Aubergine and navy joggers and a bonus

 I'm just about finished on Aubergine

Monsal lounge pants from a remnant I bought on holiday in September 2024 (its the middle one)

Its a purple ponte with a navy abstract print over the top.

I used a different fabric for the inseam pockets as t was a small remnant!

Monsal Lounge Pant pattern from the Wendy Ward Book "A Beginner's Guide to Sewing with Knitted Fabrics".

After the repairs

Before the repairs

I also repaired some cord trousers I made many years ago (2015). I'd put a not very well matching zip in the wrong side and clipped rather close resulting in fraying. Plus they were too long.

Sew Ruthie Style: Giant (but comfy) corduroy trousers for gentle critique

I unpicked the waistband and the zip and the opposite side seam. I put in a nicely matching invisible zip in the correct side and re stitched the waistband , which is now slightly narrower. I unpicked the stitched hems, cut 2 inches off, and re-hemmed. 

I can now wear them again.

If I add these into the Aubergine Collection it looks like this

I have 4 tops, 2 in knit fabric and 2 woven shirts.

I also have four toppers  - a fleece, a button front cardigan, a zip front lined jacket and lapel collared cardigan jacket.

And four pairs of trousers - wide leg border print, plain which match the zipped jacket, corduroy with side zip and ponte joggers.

Monsal Lounge Pants

 

The Monsal Lounge Pants from Wendy Ward's book "Sewing with Knitted Fabrics2 are my TNT jogger pattern.

I've made another 2 pairs, one in plain brown brushed polyester knit and the other in a cotton jersey printed with an animal print pattern. They are both the same variation of the pattern.

If I add the brown joggers into the Paisley SWAP with the teal tops, it looks like this

1 jacket, 1 fleece, 1 shirt, 8 knit tops, 1 pair jeans, 1 pair joggers, 1 skirt.

Summary of 2023 Sewing Projects

I'm currently working on a coat. I'm taking it slowly but will share once completed.

Today I made some time to look back over 2023, and I sewed a lot.

Sewing for C

I think my biggest achievement was learning to fit my lovely friend C, and then making her quite a lot of clothes once I'd tweaked the muslins and learned about FBAs etc.

I didn't blog everything I sewed for her but it included a whole rack of muslins, 13 dresses, 5 pairs of PJ bottoms, 2 lined jackets, 2 skirts and 4 tees. A total of 26 items.

She also sewed a dress and several skirts for herself

UFOs

I finished off my oldest UFO, another cut out but not sewn up project, and a blouse my friend Sylvia cut out 41 years ago.

Alterations

I notes down 4 alteration type projects - added pocket flaps, embroidery, hidden pockets etc. There may well have been more

Clothes for me

8 turtleneck tops (polo neck jumpers)

18 other knit tops

7 pairs of joggers

3 cardigan and 1 sweatshirt

4 pairs of trousers (2 with front fly zipper)

1 denim gilet with pockets

1 pair summer PJs (jersey top, woven bottoms)

3 woven tops and 6 button front shirts

1 divided skirt and 1 travel robe

This year I sewed myself a total of 55 garments. I acknowledge that this is a lot so I've had a big wardrobe clear out of things which didn't fit too well or I didn't really like, and will do another when we get back to the warmer weather.

4 items I sewed have already been donated, they were me trying a pattern, style or fabric and learning that it didn't work. One top shrank in holiday laundry and has been passed to a friend.

Accessories

Packing pouches for travel, a zipped A3 art bag, 7 zipped pouches plus lots of pairs of fleece socks.

Crafts

Felt pincushion and felt angel

Quilting

3 sets of quilt blocks for the Sparkling Stars Quilt and a little trial of Foundation Paper Piecing

Teal joggers and cardigan

I had a length of nice teal ponte knit fabric.

I was able to cut a pair of Monsal Lounge Pants, from the Wendy Ward Book, A Beginners Guide to Sewing with Knits and the Classic length of the Free Harper knit cardigan from Sinclair Patterns.

This is the version with the separate waistband and pockets, but without the cuffs.

This is the 'classic' length, with pockets. I wasn't able to cut the sleeve quite the full length so made the cuffs slightly deeper and wider to keep the length. Its worked well.

It might be a bit too matchy to wear them together but I can see them being great pieces in my SWAP and wardrobe in general

Here's what the SWAP is looking like so far

More Monsal Lounge Pants

I made two pairs of the Monsal Lounge Pants, from the Wendy Ward Book, A Beginners Guide to Sewing with Knits. 

One pair is black, the other dark grey marl.

Although it's easy enough for me to buy RTW joggers they don't fit me well, so I'm working through sewing my own so the old ones can be donated recycled.

Navy Loungewear

I made two pairs of the Monsal Lounge Pants, from the Wendy Ward Book, A Beginners Guide to Sewing with Knits. Both are navy blue, one a mid navy ponte the other a dark navy sweat shirting fabric.

I cut some long strips from the sweat shirting fabric and used it to enlarge a RTW hoody which was too tight. I loved the colour and the zips, so thought it was worth the alteration.

The long strips have been added up the side and under the arm. I'm really pleased as the fabrics are a similar weight and the dark navy stripe works with the navy zips down the front and on the pockets and it all looks like it was made like that.

I'll wear these pieces a lot I am sure.