More Botanic Trousers

 

I made another pair of Botanic trousers, this time in a navy cupro. 

For those wondering what cupro fabric is, here are the nitty gritty details from Perfectly Basics

About
Cupro is a regenerated cellulose fiber that is produced by treating cotton cellulose with cuprammonium salt. It is especially known to resemble silk, and is also known as artificial silk.

Characteristics
Cupro fabrics breath like cotton, drapes beautifully, and look and feels like silk on your skin. Just like most other regenerated cellulosic fibers is possess low shrinkage characteristics, as well as good moisture absorbency and wrinkle resistant qualities. It has subtle luster and takes up dye very well – giving rich colored garments. A disadvantage with cupro is that it takes up stains very easily.

This fabric was a delight to sew and I love how this pair of trousers drapes, it really does have the swish factor when I walk.  I made the self fabric belt too, but have had some troubles attaching the belt loops, so that part is still a work in progress.  I'm really looking forward to wearing these, however do need to make or buy some fitted tops more suited to cooler temperatures to wear with them.  

**photos by Miss B**

Finished - Hexie Pillow

 

A wet Mother's Day afternoon, saw me finally sewing up my hexi pillow.

After trimming the cover to size and curving the corners, I machine basted on the divine rainbow fringing,I had purchased especially for this cushion and decided to make a simple envelope enclosure for the reverse.  I had a scrap of fabric which I felt worked perfectly with the hexies and multicoloured fringing just to jazz it up a little bit.

It is now living on the soda in my family room, with my other AMH hexi and Mandolin cushions. 

Now I can start another pair of botanic trousers feeling guilt free.

Botanic Trousers

Late last year I bought myself a pair of lightweight rayon culottes, which I have absolutely lived in over summer.  They've been  dressed up, dressed down, and have made for perfect work wear too.

I recently saw the Botanic Trousers by Pauline Alice patterns on Instagram and decided to try and make some of my own.  They appeared a lot wider in the leg than I wanted, but a lot of sewers seemed to have made them in a stiffer fabric, which meant they wouldn't drape as well.

The pattern was duly purchased, downloaded and assembled, and some lightweight eucalyptus tencel in a dark blackish greenish (licorice) colour was my fabric of choice.

My waist and hip measurements put me as size 40 (European sizing for this pattern) and I decided to lengthen the pattern by 3 inches seeing as I'm taller than who the pattern is designed for.

The pattern itself is a very easy sew.  There is no zip, they have pockets, front pleats and elastic at the back, In fact, the only part I didn't like was the instructions for attaching the waistband with the elastic already attached.  I unpicked it twice and eventually put the waistband on first and then threaded the elastic through and attached it at the side seams.  At this point I have omitted belt loops and the the self fabric belt.

Overall I love how they look, they fit comfortably around the waist (could be a little tighter) float beautifully as I walk, and I love that it looks as though I'm wearing a skirt but I'm actually not.

Things Here Lately

Autumn is well and truly here now, although it has been very mild and pleasant outside, evenings are still a little cooler.  Here's a little bit of what I have been kept busy with, and enjoying over the past couple of weeks.

• The quilting plan for my Hexie pillow cover has changed.  Last night I decided the quilting I had already done just wasn't me.  Luckily I hadn't done any more since this post, so it didn't take to long to unpick.  Some tape for stitching guides was applied, a brighter thread used, and voila, a finished pillow top.

• Miss B celebrated a birthday last week, I made her a Spiced Honey Cake using this recipe.  Quite mild, not overly sweet, though I could quite happily sit there and scoff a bowl of the icing myself.

• Some good books have been read.  I especially enjoyed Where the Crawdads Sing.  I have noticed that a lot of my reads this year are based on strong female characters set in the times of WW2.

• I had a quick trip on the train to Drapers fabric the other weekend.  The greenish/black fabric is tencel and is in the process of being turned into some culottes.  The navy cupro is probably destined for the same pattern, and I couldn't resist this animal print viscose which will be a top of some description.

• My tamarillos are slowly ripening.  My tree is quite laden and with them currently priced at NZ$12.99/kg in the supermarket I am quite pleased to be able to enjoy lots of them this season.

Wishing you all a wonderful May.