Sewing in the Sun 2019 - The prequel.

A year ago, my friends Trudy and Jeremy over at Hot Patterns designs offered an extended weekend of sewing IN FLORIDA and aptly called in Sewing in the Sun.  I was swamped in deadlines at ork and could notn make it, but immediately added it to the budget and calendar ont he off chance it would be re-offered in 2019. After all, a weekend in JANUARY in warm and sunny Florida or stay at home in near zero (F) temperatures in Canada .... really, is there a choice?

When the 2019 event was posted as a pant fitting session, I jumped at the chance to get in on the action!  I booked myself in and put that budget to work! As this will involve fittings and photos and notes, I am going to summarize my thoughts at night and present my weekend immersion in pant fitting.

First off - the patterns.  The designs chosen by Herself (Trudy) for the weekend were two that were sitting and aging in my stash. While I do not mind fitting pants, I am not an expert by any means, and am never quite satisfied with the results. Mostly because I am never satisifed with the body shape wearing them, I suspect (but that is a whole other blog series, I suspect).  The two patterns were never sewn up because they intimidated the hell out of me. Both are intended for stretch fabrics and are close fitting. While I have sewn knit pants and stretch woven pants, the narrow pant and design scared me away as I felt it would show all the lumps and bumps unless I modified them so as to be a looser pant. Which defeats the purpose of the design.

So, I went shopping with the Senior (she who used to be called the Diva, but outgrew that stage and is now in her senior year at HS). She forced me into narrower styles and advised that she "would happily be seen in public with me if I wore them". High praise indeed!  So, fear hurdle jumped. No excuses.

Here are the patterns and my impressions:
HP 1127 Tummy Taming Trousers - a stretch woven, high waisted narrow pant with optional ankle crop length and CB zipper

• Narrow pant - see para above. No excuses.
• High waist is a new style on me. I tend to feel like I am short waisted, so this could be a fit challenge. BUT no excuses  - Pam Erny, respected sewer and interfacing goddess supreme loves hers and she decreased that height and still kept the look. So, no excuses.
• CB zippers and I have a love/hate relationship.  I have a hollow type back/sway back (not sure the difference) and a curvy bottom, so invisible zips that could split are not my fave.  BUT those are fit challenges that I can overcome. So no excuses.
• Stretch woven is a godsend for an office worker who sits most of the day. AND I have stash bought just for these at the time. No excuses.

HP 1227 Miracle Pant - a narrower knit pant with flat front but elasticated waist with an internal elastic application that eliminates the sweatpant look.

• Narrow pant (insert broken record soundtrack here, LOL!)
• Elastic waist with flat front - means I can wear to work in the biz casual office with a jacket
• Ponte pants mean ultimate comfort - why not???

The task before arrival was to cut out a muslin of each pant, using a woven, fitting close to the body.  And bring fabric.  So I did. I am sitting now, typing in my hotel room in Florida. I left snow squalls and plummeting windshills today and am now sitting in capris and a tshirt.  About to go get some sun. :) More about muslins in the second post.