Dreams and schemes for a mini wardrobe

Wearing my linen work jeans around the property for chores has made me want MORE!  More linen work clothes!  And then, right before a stronger-than-normal summer storm hit the other evening, inspiration hit me first.

For over a year now, my precious linen/cotton denim chambray has hovered near the top of the fabric piles, and sitting close to it in my imagination is of course Simplicity 8447, the Rosie the Riveter overalls, along with two blouses and the pants without the overall bib.  I now intend to make the pants in a heavy linen from Fabrics-Store (in the patriot blue color), get those fit well, then the overalls, the regular blouse in a medium blue handkerchief linen I think I got from Fabric Mart more than a few years ago.

While I was pulling out the overalls pattern, I grabbed up Simplicity 8243, a 1940s sportswear pattern with a short sleeve blouse that caught my eye when Mom and I were doing some shopping the day after son's wedding up in Chicago.  I have some red bandana paisley cotton from WalMart I think would be cute.

Today, the rules for the PatternReview.com mini wardrobe contest were posted, and it is work themed ... but you need 5 garments to create 6 looks.  Oh, and all five must be cut and sewn between 1 September and 30 September.  I hit on an idea for a fifth garment this afternoon, if it's ruled as a garment: Simplicity 4282, view C vest style apron, and I'll tweak the pockets to make it an egg-gathering apron.  The pockets are more to the side, so I'll be able to scrinch down to get the egg laid in the smallest part of the corner of a tractor, because you know there's always one hen who must make it an obstacle course for you.

So, that's my inspiration and plans.  Now the big question is: how long will it take me to sew all these up?  Only one way to find out.

Some fitting notes on Butterick 5682 jeans pattern

Yeah, yeah ... I've been quiet almost a full year here.  I have been sewing, though not as fast as I would like.  Yesterday I finally (FINALLY!) finished my linen work jeans using the Butterick 5682 pattern and some jacquard weave linen from Fabrics-Store that I cut out over a year ago.  It's the dog days of summer down here in humid inland Florida, which means my last two working brain cells are trying to come up with ways to either sweat less, or catch every possible air movement while outside working.  Hence, linen work pants.  A few fitting notes as I further refine this pattern to my body:

• I want to try raising the crotch curve.  While I am going for relaxed fit, there is a point it gets too relaxed and just feels baggy.  I'm going to start out by raising half an inch.
• I need to compare the size 22 with the size 20, as I needed to take in two small tucks in back to keep them from sliding down.  I also do this with the denim pair now.
• I shaved off about 3/8 inch from the hips from the denim version to this one, and it feels just about right in the very flexible linen.
• My front panels are still rotating towards the center, so time to shift the seams from inside to outside and vice versa along the thighs.
• Lengthen the zipper in front, and take a bit more out below that.  While I'm at it ... don't sew the zip in quite so high.  I'm lucky I didn't hit the metal zipper teeth while sewing on the waistband.

Overall, I am quite pleased with these work pants.  They may not be much to look at, especially since my idea of a dye job was to wash this piece of linen with three new pieces of denim and just let it do its variation thing as it pleased, but they certainly are comfortable now that I've taken in the back waist a bit.  I guess my yoga stretches are having a bit of an effect.