Another Pair of Mia Jeans

February 12, 2017.Reading time 2 minutes.

Mia Jeans by thisblogisnotofryou.com

Hello! Here’s a quick share of another pair of Mia Jeans by SEW OVER IT that I made a couple of weeks ago. As you can see, the weather wasn’t too great when taking these pictures. If you need more details on this pattern, check out my first Mia Jeans post.

I’ve worn them pretty frequently and they’re holding up great. So far, they haven’t stretched out at all and the waistband kept its shape nicely. The fabric of the first pair of Mias I made was softer and stretchier, and the waistband creases quite a bit.

Again, as last time, I used the back pockets construction to try out some more embroidery stitches on my new sewing machine. I’m not a big fan of contrasting stitching on jeans, and this tiny added detail suits my taste perfectly. This time I interfaced the pocket pieces before adding the embroidery stitches, so the fabric didn’t stretch. Mia Jeans by thisblogisnotofryou.com

I’m really happy with this pattern. The fit is great and it’s a perfect base for future hacks. I like the extra large seam allowance – it really helps with the fitting process. The stretch fabrics make it easy enough, but as the amount of stretch in fabrics differs quite often, it’s necessary to do at least one fitting (or more if necessary), before finishing the outer side seams.

And yay! This time I got the front fly right from the beginning! I’ve got three more fabrics waiting to become some sort of Mia hack, so keep your eyes peeled!

Have a great week everyone,

Charlie

Happy sewing!
♥

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Burda Wool Coat & Mia Jeans

December 4, 2016.Reading time 7 minutes.

Burda 09/2015 #117 and Mia Jeans by thisblogisnotforyou.com

Today I’m sharing two pretty amazing projects with you. One is an oversized coat I made last Winter and didn’t get around to blog until now and the other one is hot off the sewing machine: my first pair of skinny jeans!

Coat pattern: Let’s have a look at the coat first. For this cosy wool coat I used Burdastyle pattern 09/2015 #117A. View B is belted and slightly shorter than View A. The pattern is pretty brilliant as long as you use the right fabric. They’re asking for double-sided wool because it comes without lining. Therefore, it’s a really quick, simple sew. No interfacing, no lining, no bindings. It’s pretty much just three pattern pieces: front, back and back sleeve (plus pockets). The sleeves are two pieces. The front one is cut as a kimono sleeve and part of the front bodice pattern.

Burda 09/2015 #117 and Mia Jeans by thisblogisnotforyou.com

Fabric & construction: I found this amazing double-sided wool fabric at stoffkontor.eu for a very good price. Unfortunately, they’ve run out of it since. It’s a lovely teal boiled wool on one side and a grey sweater knit on the other side. The pattern really requires a fabric with “two good sides”, so this one was perfect.

You might wonder about the contrast detail I did in the front. Well, this wasn’t planned I have to admit. I made a mistake I haven’t made in a long time: I forgot to mirror the front pieces. To my defense, I had to cut the coat with the fabric laid flat in one layer, because the pattern pieces are huge. I simply forgot to flip over the front pattern piece before cutting it out a second time. As I did not have enough fabric and couldn’t be bothered to order more, I decided to run with it.

Looking at it now, I think it looks pretty neat. The Mr thinks it’s the best feature of the coat, and he’s kind of right. Still, I sometimes catch myself thinking of it as a mistake, because I know it wasn’t planned.

The construction is very easy. So this is a great project for anyone who doesn’t feel ready yet to tackle a proper coat. As for finishing the raw edges, you simply fold over the edges and stitch them in place. So the only tricky bit is getting the mitred corners right and neat.

The coat closes as a wrap with two snap fastenings at the top.

Burda 09/2015 #117 and Mia Jeans by thisblogisnotforyou.com

Skinny jeans pattern & construction: Let’s talk about my first pair of Mia Jeans! When SEW OVER IT published their Capsule Wardrobe pattern ebook, I couldn’t wait to try the skinny jeans pattern. I love a good high-waisted, simple pair of trousers and I love skinny jeans.

I was a bit concerned that getting the fit right might be a bit of a struggle. Luckily I had some really stretchy denim fabric in my stash which I could use as a muslin. Turned out I didn’t really need a muslin, as the fit was great and I only had to make minor adjustments. The pattern comes with an extra wide seam allowance at the side seam which makes fitting very easy.

Burda 09/2015 #117 and Mia Jeans by thisblogisnotforyou.com

Sewing the pockets was so much fun. Next to sewing the front fly, getting the pockets right is probably taking longest. I basted them on by hand before stitching to get them perfect.

I had a lot of fun trying out decorative stitching with my new sewing machine. I did not use contrasting thread for all seams, just for the pockets. It’s a very minimalist pattern, so the pockets really are the eye-catcher.

