Christine Jonson, Travel Trio One #1204, Center Seam Pant Review,

Christine Jonson website http://www.cjpatterns.com/

Christine Jonson's Travel Trio One Pattern was on clearance at Nancy's Notions when I purchased a software title.

Drawing from Christine Jonson website.


I decided to take the plunge because I like the idea of having elongating seams on all pant pattern pieces, and at clearance price, I could not pass it up.  Even though I had a rotten experience with one CJ pattern, I decided to try one more time.  After all, you should give every pattern company two chances ... at least ... right???

My CJ failure was the old 419, Ruffle Top and Swing Skirt ... the sizing was so far off for me that I tossed the items I'd made.  The top was uncomfortably tight, and my fabric was washed, so shrinkage was no issue.  Anyway, onto the travel pant. 

Here is the line drawing from Christine Jonson's website.


When I measured the length of the crotch seam and compared it to my own body, I had my first "Uh-Oh" moment.  This pattern has a wide waistband, which is not the problem.  The issue was confirmed via tissue fitting ...  these pants came up to my waistline, without the waistband.  I really don't like high-waisted pants.  So the first issue was cutting down the upper band seam on the pants - two inches of length, gone. 

The second was pant length.  There are made to a typical 30.5" inseam, which is a bit highwater on me, especially for winter.  I want these to cover my foot and come to the base of my heel, so I added 2" at the knee.

I chose a heavy black RPL that has been long languishing in the stash.  It is not an exciting color, but it will give me the opportunity to test out the pattern.

Whilst sewing, I ignored the directions for the most part.  The pants were together and trialled before I realized that according to directions, the top of the waistband was only supposed to be serged, which meant my 5/8" seam shortened the waistband by 1/2", too much according to the pattern and directions.

Happy results with the too short waistband.  The pants fit about where they should, just below the waist, but I'm going to make some additional adjustments for the next pair.

The legs are a little too wide, so I'll trim down a touch.  But first, I need to shorten the back pant length at the inner thigh.  I've got lots of excess below my rear, but not quite enough rear room.  So what I remove in the back leg, I'll add into the back crotch.


They are comfortable and easy to move around it.  I could see these as yoga pants, easy.

As drafted, they are made for a long crotch length individual with some hip curve and regular length legs.  The only thing that threw me was the crotch length.  I'm used to adding length at the crotch or leaving as is, NOT subtracting.

I guess for CJ's draft I have a short pelvic length?

I wore them to work with a tunic, and did not feel hideously exposed.  This RPL is of lower quality as I wore them two days in a row and they were somewhat stretched out by the end of the second day.  I'd recommend staying with higher quality fabrics with great recovery, because this pattern will look pajama-ish when stretched out.

These aren't going to hide any "issues" the media has convinced you you have, but they are fairly good at flattening out lower belly bulge.  I'm just not this skinny at the abdomenal area.  Probably just doesn't add any extra thickness at the waist region.

I stitched down the front, side, and back seams (not the inner side seams) and used a domestic machine to do so ... hence the ripples in the seams.  For my next pair I will mostly use my industrial straight stitch.  It will do a much better job with this fabric.

If you stretch the leg forward just right, you can mimic incredibly long legs ... at least until you stand up straight.  

 
Side back view, here the excess in the back is more obvious.  And it looks like my calf shape is causing some pulling.  Hmm ...


Yes, yes, I know all the experts say there is no such thing as a wearable muslin.  But most of the time I think you need to wear it for a while to figure out how and where everything is going to move on your own body.  So take that, here is my wearable muslin.

Now to make the changes and try again.  And make a couple shorties up for working out.

OPI "Who the Shrek are You?" swatch

OPI, I am very disappointed!  (Fifth Element Oldman flash!)

Who the Shrek are You? is so ugly, you want to like it for that alone.  You want to reassure the color, "While others may turn away, I will wear you with pride!"  Except, WTSAY? is not just the green monster, but the green pigmentless monster!  RUN AWAY, RUN AWAY!!!

