Getting To The Bottom Line...The Barb Pant

I am now claiming that nothing else will go wrong! I spent yesterday morning in emergency care due to an infected thumb. How it happened, I have no idea. They asked me if I had had a manicure lately. Not for a few weeks. At this point, the why really doesn't matter, the thumb has been lanced, and I am on antibiotics. But, adding to the whole knee, thumb extravaganza, I leaned over to kiss my husband goodnight. Just at that moment, he grabbed the blanket to pull it up over him and popped me in the mouth. Of course he didn't mean to, but I went to sleep with a fat lip. Oh well ;)

In my last post,I talked about the Barb Pant from Style Arc Patterns. I really love the pattern. It's a great casual, slip-on pant. Especially great for everyday wear.

The pant was drafted for a full bottomed girl...like me :) I included the picture below to show just how much higher the back is from the front. I love it as there is no issue with feeling like the back will slip down when I sit.

Although the pant does fit well over my bottom, there are a few fitting issues. The front has a very sleek, nice fit. While the pant fits well over the bottom, I do have some drag lines below the bottom.  

Of course, different fabrics are going to fit a little differently. The pants below were made from the same fabric that I used for my first pair of cargo pants. I had just enough left for a pair of Barb Pants, so I felt that I might as well use up the fabric. 

Again, a sleek, nice fit from the front. I moved my leg during this shot, but I went ahead and used the picture. The back pant leg creases under my bottom. 

With a very fitted pant, you will lose some of the fit in order to have the pant hug the leg. With that said, I may not make any alterations on the pant. If it were a pair of slacks, I would most definitely want to alter the pant leg so that it would hang straight from the bottom and down the back of the leg. I see it as a little like dealing with your children, or your husband, sometimes you just have to pick which fights are worth the effort ;) For me, the fight that was won with the Barb Pant is that it fits so comfortably over the bottom, and stays in place when I sit.

If by chance you missed it, you can find the link to download the Barb Pant for free HERE. 

In case you haven't heard, StyleArc is having a great sale on all of their PDF top patterns, 25% off. Just use the promo code,

25PDFTOP  

At check out. The sale runs through August 23, 2019.

Happy Sewing!

Rhonda

Pants...Getting To The Bottom Line

Best laid plans...
Four weeks ago, while at an agility class with Mr. Berkley, I somehow managed to catch my shoe on the rubber tile, and I went flying, landing with all of my weight coming down on my left knee. The trainer ran over and asked if I was okay. The impact was so powerful that I actually felt like throwing up. All I could manage to say was that I needed to take a break. (Silver Lining...I didn't re-injure my wrist!) But, me being me, I sucked it up and stayed through the rest of the class. By the time I made it home, my knee was the size of a large softball. I iced it, and sent my husband to the pharmacy for Arnica cream. It took about a week for the swelling to begin subsiding, but there was a big sack of fluid on my knee. Finally, the fluid began to disappear, but last Friday morning while making the bed, I once again managed to trip and fall, landing on my left knee. I now have an appointment to see an orthopedic doctor. I'm walking on the knee, and it doesn't hurt to walk, but it's extremely painful to touch, and going up and down stairs has been a great challenge. So, with all of that, I am a few days late with my next pant post.

The theme of our second week of our pant posts is all about the bottom line, literally...our bottoms :/ Not something that most of us want to talk about. 

Becky of Trail Balloons, my fellow challenger has a flat bottom. She absolutely loves the Flat Bottom Flos from Style Arc. While those of us who have a round bottom...like me, we tend to think that those with a flat bottom have it made. But it does pose fitting issues that are just as dire to the flat bottom girls as the round bottom girls. Becky has done a very detailed post on fitting a flat bottom in THIS post. 

My favorite pattern for my round bottom is the Barb Pant from Style Arc Patterns. And to make it all the sweeter, you can get the pattern for FREE just for signing up to receive the Style Arc newsletter. HERE'S the link!

   
The pattern photo for the Barb Pant looks like it was drafted for a thin and rather flat bottom. But, that is not the case.

