Jane's Guide to Making Pants......Part 3....Finale

• Iron on interfacing pressed onto number 1 and 2 waistband pieces.  I used Armoweft interfacing for added body to the waistband.

• Pin and sew interfaced waistband to right side of pants.  Do not join back waistband seam.

• I like to clip and grade the seam to lessen bulk around the waist.

• A tailors ham is welcome to press the curves in the waistband.

• Number 3 and 4 waistband pieces are matched pinned and sewn to  number 1 and 2.  Turn and press 

•  I under-stitch and top-stitch the top of the waistband so everything sits around the contour of my waist.

• Looking good.  Number 3 and 4 waistband pieces are sewn and top-stitched.

•  Today's sewing supervisor.  Oscar is watching me closely while Ron is at the model train club.  I was very lucky to have Nina, Ken and the girls visit this afternoon.  Lily has the gleaming teeth of a Hollywood starlet.   

• Waistband shaped and sewn.

• The crotch and the back seam of the waistband are sewn as one long continuous seam.

• Clip and grade the back seam of the waistband.

• Finished, back view.  I do this stance to show that there is plenty of room around the crotch.

• Front view.  I tucked in the jumper and added a scarf.
  

  

Jane's Guide to Making Pants.......Part 2

• I like to mark the position of the darts with tailors tacks.

• Cut the two back pieces  apart.

• B= back
•            W= wrong side
• I like to use tailors chalk to distinguish the  front/back and the right/ wrong side of each piece

• Tailors chalk washes out easily.

• Pinned and ready to sew the darts.

• Darts are sewn and the tailors tacks removed.

• I like to press the darts as I sew.   I use a tailors ham to shape the fabric.   I like a cotton pressing cloth to protect the fashion fabric.

• Take  a deep breath, the fly and zipper are next.
• Baste the centre front fold of the pants.
• For women's pants take the left side of the zipper and sew it to the left side of the flap (only the flap, NOT the body of the pants.

• Pick up the left flap and push it to the right as far as it will comfortably go.  Pin and sew to the flap (not the body of the pants)

The red pants are very difficult to see in the photo. I will do a another special post about these steps with the next pants in an easier  to see colour 

• My sewing room is so sunny in the afternoon that my boys joined me to keep me company.

• The two fronts are joined at the side seams to the two backs.  The pants are easy to join in this flat method.

• Legs pinned

Legs sewn and overlocked

Beautiful Lunchtime Bushwalk

Only a twenty minute drive from home is the lovely Morton National Park.  Today we had a picnic lunch and short bushwalk.

It was cool under the canopy of gum trees (eucalyptus).

The air is fresh and invigorating.

I love walking over the creek and soaking up the view.

This sign stopped us in our tracks.

I am amazed at the resilience of nature.  Imagine the strength of this tree living on a ledge half way up a cliff.

On the return to the car.
What a pleasant lunchtime bushwalk.

Emerging Vegetable Crops

Oh, dear they looked bigger in real life.
The Garlic has sprouted.

The leeks are up.

Look closely, Kale from seed.

Broccoli and snow peas are growing.

Jane's Guide to Making Pants.......Part 1

• Get out the tape measure and get an accurate copy of your dimensions.  Write it down.                                      
• Consult the chart for appropriate ease to add to your dimensions 

• Select your pattern.  Vogue V7881

• I am more than one size so I have incorporated my unique shape into the copy of the pattern.  Darts, grain line  zipper placement are copied.
  
  

  

  
  

• Consult the cutting layout from the pattern.  For these pants I have red suiting fabric that is 150 cm wide. Take note of the symbol * 
•  * Means that with right sides together , fold fabric CROSSWISE !

• Cut fold from selvage to selvage.
  

  

• Here are my red pants ready to cut out.
• 2 fronts
• 2 backs
• 4 Faced waistbands  ( I will interface 2 of the waistbands)

Seeing Pink in the Garden

Today it is very cool.
What a lovely surprise to see the tree dahlia blooming in the front yard.

Lots of buds promise more colourful flowers in the coming days.
Tree dahlias are easy to grow from a cutting.

Ron likes to feed the birds in  Autumn/Winter.
Today it was the turn of the pink galahs to come and eat the wild bird seed .
The colour pink is the theme in the garden today.

Sunday Picnic Lunch at Home and Surprise Cockatoo Visitors

It is a lovely time of year.
At every opportunity we like to have our lunch  outside in the sunshine.  We use the mosaic table made by Kathy.   Kathy's mosaic bird bath adds to the positive vibrations.   We have a lovely sheltered area to soak up the sunshine.

Surprise, surprise two lovely black cockatoos visited Mandy's trees opposite our house.  The cockatoos are eating the nuts and seeds from the native trees.  A black bird in a dark tree is a challenge to photograph.   We are so lucky in Australia to have such beautiful native birds that fly around free.