Probably the worst balding color I have ever seen, except for a couple of sheer nudes ... Zoya Lulu and Revlon Sheer Nude spring to mind.

Three mid-thick coats later, and I still have bald spots ... with a pea green nail polish.  Ick.  Unfortunately, this color is a waste of time, energy, and money.

I can only see it being used in nail art ... preferably as a background color, NOT a base color.  Foliage perhaps?

This is being jettisoned from my collection as I write.  I'll try China Glaze's "Treehugger" instead.

I could not imagine taking a photo of my right foot.  From five plus feet away, you cannot tell much.  But inch a little closer and baldzilla rears its head on my big toe ... "Aarrrggg!"  Can Mothra be far behind?

Bye, bye, baby, bye, bye ...

China Glaze "Far Out" Swatch

"While the last rays of the sun lay dying ..."  I feel like I'm writing my dime store novel.


It is that time of year where the media is hyping Fall!  Fall color, fall texture, fall temperatures.

Houston does not feel very fallish, mid-summer perhaps, but NOT fall.  Not even fall anticipatory.

So I'm caught in a Fall mood, without a Fall environment with which to back it up.  Enter, China Glaze "Far Out" - a color I've never worn, and cannot now explain why.

Far Out is a lovely in-between color.  It is not as deep as a vampy, nor is it a light spring or summer color.  It is a muted rust color, neither too bright, nor too deep, nor too bronzey.  A Goldilocks color, or, perhaps more accurately, a baby bear color.

This almost fits my definition of Chestnut.  A deep reddened orange brown with a flash of fire.  The flash made obvious by the setting sun.

Far Out is usually quite tame and serene, until that sun lights it from within.

It has held up well with very little tip wear.  The first day I wore one coat atop Nubar NuNails (to retard any staining).  I finally got a second coat of lacquer on the third day (this semester is just really weird, I cannot settle into the schedule) ... a bit of tip wear on the first coat.  Here is two days after second coat application and four days after first coat application.  I applied CND "Air Dry" after the second coat of lacquer.

I do like to space out my coats if possible, which I believe leads to greater longevity.  However, the second coat took way too long.  I'm pleased with the wear I've gotten from this odd application schedule of mine.

McCall's 4304 Kimono Pattern becomes a summer robe

I made this pattern when it first came out many, many years ago.  I used a transparent deep turquoise rayon and have worn the kimono top when I remember it.  Being that it located in a drawer and not hanging in the closet, it is a bit easy to forget about.


Forward to the last year or so, when I kept saying to myself, I need a summer robe.  And after checking and re-checking all the robe patterns, I had only one thing to say, "Yuck!"

I dislike most shawl collars, and all I could think was Granny wear and I are not ready to get cozy.


Having set aside a cotton sheet after its useful life came to an end (where did all those stains come from?), I had planned to use it as muslin or something wearable.  It became my comfy summer robe.

Going by my earlier use, I traced a straight medium, added length for my long torso, and took out an inch for my sway back.  I also lengthened the pattern by about 8" and gave the skirt a little more of an A line shape (more flattering to my full hips than a straight shape).

I made french seams throughout this garment, it will keep that slinky cotton from disintegrating at too fast a rate.  The only difficulty came in matching the sleeves at the armhole.  Getting the two seams to play nice at the armpit was an exercise in patience, but it is done.

Behold, the summer robe ...

I like the loose fit and the big kimono sleeves.  Houston can be agonizingly hot in the summer so the ease is necessary for comfort.  It also covers enough that I would walk to the mailbox without too much discomfort. 

I used a quilting cotton for the neckline, both to reinforce the flimsiness of this fabric and to give me some color up near my face.  As much as I like my sheet, it is not the best color for me - the cotton neckline is a great contrast. 

So here I am, wrapped in comfort.  I recommend this as a lounging outfit.  Works great.  :)

You can find Kimono patterns in costumes, jackets, and tops.  June Colburn usually has an offering with Simplicity (though you can also get them directly from her website).