Here's what the pattern actually looks like;

The front is on the left, and the back on the right. Look closely at the front. The crotch curve is minimal. The back has a very deep curve, and looks to be raised at the center back line, as it is. So, with the Barb Pant, the full bottom adjustment is built into the pattern. Score!!! At least score for us full bottomed girls ;)

Another aspect that I love about the Barb Pant is that it was designed for a stretch woven. With a stretch woven, you will get a much more fitted pant, and especially for a pull-on pant, that's really nice.  

Now of course, the pattern has been designed for the middle of the road full bottomed girl. Some of us have rounder bottoms, and some not so round. I really love the tutorial that was done by Colette Patterns. You can find it HERE. The tutorial walks you through a full bottom adjustment as well as adjusting for a flat bottom. A great tutorial to keep on hand.

I have made quite a few pairs of the Barb Pant. I will be back tomorrow, Monday with a fashion show of Barb Pants.

If you haven't downloaded the free pattern,be sure to do so!
Happy pant sewing!!!

Rhonda

The Pant That's Perfect For Even a Novice Sewist

This past week, I once again had the pleasure of hosting a delightful young woman. She came last summer with a shopping list, so thinking that it would once again be on the agenda, I factored it into what I thought we would be doing. The only thing on her shopping list was the need for some new pants to take back to school. I had initially said that we could make pajama pants, but when I showed her the Barb Pant from Style Arc Patterns, that was what she wanted. 

If by chance you have not heard about the Barb Pant from Style Arc, it's a basic, slim fitting pant intended for fabrics with some stretch.

It was even voted the best pattern for 2015 by Pattern Review readers.

I've made 2 pair for myself. Not the best picture of the pants, but they are perfect for pulling on anytime I really want ease of movement. With me below is Kim of The Material Lady. 

  

My little friend was so excited about making pants rather than shopping for them. She ended up with 3 new pair.

I let her go through my fabrics and she chose this fun psychedelic print. It's a cotton and spandex blend. 

The fabric below is a stretch denim. Almost has a yoga pant feel. She's looking forward to pairing them with sweatshirts and sweaters in the fall and winter.

After watching me make 2 pair, she wanted to give the pattern a try, so we purchased another piece of stretch denim and she did an incredible job! I told her that the only problem would now be that when she goes back to school, all of her friends are going to want her to make a pair for them as well. She was so proud of her accomplishment that she wore the pants home on the plane. A true sewist who can't wait to wear what she has made :)

The Barb Pant was offered as a free download just for signing up to the Style Arc newsletter. You can find the link HERE. 

The pants are easy to make and easy to fit, and a great project for someone who is learning to sew. 

So, download the pattern and have a little fun making pants!

Thrifty Thursday/Free Pant Pattern From Style Arc

I am VERY late to the party on this one, but I just made up the Barb Pant from Style Arc patterns, and I LOVE it!!! Once I got the pants made, I slipped them on and I immediately grabbed another piece of fabric and made a second pair, that's how much I like the pattern.

I read a few reviews, and some said that the waist was too high. I didn't find this to be a problem. I made up the size 10 and made just a few adjustments. The waist was just a little too large, about 2" overall. I also made a small adjustment to the crotch, but that was it. I like the width of the leg. It's straight and slim, but it doesn't hug the leg.
The pattern was named the Best Pattern of 2015 by Pattern Review. I think that pretty much says it all. It's a great, simple pant pattern. Easy to pull on since they have an elastic waist. 

I got my pattern for free and I was afraid that the promotion might be over, but I gave it a try just a few days ago, and I was still able to get the pattern for free. In order to get the pattern, you will need to sign up for their weekly newsletter. I have actually enjoyed receiving their newsletter and seeing the new patterns.So if you're late to the party like me,  here's the link to the Free Barb Pant Pattern, 
http://www.stylearc.com/threads-promo/

I know you would like to see me in the pants. I promise to do a fashion show post in the next few days as there are so many pieces that I need to share with you. But in the meantime, just to prove I did make the pants, here are the 2 pair that I made.
This pair are just all out fun.

This pair did not photograph all that well. They are made out of a gold stretch cotton velvet. They have been hemmed since I took the picture :) And BTW, I don't wear my pants this high!!!

The black and white pants have a lot of stretch to the fabric. I was a little concerned about the cotton velvet, it has a good bit of stretch, but not as much as the black and white fabric. But all in all, a great fit and I'm happy.

