Anyhow! I started these Sunday night; cut out some of the smaller pieces and on Monday, really started working on them. By Monday night I had the pockets stitched and ready to assemble, the parts that needed interfacing interfaced, and the belt loops topstitched.
It is worth it to note that I cut the main pieces all single layer (saved the grainline AND my hand!). I had traced this pattern onto freezer paper last time and it is NOT see through. I had a twisted pant leg and didn't want that to happen again. So instead of flipping the pattern piece, I flipped the fabric! I cut a front and back on the right side, flipped the fabric and cut them each on the wrong side.
I saw a handy tip about tracing the pattern piece rather than cutting around it and that helped a ton with accuracy. I used chalk on the face of the fabric and a pink gel pen on the wrong side :)
Tuesday I got the front and back completely assembled and ready to baste together.
the FITS I had topstitching that fly. Holy cow!!!! I thought I was going to cry I had to unpick and re-do so many times. BLEH!!!!!!
I again chickened out on using a jeans zipper and again that freak out was unwarranted; it is completely concealed. Also, this denim is quite light so a normal zipper works fine.
I got out my tools (and my husband!) to practice rivets.
That bottom one that is all bent and mangled? Too much hammering!
The other two caught just fine but then I realized the areas where I am placing rivets is NO WHERE near as thick as this stack of denim I practiced on! Maybe half the thickness...maybe. And Mr. SCC couldn't find his Dremel tool or a side cutter to shorten them. So for now, I am rivet-less.
My machine does a MAR-VUH-LUS bar tack! YAY! And again, lighter denim, no problem attaching belt carriers. But the buttonhole. Sigh.
I practiced! The second one was GOOD!
And then I started on my fabric. Well...my machine has auto buttonholes and there is a lever that comes down which "tells" the machine how long to make the b-hole. This was right up agains the bulk at the waistband (where it meets the top of the pants), and the feed dogs couldn't feed it.
75 minutes, lots of stitch ripping, lots of sadness later...
I turned the pants so the majority of them were to the right and the top (thinner) part was against the lever. Ah. Problem solved.
Wonky b-hole this time but at least now I know.
Also worth nothing that while I can get a crisp corner on trousers, so far on jeans? fuggedaboutit.
*Denim from SR Harris
*Random stash scraps for pocket bags
*C&C topstitching thread in 'gold' and matching all purpose thread in bobbin
*On pair #1 I did not interface the waistband which was fine. This pair needed the waistband interfaced. So I presume after a wear (hopefully 2) I will need a belt or to wash them to restore the fit.
*Dritz tack button
*14 universal needle for construction (lightweight denim...) and topstitching needle for...topstitching! :)
Oooh and I did pocket "designs"! Okay, it's 3 parallel lines but still!!
I think they look pretty danged good!
Innards
Slightly different from pair #1 (on bottom)
I call this photo: Smug Satisfaction
Until next time!!! Oooh and if you have a favorite denim source, please link!
