Burda Style For people who sew

Three pairs of pants and a very busy Mama!

I managed to sew up not one pair but two pairs of my version of the ‘Nichola pants this week and I even have a third pair cut out waiting for me to change the thread in my overlocker. The first pair I made from some brown linen I had in my stash, I LOVE this pair, they’re so comfortable and great for the hot weather. I added the extra length to the waistband to create a channel for the elastic to fit through and a little extra at the back so I don’t flash my bottom when I sit, they’re still pretty low slung though and fit comfortably under my bump. The second pair I made from some red fabric given to me a while back by a friend. I wore these yesterday and discovered the fabric to be too rough on my skin, especially at the inside leg seam, ouch! How can I fix this problem so I can continue to wear them? I don’t want to have to cast them aside. My third pair which is waiting in the ‘To Do’ pile is pale blue cotton I think which is so soft I shouldn’t have the same problem. These were so easy to make, cut out, sewn up and worn within a few hours. They look nothing like the original ‘Nichola pattern but that doesn’t matter to me.

My next project is going to be the ‘Desira. With all the new pants I have I now need more tops to match. I have a similar top that I made last year which I continued to wear in the beginning of my pregnancy until I could no longer wrap it around my growing belly. I think that if I extend the front and length of Desira it should fit through to the end…….hopefully! I’ll also need to move the ties up to just under the bust. I picked up a few white bed sheets for $2 each today and think they would be perfect for this pattern. I may keep it plain and simple but I’m also thinking that I could add some pretty trim or contrasting fabric somewhere like the ties, but since I have 2 large sheets I could do both!

I still haven’t managed to sew up Lydia but I promise I have a good excuse, my overlocker has been playing up for some time now and really I need to overlock jersey before sewing it up, that’s my excuse anyway and I’m sticking to it. The bottom looper thread would snap every time I tried to use it and no matter what I did I could not fix it. In the end I removed the foot and plate and cleaned everywhere, I changed the needle and the threads, worked with the tension some more and thank goodness it seems to be working now. I have my fingers crossed that it will stay working because I truly was about to throw the thing out of the nearest window! Luckily my girls were safely tucked up in bed while I worked on it because the language that came from my ‘oh so innocent’ mouth (ha ha) was NOT for little ears! So now that it’s in working order I can stop procrastinating and get it made.

I took the Handmade Pledge for Christmas, did you? Well I had already bought my girls a dolls house and a mini sewing machine for my oldest Mia (watch out BurdaStyle!). Other than that everything they receive from my husband and I will be secondhand or handmade. I have fabric ready for bride dresses and veils; I’m crocheting a tea set and will sew them a little tablecloth and napkins, I’m sewing them clothes, some pajamas and a quilt each. I’m also going to make them miniatures versions of the Layla apron and mittens. ! So between now and Christmas Eve I’m going to one very busy Mama! Phew! I’m tired just thinking about it all. What’s that? I hear my sewing machine calling, back to the grindstone I go.