My Gingers are Finished!

Yes, you heard that right. Finished I say! My Gingers took me forever. And ever. Most of it had to do with machine issues and getting bogged down with our embroidery business during the holidays. Oh, and I think I ripped out every single seam in these jeans throughout the process, at least once if not more! But I love these jeans!

I freakin' made these jeans! Stretch is doing a happy dance!

I've never made fitted pants before. I did have someone who kindly offered to help me sew a "pantsuit-ish-thing" years ago but the pants were verrrrrrry loose and she went through everything so fast. Honestly I don't remember a thing other than feeling very rushed. No fun!

Brrrr...good thing I have extra fabric at the knees to keep me warm!

For my Gingers, I cut out one size but really needed a smaller size for my waist and apparently my legs. I wasn't sure how to grade the pattern and make it work. So I didn't. I hemmed and hawed over that issue for 2 weeks before cutting. Finally I just cut right into my fabric. Lesson learned! I had to do so many alterations on my fabric since I only fit them for my hips. I mean, it's not like I have the biggest hips in the world (except for right now because man oh man did I overeat during the holidays...why can't they coincide with cycling season??!!). I should have also cut a smaller size in the legs because they were HUMONGOUS! I still have a bit of "gappy knee" and gaping at the waist, which I thought I had taken care of, but nope. I was afraid I was over fitting. I think next time I'll try a couple sizes smaller to start with. 

I'm moving my locks out of the way so you can see my tush because my hair's that long. 

I'm not sure what my malfunction was, but for the LIFE of me, I couldn't grasp the final step of the waistband. No matter what I tried and how I configured my fabric, it didn't look like Heather's did in the pictures on the sewalong (which was great!). I finally found this this video online and voila! I'm not sure it was the same process but it worked. I also couldn't get my button or rivets to stay on. I kept smashing the tip. I'm pretty sure it's because I don't know my own strength since I lifted weights this morning. Yup. I finally had to have Mr. SmileDogstitches do it. On the first try. Ugh! 

I love using fun colors on my overlock! Happiness is an inside job!

As for my machine issues, I might have mentioned before that I purchased a used Juki overlock machine (which I LOVE...so much quieter than my Pfaff 4852 was and than my little Brother is) and although it was supposed to be in great working order, it was missing a part. That caused one of the upper needle threads to continually break. Frustrating! But I didn't know the missing part was the culprit because the part was so tiny. So I fiddled and fiddled and fiddled with the tension. All of our cleaning rags now have overlocked edges. So pretty. After I figured out a part was missing they sent the wrong part. But it's working like a champ now. I also sort of recently got an industrial straight stitch machine. It's brand new but leaks oil like mad. Trying to figure that out (with the place we got it from) and get it to stop has been a nightmare. Although it has a servo motor it won't sew very slow and it should. And the tension is super super duper fussy. Originally I was going to do all the topstitching on that one but I just couldn't do it that fast. The company is replacing that machine so hopefully in the next month or so those issues will be gone. They are in LA and I am in Wyoming so it has been a logistical challenge. 

So there you have it. A marathon post to go with my marathon Gingers. Mid-process I swore I'd never make pants, pj's or anything else with 2 legs again, let alone jeans. But now...I can't wait to make them in various prints and colors! It was all worth it in the end!

Til later,

Susan