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Then came time to sew... the fly front, something I have yet to master. This first pair was a mockup but I still like to put in all the details because that way if they fit then I would have another pair also, practice makes perfect. I tried to read though directions that I have for fly fronts... to confusing, looked at a video- nope. Finally I just put my favorite jeans on the table next to the pair I was making and studied them. Then it clicked -fly in. The rest sewed up quick and just like that two and a half hours after starting, 5 minutes till I had to leave the house to pickup the kids the mockups were done, and... they are huge, like 4” too big.
I picked up the kids, made dinner and tried them on again. The lines were right and 4” is just 1” off each seam so I started shaving it down and then took measurements, measure the pattern, measure myself, repeat. Once the numbers all made sense I started another pair. I bought this linen last year and made a pair of loose beach overalls out of it. They were my most worn summer garment. When I got this linen it was stiff as a board and scratchy, I washed it on repeat for a week- throwing it in with the laundry again and again and now it is my favorite material-heavy weight and pretty stiff but also soft, and it feels like it will last forever. It seemed a bit of a risky to use this fabric as the last mockup was so far from fitting but I went for it anyway. I just barely had enough to squeeze the pattern into the wonky shape left in the cloth. I love making the same thing twice, back to back, I feel like the second time my mind has figured out the sew order and I can focus on the details. I decided not to use top stitching thread and keep them looking more like slacks than jeans. I finished them around 10:30 and tried them on. They fit!!! Perhaps better than I had wanted. I was going for that ill fitting 80’s look and what I got instead was a lovely fit through the butt and hips. The only thing that I would change on my next pair is making a curved waistband. I debated wether or not I needed one and thought that because the are so high waisted that I didn’t but it gaps a little along the back and a curved waistband would fix that. Also I wanted back pockets but I like the look on this pair without them so I think I’ll leave them off for now. They have very large front pockets which should suffice. I can’t wait to make my next pair, and maybe now I will finally make shorts!
]]>I have thought about doing a blog for so long and have even attempted it once a twice though it has always been short lived.
So here goes my next attempt.
After finishing my embroidered jacket that I made to enter the Mālama Wao Akua show at Hui No'eau I needed a little project. A pallet cleanser. I decided that I would make a pair of shoes to wear to the opening reception. I have heard a definition of crazy that is doing the same thing and expecting a different result. This is the third pair of embroidered shoes that I have made in the last couple months. The first pair is also in the Mālama Wao Akua show. Every time I think that it will be an easy little project and every time I am mistaken. Which isn't to say that it is not a highly enjoyable project. I love having something to stitch. I love being able to stitch wherever I am but it does take a very long time.
I knew that wanted the shoes to be open toed but the pattern that came with the soles is for a closed toe shoe. I played with a couple of different designs for the toe strap. Which was a process of cutting out pieces of paper and pinning them to the sole with my foot resting on the shoe until i found the shape that I liked. I decided on a V shape in the front. Once I settled on the pattern I added the seam allowance and traced the pattern onto my fabric I then stay stitched inside the traced line 3/8 of an Inch, this helps the fabric from warping when stretched in the embroidery hoop and also shows me the line that I can stitch up to. I then worked on the embroidery pattern drawing shapes on my paper pattern. I settled on this loose leaf design mirroring the two sides of the shoes. I thought that I could stitch the shoes in a weekend, they took me two weeks and about 35 hours. Weeks ago I had purchased some very garish sparkly embroidery thread, it came in the midst of stitching and I couldn't resist it. I ended up using it on the heel of the shoes and while it doesn't exactly go together I kind of love it. The soles of the espadrilles soles that I ordered were covered in a white fabric which I didn't love the look of and also worried about it looking dirty so I covered it in a piece of leather using rubber cement to glue it down.
There are a ton of great tutorials for assembling espadrilles I recommend having a pair of pliers handy so that you don't get tempted to use your teeth (which I did and stabbed myself in the face). I also recommend using beeswax on your thread it makes it easier to pull though and stronger. I pull the thread though the wax and then melt it onto the tread with the iron. I used embroidery thread to stitch up the shoes.
(designing the embroidery)
(embroidering at the pool at the four seasons Maui)
(embroidering the toe)
(stitching the heel while camping in Kipahulu)
(all the pieces ready to be assembled)
(stitching the shoe together)
(sparkly embroidered heel)
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