If you are like me and late to the Barb Pant Party, be sure to download your pattern ASAP as I don't know how much longer the promotion will be available.
Enjoy!
Rhonda

Thrifty Thursday/A Totally Free Ensemble

I have had the BEST week! Super busy, but so much fun :)

The highlight;

I signed Berkley up for an agility class, and we had our first lesson on Thursday evening. Oh how I wish I could have taken pictures!! When we began, the instructor asked if he had any agility training. I said, "no, this is his very first class." The little dog sailed through rings, ran through the tubes, and jumped over bars like a champ. All of this prompted the instructor to ask, "are you sure that he has never had any training?" "Nope, none." The instructor then said that Berkley is like a duck to water, he has truly found his passion. At one point, Berkley jumped through a ring, and then turned around to me, and threw his little front legs in the air with glee. The instructor asked if this was one of his tricks. I explained that yes, I taught him to stand on his back legs, put his front legs in the air as I say, Hallelujah! Praise the Lord! The instructor almost rolled on the floor laughing :)

Not that you drop by to see a picture of Berkley, but...I just can't resist :) This was taken on a recent hike. I just love seeing how he has gone from a scared, and dirty little dog, to a true picture of contentment.

A few weeks back (actually a month ago :/), I shared a top that I made from the free sewing pattern from Tessuti Fabrics, the Zoe Top. I really love this top!!! The fabric was actually from Joann's. Amazing!  

Once I got the top together, I felt that it really needed the lace on the sleeves, so I cut just the lower portion of the lace off of the fabric and then appliqued it to the lower edge of the sleeve. 

 

The neckline has a rather wide opening, larger than what I really wanted, so I took 2 of the motifs from the lace and filled in the corners of the neckline.

And finally!!

A picture of me in the top, and my white Barb pants! Perfect for the horribly hot weather we are having in Chicago right now.

It's a total Thrifty Thursday ensemble, a free pattern from Tessuti, and the free Barb pant pattern from Style Arc Patterns.

The Barb pant is a wonderful pattern meant for stretch wovens. Although it has an elastic waistline, it fits flat across the stomach. After all, who needs extra yardage around the waist???   

It was named best pattern for 2015 on Pattern Review.

It's still available as a free pattern and can be found HERE. All you have to do is sign up for the Style Arc newsletter. So, sign up for a fabulous newsletter, and get a fabulous free pant pattern. A win, win situation :) 

In case you are wondering...

As I said in an earlier post, I was out of town for a couple of weeks. I did have a sewing machine with me, but it started acting up, and there was no more sewing to be had, so I am behind on my Cargo Pant Challenge with Cenntta of The Mahogany Stylist. Be sure to pop over and see her last make for our challenge. Her pants are such fun! My second pair will be up tomorrow, a week late. But, I'll catch up next week :)

Happy Friday!

And if you are in this oppressive heat, by all means, 

STAY COOL!

Rhonda

For Whom Do I Dress?

The last 3 weeks have been interesting to say the least. When the call came for businesses to close, and everyone to stay at home, it seemed a little surreal. A friend of mine even commented that it felt like the movie, "On The Beach." But once reality began to take hold, I like everyone, felt a little out of sorts. Daily routines have been interrupted, there's no where to go except the grocery store, pharmacy, maybe a hardware store, and even those should be visited the least amount possible. Last week I had to pick up a prescription. As I was getting ready, it suddenly occurred to me that I was actually excited about going to the pharmacy. I got dressed, put on my makeup...even earrings!!! Here something that has always been considered an errand was now an outing! As I thought a little more about it, I asked myself, "for whom do I dress?" Is it just for others, for myself, or a combination of the two? I think for most of us it's the latter. We like to look nice, but we also want to present ourselves to the world in the best possible manner. 

As the day wore on, I noticed that I felt so much better about myself. It really didn't matter that the only person that would see me, other than those that I encountered on my quick trip to the pharmacy, would be my husband. Dressing was important for me. So, I decided that this would not be a one day event. I would get up, shower, dress, and put my makeup on just as if I had somewhere to go, and document it :)

Here are the last 3 days;

On Sunday I dressed as if I would be going to church. It made the entire day special. I'm wearing the Sumekko dress from Pattern Union. I added flanges to the armholes, and made an infinity scarf from my leftover fabric to give the dress a cowl collar look. Underneath I am wearing the Londa's Terrific "T" from Londa's Creative Threads.  

