Tuesday, April 15, 2008

Feedsack and Linen Cuff Pants


My latest idea.  I'm tired of doing just linen, just neutral colors, long pants.  I haven't really jump off the edge and do something new and unique in fear that I am wasting the precious little time I spend with my sewing machine.  I almost always stick to something reliable that I know will turn out.


Sunday night I threw it all out the window in hopes of finding a unique and original pair of pants.  I remembered my collection of feedsacks just sitting in the closet collecting dust and decided to combine them with linen to make an irresistibly cute and versatile pair of pants that can be worn almost year round.  The cuff is double-sided so it can flip up to make a pair of capri pants or worn down for a pair of longer pants - each way showcasing the strip of feedsack.  

I took a pattern for pants that I liked and tried to cut them to capri length.  Ripping and sewing at least twice at every seam.  I don't know if I cut them wrong of if my attempt to make them crop pants threw the whole pattern off.  I don't really know.  But when I attempted to sew the inner leg seams one side of the seam was much longer that the other, didn't meet at the crotch and was totally twisted.

Out of frustration, I ripped the seams and recut the edges so the crotch and legs could actually be sewn together without the twisting.  I couldn't believe they turned out the way they did - and I'm happy almost with them.  They are completely different from the pattern I started with so I guess I can say they're originals.  Just a few tweaks here and there.  Now to reproduce them since I didn't retrace the pattern after the last cuts.  The photo below is with the cuff folded up to capri length.

If all goes well, I plan to start offering these pants in the shop  soon made with a variety of feedsacks that are shown in the first photograph - my collection of lucky thrift store feedsack finds.  I'm glad I finally get to use them.

2 comments:

Sexy Lexi said...

Love them! I need some faces to go with those footsies! Send some soon!!

blushing rose said...

Using feedsack & other colorful prints is becoming quite popular with designers as cuffs on pants. Love them ... a NY designer uses our feedsacks as her logo patch on her clothing jean lines.
TTFN ~ Marydon