindrance, but I suppose I could get around that by leaving a "get into" opening in the front for fitting, then sewing that closed and applying the zipper once I've unstitched  the back seam.  Hmmm.  If there's anybody out there actually reading this dither - any thoughts on where zippers should be on pants?  Am I the only one who thinks that if I put in a back zip it'll look weird?

 

Last but not least - a pair in light grey cotton twill.  These are actually a bit too light weight to wear now.  May-be I'll leave them for next summer.  

Boring.  I know.  For someone who teaches a class on fitting pants, I'm not very adventurous, it seems, in that department.  I don't necessarily like pockets, because they tend to show bulges.  I've tweaked this pattern and one other, Vogue 2532 (wider leg) and I can whip them out in record time.  Not that I don't have other patterns.  I have quite a few.  There are the Claire Shaeffer patterns from Vogue, pants that are part of suits, and I even ordered a pattern from Hot Patterns.  Have I even opened the packages?  No.  I really must get over this fear of new pants patterns.  Actually, I just have to get over my old habit of having to whip things out.  I'm supposed to be enjoying the sewing, so slowing down and taking time to explore new avenues is what I should be doing.  Like there's a monitor that checks that I've produced X number of items in a month.