Although I’ve sewn quite a few front flies before, I struggled a bit with this one. I accidentally sewed the front shut and overlocked the seam before realising I was missing the front fly. Stupid, I know. I had to cut off quite a bit of the seam allowance to remove the overlocked edge and there wasn’t much left to play around with. Which made constructing the front fly a bit difficult. That’s why the zip is showing a bit, which is somewhat annoying.

Lisa of SEW OVER IT made a wonderful video tutorial on sewing the front fly, which you can find on her youtube channel. There are photographed instructions in the ebook, but if you’ve never tackled a front fly before, I really recommend watching the video tutorial.
Burda 09/2015 #117 and Mia Jeans by thisblogisnotforyou.com

(Very casually sucking in that tummy and hiding the showing zip) Burda 09/2015 #117 and Mia Jeans by thisblogisnotforyou.com

Both jeans and coat are amazingly comfy and therefore my new work uniform. I got a lot of compliments for the coat. Nobody mentioned the jeans, which, I think, means they don’t look handmade and that is a good thing. I made a pair of skinny jeans that looks store-bought, ha!

Will I be making more? I definitely won’t make the coat again, as you do not need an indefinite amount of coats, and I am planning on making a properly lined and interfaced one this winter. But I will be making tons of Mia Jeans! In fact, I have already made another pair and bought fabric for at least three more! It’s definitely my go-to jeans pattern now and plain enough to use as a base for some great pattern hacks.

What’s your favourite pattern at the moment?

Charlie

Happy sewing!
♥

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Recycled Denim Beanie (Free Pattern + Wool And the Gang Giveaway!)

September 23, 2016.Reading time 7 minutes.

Recycled Denim Beanie by Thisblogisnotforyou.com (Click through for more info & pics)

Recycled Denim Beanie by Thisblogisnotforyou.com

HELLO AUTUMN

It was the first day of autumn this week and although I wish for summer to last just a little bit longer, the colder season has undeniably arrived. I found myself wearing woollen socks, comfy cardigans and sipping hot chocolate on the sofa the last couple of days. With the beginning of autumn the weather changed here in Germany. The air is crisper and the mornings are really foggy now. So I try my best to adapt to the changing seasons and find some joy in thinking up my autumn/winter wardrobe and digging out some of my warmer handmade clothes.

I finished my first knitting project last weekend! It was a super easy and simple project to dive back into my knitting, which is a hobby I only keep up during the colder seasons.

The lovely folks over at WOOL AND THE GANG sent me some of their very popular Billie Jean Yarn, which is now back in stock. They’re giving away two balls of Billie Jean Yarn for one of you lucky ones and I’ll share the knitting instructions in case you want to make a hat like mine. (All opinions are my own. Giveaway at the end of the post!)

Those of you following my blog know that I’m a big fan of recyling and upcycling, well, generally using secondhand products to create unique things while being a friend to nature. The Billie Jean Yarn is made using upcycled pre-consumer denim waste. This waste is ground back into fibre and then woven into beautiful yarn. The process does not make use of chemicals and dyes and therefore is super eco-friendly. That’s pretty amazing, right?

But not only that, just look at how preeeeetty it is:

Recycled Denim Beanie by Thisblogisnotforyou.com

photo credit: Wool And The Gang Recycled Denim Beanie by Thisblogisnotforyou.com

photo credit: Wool And The Gang

Well, long story short – I’m very much in love with Billie Jean! I chose the “Dirty Denim” which is one of three different colour options on offer. The Dirty Denim is 60% Upcycled Denim and 40% Upcycled Raw Cotton and super soft on the skin. No fear – it does not smell like jeans at all!

It gives your knitting project a unique look with its edgy and effortless cool look. For a hat or cardi it’s perfect to wear with actual jeans or a white shirt. The Dirty Denim really gives the effect of a lot of texture, so I didn’t use a special pattern – it would’ve been hard to see. I knitted with metallic knitting needles as the yarn is easily separable which was a bit tricky with my bamboo needles.

Now onto making your own cosy & warm Billie Jean hat!

KNITTING INSTRUCTIONS

You’ll need two balls of Billie Jean Yarn. I used roughly 150-180g to finish my beanie including the pompom. So two balls á 100g should be enough even for larger sizes. The recommended needle size is US 8 / 5mm, but I found that smaller needles worked better for me. So I’ll stick with that in the instructions.

Size:
54cm head circumference. Adapt to your size and tension if necessary.

Beanie Pattern:
With 3.5mm cast on 80 sts.
Row 1 (right side): K1, *p1, k1, repeat from* to last stitch. So you’re basically just alternating between a knit and a purl stitch.

Now work in rows (knit the knits and purl the purls), repating row 1 another 29 times. (Or less if you want the brim to be narrower!)