Monday's choice was the free Monroe Turtleneck pattern from Tessuti Fabrics, and the Barb Pant from Style Arc patterns. This is the first top I have made using the Monroe Turtleneck pattern. I really like the pattern. The Barb pants, I've made quite a few. They are quick to make, and easy to pull on. You can find a link to get the Barb Pant pattern for free HERE.     

Today I decided to wear one of my favorite outfits, the Molly Tee from Pattern Union, and my cargo pants that I blogged about HERE. 

Here's a better picture of the outfit. I just love how the outfit came together :) I always feel great when I put this on! 

So, what have you been doing? Are you getting dressed, or staying in your pajamas? 

I will be posting my pictures on Instagram and using #Idressforme It would be great if you would join me!

Rhonda  

A 2019 Look Back

A belated

Happy New Year!

This past year has was a little quiet, blog wise anyway. Last February, I broke my arm in 2 places just above my wrist, and that kinda set the tone for a quiet year. But, all in all, it really was a great year. I found a cousin that I had no idea that I had through Ancestry. She is such a lovely person, and someone that I am very proud to call a cousin. I also reconnected with a family member after 30 years. This brought home to me that no matter how bleak something may appear, never lose hope. 

I've posted more on Instagram than I have on the blog. Not that I am moving exclusively to Instagram, it's just a platform that's been quick and easy. So, to close out 2019, I thought I would share my most liked Instagram posts.

My cargo pants, they have been a favorite. This was a challenge that Cennetta of The Mahogany Stylist and I did. Berkley and I do a lot of hiking, and cargo pants have become my favorite go to pant as I can carry my phone, money, credit cards, and I am still completely hands free.      

I took my first ever weaving class at Chicago Weaving School. Loved it! I don't know that it will become something that I will invest a lot of time doing, but I would like to learn and explore more about the craft.

This is an old make,but I posted it as an outfit of the day. The jacket is one that I made from a Kantha quilt that I ordered from India. When I initially made it, I went back and forth about cutting down the collar. I finally elected to just leave it alone. The jacket is a free pattern from Sew News. You can read more about it HERE. My jeans are the Ginger Jeans from Closet Case Patterns. I don't think I will ever purchase another pair of jeans as this pattern is absolutely fabulous.   

This dress was a favorite go to dress this past fall. I began with a t-shirt pattern and then added the rectangle drape. So easy to make. It's from my Fabulous Free Pattern Friday collection. You can find the original post HERE.  

Another favorite. I wore this jacket throughout the holiday season. You can see my post on the making of this jacket HERE. 

Another Closet Case Patterns favorite, the Ebony T-Shirt and Dress pattern. I have worn the dress with heels, flats, and even tennis shoes! Fun and easy to wear.    

This is one of my favorite outfits for summer. In the top picture on the right, you can see that I am actually wearing 2 layers. The top layer is sheer. I can take off the sheer layer and just wear the underneath layer. The sheer layer can then become a wrap. Perfect combo for traveling. 

A favorite go to pattern for pants is the Barb Pant from Style Arc. I think I may have 4 or 5 pairs of these pants. The t-shirt is another that I have made more times than I can count. It's the Molly Tee from Pattern Union.  

The top that I am wearing was made from vintage tea towels. The pants are linen, and I added a drawstring casing to the side seam for a little added interest. Wore these all summer long. 

The dress below was one that I did for Sew News. It's the Magic Bias Dress from Fashion In Harmony. This is another dress that's easy to throw on. Love it!  

Another Magic Bias Dress. It's also a summer favorite. I didn't shorten this version. It's amazing how different the dress looks in another fabric.

Yet another Closet Case pattern, the Amy Jumpsuit. I had a few fitting issues with the pattern, but all in all, I like it and plan to make it again.

