Sunday 10 February 2019

Field Trips, Hippos and comfy cushions

I can not bear to leave something unfinished, or even worse, in a state where it had technically defeated me.

Those terrible Ottobre pants had to be rectified. But before I did. I enjoyed some sewing with the same fabric and therefore the same sewing thread.... A lovely pair of Oliver + S Field Trip Cargo pants


These were the exact same size 10 with size 12 length that I had made back here. The fabric is essentially the same too, being a different colourway of the identical mystery $4/m drill from Eliza's.


There's a fair bit of topstitching and work involved in these pants but their definitely worth it. They look so cool!

The cargo pockets are awesome....


Mostly I just love the fit. relaxed, but not baggy. They pull on like easy wearing track pants but look that bit more put together. Yet there's nothing stuffy and serious-trouser-y about them


So then, with these successfully sewn and being worn, there was nothing for it but to dive back in to those Ottobre pants. I unpicked the belt loops and removed the waistband from 80% or more of the waist edge.

I threw a 1/2" dart at the centre back and at each side seam, essentially reducing the waist by 3" circumference. I took that much out of the waistband at the centre back, then reattached it to the pants.

Thankfully the inverted waist stay didn't need adjusting, it just got eased back onto the reduced waist circumference before the waistband went back on.


It still irks me that the full weight of the pants is hanging on the tacks where the belt loops hold the waist facing down, but at least the waist band doesn't now stick out like late term maternity pants.


The smiling welt pockets are stupidly cute, and I'm glad to have rescued them into a wearable pair of pants. I'll never sew this exact pattern again, but I might steal the pocket idea and put them on a nicer pattern, like the Field Trip Cargo Pants.


This year, at school, P's class have been invited to bring in a chair cushion to make their classroom chairs more comfortable and personalised. Well, it just so happened that I'd been trying to learn to crochet properly and read a pattern. In doing so, I'd made a square of double and treble crochet and thought it would make a perfect cushion cover panel.


I didn't bother lining the cushion, but sewed some navy cotton to back the crochet panel, then added a navy cotton envelope closure at the back.


Spot the crochet stitch error! I can't unsee it, but it was part of learning and now I realise that soldiering on and leaving mistakes will bug me. They say imperfections are the mark of handmade, but I think I'd rather unpick and correct them straight away.


Having the navy cotton in the stash, and using the snap press for the closure meant it was barely an hour's work to cut and sew the whole cushion (he chose grey snaps, I could have matched the navy too :) ). I even ended up having the right sized cushion insert in the stash - a sign that I surely have too much craft stuff stashed away, right?!


I've been really taken with crochet now that i think I've worked it out. I'm excited to show you some of the things I've  made since this cushion front.

Meanwhile, this one will go off to school tomorrow and hopefully it will be used for sitting on, and not for whacking his mates.




10 comments:

  1. Awesome work as always and your persistence is inspiring. Good for you learning to crochet. I tried - even took a hands on class - and two hours of instruction got me nowhere except incredibly frustrated. I'm resigned to embroidery and cross stitch as my only non-sewing needle crafts. On the upside, I won't start hoarding yarn.

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    1. Thanks Barbara. It's taken me quite a bit to find a book that I could relate to in order to learn crochet. I tried videos but they just don't work for me. So many books probably have great instructions but I couldn't see past how naff the projects were. The book Crochet Workshop by Erica Knight had the right mix of visually attractive and well written and finally it clicked.

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  2. Great pants! I've never actually put the pockets on any of the pairs of I've made ... I need to do that. I like the fit on P a lot. Glad you're enjoying the crochet. I never learned, though I did begin my fiber arts life as a knitter.

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    1. Thanks Masha. I need to remember to make them as regular pants without the pockets, but I can never help myself but to add all the bits!

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  3. DANG! I love those Field Trip cargos! They look so good! I really love the Ottobre pants too, that capri leg is excellent, but thanks for reminding me that the Field Trip is all a person really needs.

    The great thing about crochet is that it's easy to frog it - no need to pick up stitches on your needles.

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    1. Oh I sure did learn about undoing crochet, and it happens so quickly!
      The Field Trips really are such a great pattern. I remember them looking oversized when he was little. As the length gets longer the proportions seem much nicer to me.
      And you knew those wretched Ottobre pants weren't going to beat me, right?! ;)

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  4. Those pants are very serious looking and so glad you sorted out that the crazy Ottobre pants. I thought it was a design feature on your cushion and I am also digging out the crochet hook again not sure how far I will progress though.

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    1. Oh Sharon, I've fallen into a huge crochet wormhole. It's addictive! Both pair of pants have instantly become very useful and they both make me happy when worn. How quickly we forget the pain of production. Bit like the kid himself in that respect!

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  5. That last photo is a bit special.
    I like the idea of taking a cushion to school too.

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