Amy Butler Lounge Pants

I bought the fabric for this project at Hip Stitch months ago and then had no time to actually make them. I wanted them for summer usage, but I wore them for about an hour last night and was so hot I couldn't bear it. I always wear pants to bed, but these just have a ton of fabric, I guess. They are big and wide and long.



They are from Amy Butler's "In Stitches" book. So far, they are the only project I've tried from the book. When Brock was about 8 months old, I suddenly felt ready to sew again and I went a little crazy buying cute sewing books and fabric. Then I felt exceedingly overwhelmed because I do not much like having projects piling up and staring me in the face.



I left them a little long, and with the grass, they just kind of hung up. So I am standing tippy-toes to let them hang nicely for the pictures.

I think my pants look a little dumpier than other people's versions, but maybe I needed to make them smaller.



The book appears to have contrast fabric at the bottom in the photo, but I think it's actually just trim that's sewn on top. There are no instructions for contrast fabric. It's obviously easy to figure out, but when I first tried them on before doing the waistband, I thought I had made them suitable for a giant.



But after I sewed up the waist, they were just about perfect. I just needed a slightly larger hem than the instructions suggested.

I ended up adding elastic to the waist in addition to the drawstring. I just find it more comfortable that way.



Instead of using my sewing machine, I serged the pants together. Then I switched to the sewing machine for the buttonholes, waistband, hems and drawstring.



I think one reason I put this project off for so long is that although the pattern book comes with the pattern pieces, it only comes with partial pieces for this project. You have to then attach long pieces of paper and extend the legs to where you want them. I had bought contrast fabric for the bottoms and did lots of calculations when doing my patterns. Calculations and guessing, really. But for me, those are sort of one in the same.

I made a size medium. They fit, but I think a small would have been better. I am 5'4" and still have some baby weight to lose, so I went a size up. Here are my calculations for the leg lengths with contrast fabric, if it helps save anyone else some time:

I added 19-3/4" to each leg piece. This is your main fabric.
The contrast fabric pieces were the width of the leg pattern pieces and 8" long. I used a half-inch seam allowance to attach the two pieces, using the serger, then I did the rest of the pants.

This pattern is really easy to complete after you get the pattern finished up and the fabric cut. But until it cools off here, or the humidity lessens up and lets my swamp cooler work better, I won't be doing much lounging in these.

What!? In li'l ol' Albuqueruque?

As a sewer, I'm often saddened by our selection of fabric stores here in Albuquerque. We basically have only chain stores. There are lots of quilting stores, too, but those are limited to quilting fabric, of course.

OK, so get this: What Albuquerque does have is two pretty cool little sewing places.

1. Hip Stitch. I've mentioned this one lots of times. It's a small fabric shop and sewing lounge. It carries Amy Butler (one of only two places in town) and Alexander Henry. It also has Amy Butler and Favorite Things patterns, thread, some pretty buttons and cute sewing books.
But, that's not all! (in deep, infomercial voice) In the back is a sewing lounge, complete with machines.
Classes are offered, along with craft nights and use of the sewing area for a nominal fee. Locally owned, this shop also features local artisans and sometimes offers them a place to show their wares. Sometimes there are trunk shows by various brands so you can check out finished projects and buy patterns and fabrics.
Located on San Antonio in the Northeast Heights of Albuquerque.


2. The Designer's Lounge. I just discovered this one, and have never been there. I have checked out the Web site, though. It's a mother-daughter owned sewing boutique that offers sewing and fashion design lessons, also in a super-cute environment. It provides dress forms, machines, drafting equipment and expertise. In the Downtown or Nob Hill area, I believe.

I think, and could be wrong, that both places accommodate craft parties, if you're looking for something fun to do with friends.

Be grateful, Albuquerque, for these great little places.

Look at me and my fancy new car

I don't know if I mentioned it, but a few weeks ago my car gave me some trouble. T-Shirt Face got it running, but my husband and I decided it was time to trade it in. It was a 2001 Saturn.

