Ottobre Woman 5/09

I'm becoming more used to the idea of tracing.  I have a bunch of thin paper, but not quite tissue paper, from a package I got from Sephora that I'm using up little by little as I decide on the next Ottobre pattern to tackle.
I have a friend in Europe who is completely used to tracing and had some tips for me.  I also did some reading.  This go 'round, when I decided it was time to trace off the Bohemian Tunic pattern, I used a green Sharpie to go over the green pattern marks I would be tracing and then I taped my giant Ottobre pattern sheet on a glass door.
It was nice that there were only 4 pieces to trace.  This is a sweet little piece that can be worn layered or not and would be really cute a couple inches longer with leggings and boots.
I gave it a try in some purple velour since it is still chilly and I was feeling like I needed cozy layering pieces.
I don't like it with jeans, but I wasn't feeling the leggings vibe this morning.

I think this pattern is a great candidate for the dressy loungewear idea that seems to be circulating.  You could make it from sweatshirt material or even a micro fleece and have cute, cozy and comfy while totally skipping frumpy and boring.  It would even be a cute alternative to the velour pant and jacket set.  You could even use an cotton/lycra for the top and make a matching yoga pant to have a cute activewear outfit.

If I made it in a jersey knit and was wearing it unlayered, I might belt it or even shirr a few lines in the lower back region.  There is no seam in the back and therefore no allowance for sway-back adjustment.  That means, if I bend over or sit and then stand up straight again, I have to tug the back hem down again or else it will get stuck wrinkled on top of my derriere.

Speaking of my derriere... I made knickers!  This pattern is also from Ottobre Woman 5/09.  I made a muslin and then tweaked a few things and here is my second pair.

They really FIT me.  

Such a fist-pumping moment for me, let me tell ya.  This is just something that was totally off my radar until Zoe made it seem completely possible and even normal to sew one's own knickers.  I still wasn't very interested, just a little curious.  When I saw the underwear pattern in this magazine (which was not at all why I bought it), I thought it was probably time to just give it a try.  They fit better than I ever expected straight from the pattern, so I was game to try to make a few tweaks.

I wore this exact pair all day yesterday and was just so proud of myself.  I know, they are just panties, but they were something I have had an irrational fear of sewing and I'm glad to conquer it.

This also means, I have a great basic pattern to work from if I want a great fitting bikini bottom.  I have swimsuit fabric on the way to me, so you never know...