Shorts for my travel wardrobe

Khaki stretch woven shorts

These shorts have replaced a similar style pair which are now worn out. In an improvement over the old pair I added zipped pockets into the side seams.

In these shorts I inserted a zipped pocket in both sides, but I often only put one in the right side (as I'm right handed).

How to Install a side zipped pocket when sewing trousers/shorts etc

1. For each zipped pocket you need one concealed zipper and 2 pocket pieces. If you have front slash pockets, construct these first.

2. Finish the side seam of the garment and the matching area on the pocket pieces (as you won't be able to do this later).

3. Open the zipper. With right sides together install the zip into the side seam using a concealed zipper foot. Check the zipper works!

4. With right sides together sew one pocket piece to each side of the zip using a standard zipper foot. Leave the bottom 2.5cm (1 inch) unsewn.

5. Close the zipper and lay the pocket pieces on a flat surface with both pocket pieces towards the front. Due to the zip tape width they will not line up perfectly, this is how it should be. (I find it easier to cut two identical pocket pieces and then offset them, rather than having different sizes and remembering which way to put them!)

6. Pin the pocket pieces together and stitch round the pocket, turning back the seam allowance of the piece underneath (use a zipper foot for the tricky bottom bit), then neaten the edges.

7. Sew up the rest of the side seam, up to the point where the concealed zip was sewn in. From the top stitch down about 2.5cm (1 inch) to make sure the zipper tape doesn't show there.

8. Stitch the excess zipper tape to the side seam.

9. Finish constructing the garment.

These are a bit fiddly to do, swapping between the concealed zipper foot, zipper foot and standard foot, but I love having both types of pockets, especially when travelling.

The pattern used was the trousers from New Look 6216, shortened to knee length.

Planning a Travel Wardrobe

DH and I have an exciting upcoming trip to Vancouver and Vancouver Island in Canada, so I've been planning my travel wardrobe. 

I like to have a limited colour palette so that whatever is still clean and weather appropriate can be worn.

I bought a new raincoat in a greeny blue colour and have shoes in olive and sand.

I'm still refining the casule, but these are the current picks.

We've only got 2 and a half weeks until we go, so not loads of time for sewing new things. So I'm trying to use my head and not get carried away!

P.S.

If you live in the Vancouver area and want to get in touch about the trip you can contact me at 

sew DOT ruthie DOT style AT zoho DOT eu

Anyone for Tea Dresses

 The "Anyone for Tea" dress was the July pattern from the Weekend Sewing Club 

Floral version in cotton poplin ditsy print (navy on white)

Lengthened version in a fun tropical print (this was a thrifted duvet cover)

I also added pockets to this one

Here's the line drawing.

This is a great pattern for using a few pretty buttons from the button tin. For each dress I had three on the front and a different one on the back.

Note to Barbara from Vancouver - I have lengthened the pattern by 6 inches (15 cm). The skirt is very flared, so continuing that out to be longer also makes it wider at the hem.

Blue and white batik co-ord set

 Blue and white batik co-ord set

The shirt uses Simplicity 9200 View C with the sleeve shortened to elbow length and the culottes are adapted from New Look 6438, with my crotch curve, an elastic waist and front side pocket with a curved instead of a slash this time (because I fancied it!)

The fabric was a remnant picked up from a charity shop (thrift store/op shop) which had some areas where the blue had run a little or not quite taken but I've managed the layout by having the worst areas on the inside of the waistband, pockets etc.

The blue came off on my hands like it does sewing denim, so I think it is indigo and is likely to fade when washing.

Cream and Blue summer shirt

 

This fabric was a funny shaped remnant from Auntie Joy. It is a cotton lawn.

I used some craft buttons in a similar shade, shape and size as the flowers.

The pattern is Simplicity 9200 View C with the sleeve shortened to elbow length and straightened out (as I like that silhouette on shorter sleeves)

Finished Memory Dogs (and a bonus)

These are for family members on DH's side to remember his SIL who passed a few years ago.