Change to 4.5mm needles.

Row 31 – 75: Knit all stitches. Keep working in rows in a simple stockinette stitch for another 45 rows.

Row 76: *k2tog, repeat from* to last stitch (40sts).

Row 77-78: Knit all stitches.

Row 79: *k2tog, repeat from* to last stitch (20sts).

Row 80: Row 77-78: Knit all stitches.

Row 81: *k2tog, repeat from* to last stitch (10sts).

Cut yarn, leaving a long tail, and thread tail through remaining 10 stitches.

Pompom:
Cut two cardboard circles, 11cm in diameter. (Cardboard from a pizza box will do!)
Cut a 4 cm hole in the centre of each to create two rings.

Hold the two rings together and wind yarn evenly through the centre hole and around the edge until the centre hole is full with the wraps. Slip the blade of your scissors between the two pieces of cardboard and carefully snip through all the loops of the wound yarn. I used to IKEA cork coasters hold it up with one hand while cutting with the other. It makes it a bit easier.

Thread a long length of yarn between the two card rings and around the centre of the pompom, then tie tightly in a firm knot to secure. Remove the cardboard and fluff up the pompom. You can then trim the pompom with scissors, if necessaryto get a more even shape.

Use a darning needle to sew the pompom onto your beanie and to hide any loose threads.

And you’re done!

Recycled Denim Beanie by Thisblogisnotforyou.com

To have a chance at winning two balls of Billie Jean Yarn in your colour of choice, just head over to Woolandthegang.com, check out the color options and leave a comment below, letting me know which one you like best!

The giveaway closes on Friday 7 October 2016 at midnight (UTC) and I’ll annouce the winner shortly after on the blog.

GOOD LUCK!

Charlie

Please note: A winner will be selected at random from all entries entered before midnight on 7 October 2016 and the winner will receive the prize described above. There is no cash alternative, and your prize is non-negotiable, and not refundable. If the prize isn’t claimed, another winner will be selected at random.

Happy knitting!
♥

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High-waisted Ultimate Trousers

August 28, 2016.Reading time 5 minutes.

high-waisted Ultimate Trousers by thisblogisnotforyou.com (Click through for more pics and info)

ROCKS AND ANCHORS

I’ve been looking forward to sharing these pics with you since we got back from holiday. We took them on our last night in Sardinia at the beach of our hotel where we pretty much spent most of our time. Compared to the previous post (we took the pics on the second day of our trip) I got quite a tan in just a week! I hadn’t been to South Europe in a couple of years and after living in England I forgot how easily I tan.

I love these trousers! You know I’m a big fan of Sew Over It’s wardrobe staple patterns such as the Ultimate Pencil Skirt or the Ultimate Trousers. As much as I love the trousers and their fit, I always had issues with how low they sat. Without a waistband (the orignal pattern has a facing) they get stretched out quite easily and sit very low which isn’t very practical at work, as I sometimes play with kids on the floor and don’t want my backside to hang out.

I had plans to raise the waist and add a waistband after seeing Lisa’s numerous, beautiful versions of high-waisted Ultimate Trousers. I found the perfect fabric, a stretch-denim with an anchor print just before the holiday in a fabric shop near Munich. I made up a muslin ad raised the waist by 10cm which turned out alright, but I lowered the waistline a few centimetres again as it was a tad too high. I love the look with this pair, but I might lower it just a tiny bit more for the next pair, which I plan to make from a very busy print.

high-waisted Ultimate Trousers by thisblogisnotforyou.com

I really dig the raised waist hack of this pattern, it’s just so different from most RTW styles out there. The only downside is that it’s not the most figure flattering style – I’m certainly not a size zero but also not very big, but still you can see every lump and bump, especially with the tshirt tugged in. So after a week of feasting on Italian food pretty much non-stop, it wasn’t the most comfortable outfit to wear! But I loved it anyway – and who cares about a pizza-and-pasta-bump. It was absolutely worth it.

Oh, and I have to mention the hat – just because it’s fabulous! Especially since it’ll make another appearance in the next post as well. I’m so in love with this hat I can’t tell you. I always wanted one just like it, but never cared to buy one, because you don’t simply strut around with a hat like that unless you’re Audrey Hepburn. Right before our trip I went shopping for sunglasses and came across this hat at C&A (large German department store) and thinking of lying at the beach, sipping cocktails and nibbling olives I had a massive urge to just grab it, pay whatever they asked for (which luckily wasn’t much) and run with it. Which I did. I wore it every day on holiday, which makes up for the next few months where it will sit on my closet un-used, because – let’s be realistic – I won’t be wearing it unless I’m sitting on a beach in Italy somewhere. So that’s my excuse for that many cheesy sunhat pictures. high-waisted Ultimate Trousers by thisblogisnotforyou.com