Ginger Jeans #3

夏だから、カプリ丈のジーンズ。
夏だからっていうか、あまり布だからこの丈で精一杯。でもジーンズ作りもこれで3本目だから、結構ラクショー。（でもフィットに関してはまだまだだな。）
型紙は前回と同じCloset Case PatternsのGinger Jeansです。
一日出かけて帰ってきたとこなのであまりやる気ない写真で失礼。（私はやる気満々なんだけど、オットが全く写真撮るの面倒くさがるのよね）
シャツもこの前のホビット衣装で作ったシャツよ。衿のないシャツ結構気に入った。

I wanted a pair of light colored jeans for summer so here we go, my third Ginger Jeans.

The fabric is a left-over stretch drill from Zoe Washburne costume. It's rather thick but surprisingly stretchy (and it's a 4 -way stretch). I had just enough fabric to make this capri length.

It is definitely nice to have two sewing machines when making jeans. I really like using my Kenmore. I just wish it had a knee lift!

Since the fabric was so beefy but stretchy, my top stitching got somewhat wobbly.

I used left-over cotton poplin for pocket and waistband facing.

-I cut a size 8, mid-rise skinny.
-Shortened 2" above knee and cut the legs from 6 7/8" from hem to make a capri length.
-Deepened the back crotch curve for a more L-shape (low butt).
-Back pocket is size 6 and using size 6 pocket position.
-Flattened the front crotch curve about 1/8".
-I did a flat seat adjustment by adding a diagonal darts at the back leg about 1" at center back and 0" at the side seam. I "think" it made some improvement to the back leg but not sure.
-Straightened the hip curve at side seam from hip notch to mid thigh.
-As I predicted, the skinny was a bit too skinny for my chunky calf so I let out about 3/8 all around.

Worn with my collarless Butterick 5526 shirt I made for my Hobbit costume. I accidentally (well, just wasn't paying attention) cut the back bodice NOT on the fold so I had to add a strip of fabric at center back. Let's call it a design detail.

My Very First Leather Craft

オットが超ボロイ車を買いました。トランクのストラップを通すパーツがもろくなってて原型をとどめていなかったため、なぜか私がパーツ修理係。元のパーツはプラスチック？か固いゴム？みたいな素材だったんだけど、皮で作り直しました。そんなわけで、レザークラフトに初挑戦。

MOTH has recently bought a very old car. A piece in a trunk that keeps straps in place had broken in pieces from sitting in leaked oil so I was recruited to make a replacement piece.

The original piece was made of some kind of plastic or hard rubber but I used a piece of veg tanned leather. I've been watching a lot of leather craft YouTube videos but this is my very first attempt to work with leather.

I cut 2 pieces of rectangular strips, glued them together, and hand-stitched around. I think I got better at the very last 4 inches. Glad I did not use a contrasting color thread, which was very tempting.

The leather I bought wasn't the finest quality and one end was very soft. I could not bevel and when I sanded the cut edges, the edges got mushroomed. Took many rounds of slicking and sanding.

I then painted the car's logo on it just to make it a bit fancy. I didn't want to bother buying a leather paint so just used regular acrylic paint. We shall see how long the paint will stay on. I am very interested in leather work and I would love to do more in the future.

Hobbit Costume: Simplicity 8771 Cloak

ホビットコスチュームのトリはマントです。
（でもベストの下に着てる衿のついてない白シャツも作ったのよ。写真撮り忘れただけ）

ちなみにこのホビットコスチュームを作ったのは、ルネサンスフェアと呼ばれる中世ルネサンスヨーロッパの催し物に行くためでした。映画村を想像してもらうとわかりやすい。甲冑を着た騎士が馬に乗って槍試合をしたりする。（砂漠地帯でも行きました。）
今ではすっかり日本のコスプレ文化がアメリカでも一般的になって、「コスプレ（Cosplay）」という言葉で知られるようになったけど、日本でコスプレがはやる前からアメリカでは中世の衣装を着て中世文化を楽しむ人たちがたくさんいたのです。

せっかくマントも作って、ブローチもアマゾンで購入したのに、当日は気温が30度ぐらいあったのでマントを着るのははあきらめました。ちょっと残念。

I did make the collarless white shirt under my waistcoat for this but alas no photos.

Anyway, the Hobbit costume. I made the costume to go to a Renaissance Faire. I'm still not sure if Hobbit costume is appropriate for Ren Faire but I think more people wear fantasy costumes these days than actual Renaissance costumes at Ren Faire. Reading the post from 2016 about going to a Ren Faire in the Desert, it's funny to think that I made the Hobbit costume this year that I thought was way beyond my sewing skill back then.

The cloak pattern is Simplicity 8771. I'm sure some advanced sewers would laugh at me using a pattern for a simple cloak, but when you can buy the pattern for $2, that's worth it. Good to be back in the U.S. and being able to buy patterns for $2.