Her daughter asked me to use two of her mum's embroidered sweatshirts to make 2 memory dogs, one for her sister and the other for her daughter. 

The green sweatshirt had a few bits of embroidery which wouldn't fit onto the tummy of the first dog, so the second dog has a butterfly on its tail and I also made a surprise gift for the requestor to remember her Mum.

There wasn't enough fabric remaining for another dog, but I did manage a hanging heart with a wording, a scrap of the original embroidery and a label from one of the sweatshirts.

She was pleased with the photos of the dogs, so I hope she's happy to get them at the weekend, and likes her bonus heart :-)

For construction I had two sewing machines both with a jersey needle, one with pink thread, the other with turquoise and constructed the dogs in parallel. The pattern is Kip the Keepsake Dog by Funky Friends Factory.

Wording was embroidered on my Janome Memory Craft 200E and then the pieces cut out afterwards.

The heart was self drafted. 

Taupe Linen Mix Shorts and Culottes

I had some linen mix fabric in my stash, a fine herringbone in dark brown and ivory, with an ivory and ginger stripe in it. Overall the fabric reads as a taupe colour (grey/brown) with a slight self stripe.

The shorts are knee length, and may need shortening a little, I'll see how they are to wear.

The culottes use the cropped line on the pattern and have longer slash pockets.

Both are adapted from New Look 6438, with my crotch curve, an elastic waist and slash side pockets.

BLOUSE FROM LAST YEAR

Very pleasingly they work beautifully with the blouse from the co-ord set I made last July, which will expand its wear considerably.

Kip the Keepsake Dog

This is my test dog from the Kip the Keepsake Dog pattern made from old hoodies of mine. I purchased the pattern from Funky Friends Factory.

I have been asked to turn two sweatshirts into Memory Dogs for some of DH's family.

My first one has a few wonky bits, and a some unpicking was required, but I've got a better sense of the how the animal goes together now.

Wish me luck with the next steps.....

Butterick 4659 UFO

Recently (when looking for something else) I came across a bag with two unfinished blouses in it. In both cases I'd hit a problem with them (many many years ago) and put them to one side.

Here's the first one. I remembered the pattern as the sleeves are quite distinctive. It is Butterick 4659, I think I have cut View B in a size 22.

Pinned to the blouse was a scrap of paper which said :-

    Tried the top on, 2 issues

    1 - understitching shows

    2 - remove fabric from centre front / front facing (see shaded area) and a little drawing.

    Back not bad maybe needs deeper seams at waist line.

So I'll need to start with trying it on to see how the fit is now. This could go back as far as 2007 as I can't find any mention of it on my blog. The pattern is dated 2005.

Fortunately I kept the scraps with the garment so I could use them if needed.

The second is another turquoise stripe and is much earlier still. I originally made a skirt from this fabric. You know the style two rectangles pleated or gathered onto a straight waistband with a side zip one side and a pocket the other.  And then made a shirt with what was left, only didn't have enough for the collar, so it's an oddly pieced thing I never got to work. It all has no overlocking so must predate my first overlocker (mid 1990s). From the length of the waistband on the skirt I must've been in my late teens (late 1980s). I remember unpicking the skirt some years ago in the hope I could finish the shirt. My aim would be to make myself a shirt of some sort from the bits as best I can.

Black wide leg trousers

 

As before these are adapted from the trousers in New Look 6438. I've got two slant pockets and a hidden invisible zipper pocket as well.

These will be nice to wear with the various blouses which have black in them and which don't work too well with other coloured bottoms.

Love Notions Melody Dolman

I bought quite a few patterns from the Love Notions May sale. The first one I've sewn up was this test of the Melody Dolman from an old duvet cover.

I'll wear it a bit to see if I like the body length or not.

The sleeves on this have a much bigger opening than the Bellissima Blouse which I found a lot more comfortable.

Bellissima Blouse

The May Pattern for the weekend sewing club was the Bellissima Blouse plus some extras for Club members.