And finally, my favorite make of 2019. Thankfully, I took the class prior to breaking my arm. I used my own watercolor painting that I had printed at Spoonflower for the center panels. The bag pattern is the Poppins Bag from Annie's Two Patterns. You can find all the info HERE.  

I love to laugh. After all, it's good for the soul. I saw this on Facebook and just had to share it! I think that most of us can relate :)

Here's to a fabulous new decade. May it be our best yet!

Rhonda

Moving On with the One Year Challenge

Oh the internet, it can be so wonderful, and then when it doesn't work, it's beyond frustrating. I have been waiting all week for my videos to download. None have yet to appear in my inbox. So, I thought that I would do a different post, tried sending pictures, and they won't come through. I have no idea what the problem is. I have a feeling that at some point, it's all going to mysteriously just appear. So, rather than wait any longer, I thought I would at least get you a little up to date on my 1 year challenge. 

All the way back to August 23rd...

I made this dress for a Sew News sew along. It's the Summer Breeze Top pattern from Hot Patterns which seems to no longer be available. Such a shame as it's a rather fun pattern to make. I took the 2 pictures to show that as much as I like those yellow shoes, I did change into my Keds to walk Berkley :) 

One of my favorite skirts. A friend gave me the Picasso panel. I debated for some time as to what I would do with it. Finally, it was a skirt. Since it was such a special piece, I decided to give it a more couture finish by underlining it with silk organza. It even has a silk charmeuse lining. Maybe a little over board as the back is a lightweight denim. I paired the skirt with a Molly Tee from Pattern Union.

This was a fun challenge of sorts. Helena of Gray All Day posted that she had purchased a large lot of fabric and would like to share it with a few others just as a goodwill kind of a thing to do. we were given 2 yards and told that we could do anything we chose. In the photograph, the fabric looks white. It is white, but it has tiny little yellow puffs all throughout. I decided to use the Odgen Cami from True Bias  and add a skirt, making a simple summer dress. The fabric is such a lovely gauze, so it floats all over the place. Fun To wear! 

A friend of mine had told me about the Scout Tee from Grainline Studio, and how much she likes it. I think she's made maybe 10 or so! I decided to give it a try. I too like the pattern. Easy to make, and just a great wardrobe staple. The skirt is the Summer Equinox Skirt from Naughty Bobbins Patterns. I really love this skirt as it has darts that give it such a nice fit. The skirt is part of her Summer Ensemble package. 

The latter part of August was so very warm. I just needed an outfit that looked cute, but was cool. I had the batik, so I did another Ogden Cami from True Bias Patterns and paired it with a pair of basic elastic waist pants.     

We took my mother out for her birthday, and I decided to wear something fun. It just feels so Emilio Pucci to me :) The top is self drafted, a tutorial is coming soon. The skirt is a piece I did for my Fabulous Free Pattern Friday series. You can find the instructions HERE. The leggings are from Sew News, and they are the Loveland Leggings. 

We're finally up to August 30th!

The tunic I'm wearing is from Alice and Ann. I really like the pattern as it has a lovely front placket. It's the Adley Shirt.Here again, I paired it with an Ogden Cami, and a pair of pants that are really a pajama pant pattern from Martha Stewart.    

The top I'm wearing was one that I made from a free pattern. It's a lovely pattern, but I'm not sure if it's still available. You can see my post on the blouse HERE. I also posted instructions on how to down load the pattern which you can find HERE. Again, it may no longer be available, but it's worth a try. The pants are a favorite, the Barb Pant from Style Arc. 

The blouse I'm wearing is one I drafted. the sleeves are from my Sleeves on Saturdays series, the Draped Cowl Sleeve. I also did a tutorial on how to draft the cowl neckline, and you can find it HERE.

And finally, at least for now :)

The skirt is from Tessuti. It's their free Libby A-line skirt. It comes in 3 lengths. Another great wardrobe staple pattern. The top is another from my Sleeves on Saturdays series. I especially love this sleeve has it has such a 1940s vibe, and yet quite modern at the same time. It's the Cowl Sleeve and you can find it HERE. 

    

This post takes me up to September 2nd. At least I'm finally in the same month!!! Hopefully I'll soon be able to figure out why I can't send my photos from my phone to my email address. 

Until next time, keep sewing!

 Rhonda