The pattern piece was actually bigger than the tissue paper so this pattern required taping of the pattern. I made the short version (View B). It's a unisex, one size only pattern.

The fabric is a 100% poly faux micro suede. Unfortunately, it was too hot to wear a polyester cloak on a nearly 90 degree weather in Deep South so the cloak was never worn at the Ren Faire.

The hood has a facing around the edge but it's unlined so the center seam is exposed. I am ok showing my serger seam at the hood's center seam (and also the center back) but if you are a more strict costume maker, you will need to think about the proper seam finishing.

I bought this Fellowship leaf brooch on Amazon for like $6. You know, you get what you paid for. I did not like the gold color on the leaf's stem and the general paint job so I painted it over myself with some model car paint I had.

I thoroughly enjoyed making the costume. It is so exciting to think that the whole outfit was made by me! Can I call myself a cosplayer now?

Worn together with:
Self-drafted waistcoat.
Vogue 9032 pants.
Butterick 5526 shirt.

Hobbit Costume: Vogue V9032

ベストに続いては、ホビットパンツを作りました。ホビットのパンツは短いのです。
シャツの袖もホビット用に短めに作ったんだけど、中途半端になってしまったのと気温が30度ぐらいあるのとで、袖はまくっておきます。
年とって、O脚がひどくなっているよう。立ち姿がすっかりおばあちゃん。

Worn with my self-drafted waistcoat is a pair of Hobbit pants. Hobbits wouldn't have a zipper fly but let's call it a modern-day Hobbit pants.

The pattern is Vogue V9032. I made a View C: flat front, fitted pants. The back leg has a princess seam? that goes from waist to hem.

I cut a size 14 at waist and tapered to size 12 at hip.
The pant legs were shortened by 10.5" from hem to accommodate my short legs and Hobbit's short pants.

The muslin had a huge amount of excess fabric at the back leg. Thanks to the 2-part back leg, I was able to cut off the horizontal dart at the back leg without a difficult pattern adjustment. the dart is 1" at the widest part.
I also shaved off at the hip about 1/8" both front and back.
I also ended up taking in at the waist, so next time I would just start from size 12.

After making my Ginger jeans, dress pant making feels much simpler. This one does not have a back pocket or belt loops so the construction was pretty quick.

I was so glad that I had made the Ginger jeans before this one because Ginger definitely has a better instruction and I pretty much followed the Ginger.

If this pair were a dress pants, I think it's too lose around the legs for a "fitted" silhouette but for Hobbit pants, this would do.

The fabric was a Robert Kaufman 7.5 oz stretch twill. I didn't intend to, but this whole ensemble (the waistcoat, shirt, and the pants) ended up all Robert Kaufman fabric. The fabric for the pocket is Amy Butler cotton poplin, left-over from my New Look 6184 dress. Just like Ginger jeans, the pocket bag goes all the way to the zipper so it's nice to have the "tummy stay."

Hobbit Costume: Self-Drafted Waistcoat

ロードオブザリングの主人公、ホビット族のフロド・バギンズのコスチュームを作りました。
ベストは型紙がなかったので、私用の基本の型紙から立ち上げました。ムムム、力作（笑）
布はコーデュロイを使ったんだけど、後ろ見ごろ、逆さまで布を切ってしまったために布のてかり加減が違うけど、それも愛嬌。

I made a Frodo Baggins costume (from The Lord of the Rings).
Let's start from the waistcoat.

Since I did not have a pattern for a waistcoat, I drafted it from my bodice sloper. By the way, my costume-making is not aimed to be as close as the original, but rather something that looks similar that I can sew.

It has a princess seam to the shoulder and pretty similar to my Zoe vest. The black marks on my muslin below is my pocket placement mark.

To wear over a shirt, I let out the side seams.

Then angled the front hem.

This (below) is where I should have noticed the mistake. I placed my center back bodice upside down...

The upside down center back wouldn't have been too much of an issue if it hadn't been a corduroy. Oh well, at least it was a back bodice. The fabric is Robert Kaufman 14 wale 100% cotton corduroy. I have enough fabric left to make an A-line skirt or something for the fall/winter season.

This is my very first welt pocket. I was a bit lazy so the pockets are actually fake.

But other than the pocket bag, it has all the component of a welt pocket.

I think I did rather well for my first time.

I recently bought this Simplex expanding button gauge and I love it. No calculation necessary and so easy to use.

And here is my "design" and my notes to make the waistcoat and the welt pocket. I basically watched a few YouTube videos of waistcoat making and welt pocket making and made notes of the order of construction.

The waistcoat is lined with rayon lining.

The welt at the chest is a bit tilted but otherwise I am very happy.

And the upside-down center back. It almost looks like part of a design, doesn't it?

I made the shirt as well (Butterick 5526) but forgot to take a single picture.