I made the classic blouse in some soft cotton fabric liberated from Auntie Joy's stash. I interfaced the collar and collar stand with Vlieseline H180 (lightweight fusible interfacing).

I found the grown on sleeves uncomfortable, so recut the shoulders from my TNT shirt pattern and added some banded sleeves.

I'm happier with it now, but am unlikely to revisit the pattern

Navy Wide Leg Trousers

Last summer I made a few pairs of wide legged trousers and culottes adapted from New Look 6438 Views C and D. The ones made in viscose (rayon) were particularly good for hot sticky days. So I bought some plain viscose fabric in navy and black from Pound Fabrics to make some more to expand my options.

(excuse the weird flash detail, they are a mid navy all over.)

These are the navy ones, which got worn on the hot days when I was away. In this version I did add a hidden side zipper pocket in the right side seam, hand for a key, card etc.

The changes I made to New Look 6438:

I wanted elasticated waist trousers, so I omitted the back darts and replaced the shaped waistband with an elasticated one.

I also wanted pockets so drafted up some simple inseam pockets, and an optional hidden zipped pocket.

I have a non standard crotch curve, so used another pattern I have altered a lot for fit to alter the crotch on these, I extended the front and back crotch depth slightly, and raised the back waist. The result is very comfortable for me.

The Victory Trousers (April Make!)

Hello, and sorry I've not been posting. I have been away (within the UK) quite a bit, and squished some sewing in, but not shared here.

I have also been working on things for an Advent Swap with my sewing friend RealAle but can't share those until after she has opened them in December!

So I will do a couple of posts to catch up with what I can share.

Today I'll share the Victory Trousers from The Weekend Sewing Club by My Handmade Wardrobe.

This was the Pattern for April 2026, and I did make them during that month

For my version I did a full tummy, full butt and low butt alteration. They sewed up well, but I keep trying to put my hands in the buttoned openings thinking they are pockets!

I tend to wear my tops out, so the button detail is rather obscured. So I am a bit on the fence about these ones. 

Any ideas how I could add some pockets at the front/side to make them more wearable? 

I suppose I could open up the side seams and add in some simple side pockets. I have got a bit of the navy cotton twill left that I used to make them

Fabric Shopping

I've been fabric shopping, thought I'd share here what I bought, hopefully fun for you but also helpful for me later when I sew it up.

Rainbow Fabrics ran a pop up shop in a hotel near the railway station in Nottingham. So I went along and bought 2 metres of pinky burgundy stretch denim and 3 metres of viscose print fabric.

I am planning to make the pink denim into a denim jacket.

The printed viscose will become trousers/culottes and a shirt which can be worn together or as separates.

They packed it up in a nice reusable tote bag.

I had a really fun time.

I then walked from the train station area, along the canal through the new pedestrian area (where Broadmarsh shopping centre previously was located) up into the main shopping area to pick up toiletries and home items and also visit the two fabric shops in the Lower Parliament Street area.

These are Creative Craft Corner in Queen Street (I often go there but didn't buy anything this time).

And the new Boyes at 20 Lower Parliament Street.

In Boyes I bought 2 metres of table covering fabric in sage green in a print called 'Honesty Leaf' for the kitchen. I've already cut it to fit the table, but have a bit left over which will become a bag.

I also purchased 2 metres of sage green knit fabric - 70% viscose 30% acrylic for a top for me.

Earlier in the week my latest Pound Fabrics order had arrived, so I'll record that here too, and no more fabric shopping for a while now :-)

Far Left 3 metres of Plain Navy stretch cotton for hiking trousers

Second left 3 metres of Elephant Family Polycotton in green for a shirt for me.

Second from right 2 metres of black viscose poplin for summer trousers

And finally far right 2 metres of navy viscose poplin for summer trousers

(I've previously made summer trousers from the mid blue and olive viscose poplin so wanted to have some more plains to go with various summer tops.)

And the elephants, well that's just because I love elephants!

I also got some thread a new sewing gauge.