My husband did his tough guy wheelin' and dealin' and I bought this 2009 Ford Focus. It's shiny and black and so, so fancy. I mean, this isn't one of Ford's high-end cars, so I basically wanted power windows and cruise control. And most of all, I wanted a jack for my MP3 player. What I ended up with is everything I wanted, plus Sirius radio (6 month trial, but I'm already in love. It tells you want song is playing, and the artist!) and SYNC technology. Let me tell you about SYNC technology:

Every time I get in my car, it connects with my phone. If someone calls, it puts the caller ID on a display in my dash. I can answer by pressing a button on my steering wheel. If I want to make a call, I can use voice commands to say the number or to find someone in my phone's phone book.

If I get a text while driving, my car will READ IT TO ME.

I can also do all kinds of stuff I shouldn't be doing, and don't see why I'd want to do, while driving, such as use voice commands to change my ring tone or delete my text inbox.

I also can tell my MP3 player what I want to play, such as "Play Artist COllective Soul" or "Play track Rockin' Robin."

Seriously. Who knew cars had come to this? OK, my husband's car is pretty fancy, but I didn't know half of these options existed. Oh, and every so often I can tell my car to run a diagnostic and report back to me how it's doing. Then I go online and find its report. Hello, Jetsons.

Best of all, my car was not expensive at all. It started at $19,300, but we bargained the price, haggled the trade-in and got $2,500 in rebates. With a good down payment, I really didn't finance much at all! I love my husband for all this (I love him anyways, besides all this!). He did a great job.

It's also pretty compact, though bigger than my last car. It has good gas mileage and a small tank. I used very little gas before, and I don't think I'll need any more in this car.



And, yes, this car stays clean for all of 12 seconds. And since I tend to wash my cars about once a year, I could have a problem if I don't change my ways.

A sad moment was when I was at the front of the dealership and parked my car for a minute, and then realized I had parked right next to my old car. And I felt like I was cheating -- you know, I abandoned it and now I'm sitting in my shiny, new, fancier car right next to it. I got all teary-eyed.

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Finally made it in to Hip Stitch and bought fabric for my Amy Butler Birdie Sling bag. Those are from two different lines, and the yellows are not exact, but I think they go together OK.



I also found this cotton balls fabric on sale for half price and couldn't pass it up. I'm not sure what I'll do with it.



I've got so many projects lined up, and I'm jonesin' to sew.

Favorite Things, indeed

I once bookmarked this Web site and then forgot about it. The other day I was bored and found it. It's full of adorable patterns. I was unable to snag photos from the site to show you, though I would have only done that in the interest of getting them more business!

Check out this prairie dress. I'm the last person who would describe her style as "prairie chic." But I love this. Click on the lower picture. CUTE!

I bought this cape. I also never thought I'd prance about in a cape, but this is SO DARN CUTE. And I guess I don't have to actually prance.

The Hip Skirt and Smarty Pants also look great.

Speaking of "hip," I was looking on the Favorite Things Web site last night for local retailers and couldn't really find one (one seemed to be a Web only business based here, but I couldn't find those patterns). Then I got my monthly email newsletter from local Hip Stitch and it said they have Favorite Things patterns! I keep meaning to get in there and get some fabric for my Amy Butler Birdie Sling bag, but it seems like every single time I'm ready to stop in, it's Wednesday afternoon, the day Hip Stitch closes early. It's just not close, so I always try to fit it in to another errand.



Further down the line, I really want to make one of these Amy Butler tunics




And I got an e-mail from Amy Butler (not personally, I guess) introducing her new Sweet Life bags. I thought they would be sewing patterns, but apparently you can only by the finished products, which range up to $180. Not. Going. To. Happen. I am disappointed because I think Amy Butler fans are people who make their own stuff, and that's what Amy Butler has always been about. Now she tantalizes us with things we can't have. Boo.

I would have loved to make this many-zippered bag, the Hampton



And the Sanibel is very cute, too