#DesigninDecember 2020 Part 1: Inspiration

December 16, 2020 by steelyseamstress 3 Comments

I have taken part in DesigninDecember before. I really like the idea of making a designer copy of a garment and then being about to reproduce it for a fraction of the price. In a nutshell, it is simply one of the biggest benefits of knowing how to sew.

Throughout the year I’ve been collecting images on pinterest that interest me. Here are some of the ideas I had.

1. Quilted denim jackets
2. Outfits in different shades of green
3. Vibrantly coloured skinny jeans
4. Coats with lots of buckles and buttons
5. Skirts with tassled hems

I spent a long time coming to a decision over what to make. I wanted to be ambitious, but this year has really taken its toll and stymied my choices. We are still in a high tier in my area and I can’t leave, which means my options for visiting fabric shops are really limited. Plus, Master Steely is home in self-isolation at the moment and my time is almost exclusively taken up with working and schooling from home. I really feel like its sucking the joy out of me at the moment! Anyway, without spinning into a downward spiral, I meant just to say that I chose a fairly straightforward make using a fabric that was in my stash.

Below are a series of images of skinny jeans in interesting prints. The top two are from an Issey Miyake collection in 2016 and the bottom two are taken from pinterest. I collected these images a few years ago when I first thought of making a pair of jeans in a loud print and I wasn’t sure what fabrics I would find to realise my dream.

Not too long ago, I spotted the perfect print for my make – it has just the right level of loudness! It’s a colourful “shattered glass” print in a stretch cotton sateen and looks very similar to the print on the model in the top-left of the montage below. Master Steely, gave his verdict while I was working on these jeans and loudly asserted that he was disowning me if I ever set foot outside the house dressed in them. But, as a parent to a teenager, that really makes it all the more fun!

Skinny Jeans Inspiration

I’ve chosen this very classic skinny jeans pattern, Burda pattern 03/2014 #115 as the basis for my make. I would link to the Burda website, but I suspect it would be a long fruitless search. Fortunately, I did take a line drawing from the website, when it was still usable (you’re welcome!) I’ve made a pair of black skinny jeans using this pattern before, which has been worn loads.

 

Burda pattern 03/2014 #115

 

I did decide to make a modification (probably not included in the original Issey Miyake design) and that is ankle zips. My fabric is reasonably stretchy, but the ankle zips will make it so much easier to pull them on and off. Plus, I think they look cool too. So, here’s a sneek peek of my make:

 

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