Cargo shorts, for him and for me, home dec projects

 I am not sure why it is so hard for me to get started on something. I have DAYS to sew, and yet I dither. Decision-making is tough! Did I make the right choice to top-stitch his cargo shorts with contrasting top-stitching thread? Will it be too flashy? Am I introducing too many potential problems (top-stitching advice welcome! My sewing machine guy says just don't!)

Notice the button hole?

For my new version of the Angelia shorts I am topstitching with the slightly thinner jeans thread, which my machine seems to handle fine, as long as I remember to hold the tails at the beginning of a line of stitching!

STUPID MISTAKE SECTION

I made two pairs of the Angelia shorts last summer, completely messed up the fly on the first one, but otherwise they look great. Anyway, I was glancing at the instructions, which are on the desktop computer downstairs, whereas the sewing machine(s) is (are) upstairs. So I prepped the front pockets, and added the buttonhole as instructed, ... not. I am not making view C, so where I put the buttonhole is where the button goes. Fortunately though... I did NOT cut the buttonhole, so I will just sew the button on the stitching!

I also made the same mistake I made in version 1. I caught it in time. I misread zipper tape for... I don't know, the centre of the zipper. And it was not going to fold over nicely. Fortunately I walked throug the next few steps and only had one seem to rip out!

And I also topstiched the wrong side of the centre front and centre back seams which left me with a weird fold of fabric next to the fly. This did not look right, so I checked, and realized I had another seam to rip...

Belt loops I sewed these backwards, so that when you turn them down the ugly side showed. It was easy enough to just unstitch at the belt loops and turn them around, though!

JALIE 2107 CARGO SHORTS

These look fine, if flashy. The topstitching won't stand up to close inspection, but the overall effect is good. If you like that kind of thing. I am not convinced HE does! 🤣Ottawa daughter was sceptical! He was away last week, but the fit has been adjusted and the shorts finished and photographed. The fit is not great. I may one day do a close analysis and figure out how to make better fitting pants for him, but not in the very near future!

ITS ANGELIA CARGO SHORTS

These should be a quick sew... barring stupid mistakes (see above!) I decided to use the jeans thread for topstitching (it is a bit finer than actual top-stitching thread). I also changed the coin pocket. I added a little coin pocket to the outside of the back patch pocket. Will probably finish today, if I make no more stupid mistakes. But I want to get this posted, so that will wait for next week!

BIKE SEAT WATERPROOF COVER

The bike seat cover that a friend had given me a few years ago is no longer waterproof, and my workaround is no longer working, so I decided to make one up using remnants from the cycling jacket. This is important to protect my Brooks leather saddle when my bike is parked in the rain.

I have on hand some seam repair tape that I had never used, and thought this would be a good application. I had to sew two pieces together to get a large enough top, then I had a strip for the side bit.

I sewed it with a microtex needle. Then noticed that the long piece has little pinpricks in it.... this was the slevedge end!

I deconstructed the original to get the size. Sewing the band to the main piece was no problem. 

Applying the seam tape was a bit of a challenge, though. The centre seam was no problem, but wrapping it along the curved edge (which not only curves around, but turns down... hard to explain) was more difficult. I am not sure  how well it adhering around that edge. 

The foldover elastic was perhaps not as stretchy as I should have used, and so I might need to add a tie of some kind (this would keep it from being easily snatched or blowing away in the wind.)

OTHER PROJECTS

Tartan for the Siena maker coat

In the meantime I have been working on my Closet Core scrapbusting pouf, I "measured" my friend CB for the Kilt upcycle project. 'Measured' is a nice word for having her try on MY Siena Maker coat for comparison and to realize that it fits her perfectly! So no need to retrace another size, and make up a muslin. I am looking forward to this project, and want to do it well. I will need to carefully match the plaid, but I do have a bit of practice (my first Waffle Brownie jumper).

Also cut out another pair of Carolyn PJ shorts (using the black textured cotton from the cargo shorts, and remnants from the Ghanaian wax print).

Of course I also have a few other projects lined up... corduroy jeans jacket, the houdstooth linen, ....