Just the Basics...

I finished three pieces this weekend...

I'm really missing my white closet wall these days!

...although all the pieces didn't belong to the Lavender and Gray Skies wardrobe. As you can see from above, I made 2 pairs of pants and a skirt.  The pants belong to the UFO vest that I mentioned in this post. I guess the cold got to me because when I sat down to sew on Saturday I started working on the pants first. Well actually I spent Saturday cutting out all the pieces from the gray tropical wool, the lining for the pieces and pretreating the white fabric for the blouse.


I made the pants on Sunday with no changes to the way I make my TNT pattern. Except that when I made the gray & white pinstripe pair last year, I used a flat lining technique. After wearing them, I realized that I don't like the seams on my inner thighs. So even though the linings don't rub out this way, I'm not comfortable using this technique in my pants. The cheater method (serging the lining fabric to the fashion fabric and then sewing them as one piece of fabric) works so much better for me.  


The fabric for the second pair is from the Vera Wang fabric haul from a few years ago. And of course, both have rayon bemberg lining in them, the stretch elastic in the waistline and seam binding in the hems.


The Lavender and Gray Skies Straight Skirt
Pattern:
TNT skirt pattern


Fabric:
Gray wool tropical from Fabric Mart


Notions:
White Rayon Bemberg lining
9" invisible zipper
2 - 1/2" steel buttons
1 yard of 2" wide lace
1 yard of gray seam binding


Again this is a TNT pattern so there aren't any new construction techniques. However, the fabric did require a little assistance. I added a 1" strip of fusible interfacing to the center back seams to stabilize them for the invisible zipper insertion...

The lace that I chose to add to the lining will also be used on the dress lining...

...and I added two buttons to the waistline...the same buttons that will be used on the cardigan and coordinating jacket.

Gawd is that stitching crooked...thank God it will be covered!

Egads, I'm gonna have to remove that...I don't think I can live with it. *sigh*

I have to admit that before I began working on these pieces I was worried that they wouldn't work with the jacket...that light/dark contrast thing. But they seem to be fine and I'm encouraged enough to continue working on the rest of the pieces.


I'm finishing up the jacket now and will move onto the dress, cardigan and shirt. I hope to finish these pieces up by the end of the month because I really want to finish off the other garments on my list before I catch spring fever.


...as always, more later!