Me-Made-May 2019: My Pledge!

Alright, after much deliberation, I have worked out my pledge for this year's Me-Made-May challenge:

'I, Zoe Edwards, sign up as a participant of Me-Made-May 2019. I endeavour to wear only me-made clothes in a unique combination each day during May 2019. Plus, I will wear a dress or skirt at least 3 times a week' 

The most observant of this blog's readers may notice that this is effectively the same pledge I made last year. The reason why I'm doing it again is because I found it soooooo useful. The benefits of having to come up with different combinations of clothing gave me heaps of new options to choose from through out the rest of the year. Plus, inventing new combos gave some of my older me-mades a new lease of life which is obviously a great step towards a more sustainable wardrobe. I definitely feel better about myself and feel more confident when I'm wearing a more considered outfit than my standard 'jeans and a stripy top' look, and I'd like to push myself to create even more outfit combos including all the clothes that I have made since last May. 

It's been super fun to see everyone's pledges coming in, and it's so inspiring to see how participants are really thinking of pledges that will get them closer to where they'd like to be with their me-made wardobes. Remember, you've got until 1st May to come up your own pledge if you wish to take part. Plus, the Me-Made-May enamel badges I got produced with Fabric Godmother (with 20% of profits being donated to Labour Behind the Label) are selling well, so if you'd like to own one, get your order in soon!

Happy pledging!

Me-Made-May 2019 Enamel Badges: Available Now!!

I told you I had a little thing up my sleeve to celebrate the TENTH Me-Made-May, didn't I?! I worked with Fabric Godmother to get these cute enamel badges produced and they are now available via their website for just £5!!! Plus, 20% of the profits will go to the non-profit organisation 'Labour Behind the Label' (more on that in a bit). They are limited in number, so grab yours quick!

We chose coral because it's Pantone's colour of 2019, and will add a great pop of colour to your me-made garments throughout May (and beyond). I also think the coral looks really stunning with the gold. Personally, I never wear jewellery (aside from my super simple wedding band), so I'm excited to wear my Me-Made-May 2019 badge to add a fancy element to my usual, casual look.

So why the donation to a garment workers' campaign? Well, as someone who makes my own clothing and no longer buys ready to wear, I’ve long been at a loss as to how I can challenge the horrendous, and even life threatening, conditions that garment workers are often forced to work in. I certainly don't believe for a second that a garment worker would thank me for refusing to buy mass produced garments. However, I believe that making our own clothing and avoiding mass-produced garments (particularly 'fast fashion') can be a more sustainable option, environmentally speaking, and therefore better for everyone on the planet, if it is done so with thought and with care (which is a massive part of what Me-Made-May is all about, of course). So this is my answer to the issue of the violation of the rights of garment workers' and their terrible working conditions: making a contribution via an organisation who will know how best to affect positive change.

Me-Made-May 2019: Sign Up Here!!!

This is the TENTH year of the Me-Made-May challenge, and if you're interested in improving your relationship with your handmade wardrobe, then you've come to the right place. To take part, you will need to set yourself a pledge to wear your me-mades more and/or in different ways, and follow it through out May. Hopefully, by the end of the month, you will have learnt a whole load about yourself, your style, how you feel about your wardrobe, and how best to spend your clothes-making time going forwards. Here's what you do....

How do I sign up?

All you have to do is copy the pledge below and paste it into the comments section of this post, adapted to include your details and the specifics of your personal pledge before 1st May:

'I, (insert name here), sign up as a participant of Me-Made-May 2019. I endeavour to ........................................................................... during May 2019' 

Why should I take part?

The Me-Made-May challenge can help you...

• to start integrating your me-made items into your regular wardrobe rotation.
• get out of a wardrobe rut by focusing on your lesser-worn items and creating new outfits that include them.
• find out what the 'holes' in your wardrobe are so that you are able to use your garment-creating time more usefully in the future.
• begin wearing the clothes that you really want to be seen in, rather than the same old things you usually reach for most mornings.
• enjoy the excuse to finish off any lingering UFOs (unfinished objects), or to finally start a project that has been on your mind for ages.
• discover what the rest of this large community of makers has created and is wearing in their day-to-day lives, and enjoy the support, advice and inspiration that they will provide.

You just need to work out a tricky but do-able pledge for yourself that pushes out of your usual routine, and will be useful for you.

What isn't Me-Made-May?

• A photo challenge. You might have seen heaps of Me-Made-May related pictures posted on blogs, Instagram etc. during previous challenges showing participants in their awesome handmade creations. Many participants like to document and share their challenges in this way, which is obviously amazing (and if you do, please use the hashtag #memademay2019), but COMPLETING YOUR PLEDGE is the actual challenge; taking and sharing photos of what you wear during it is ENTIRELY OPTIONAL. You do not need a blog or Instagram account or any social media presence at all. I cannot emphasise this enough: you do not need to take any photos. At all. But please do, if you want to. 
• A reason to make lots of new clothes. This challenge is about wearing and enjoying the items that you have already created more often, not about stock-piling more makes. However, if you want to use the challenge as the kick in the butt you need to finally hem that half-finished skirt, or rework an ill-fitting garment, then great. This challenge is about being thoughtful about creating, not about trying to make as much as possible just to have more options to wear.
• A competition. It doesn't matter how many me-made items you already have or haven't. You can take part even if you just have one solitary me-made item! You just need to set your pledge to make it challenging for YOU, don't concern yourself about what other participants have pledged for themselves.

Ideas for your pledge...

Remember, this is meant to be challenging (i.e. NOT what you usually do), so take some time to think about how to get the most from the challenge before writing your pledge.

Many participants pledge to wear 'one me-made garment per day', but don't feel that you have to follow suit, particularly if that would currently be too tricky or too easy for you. Try to think up a pledge that will be difficult (AKA challenging!), but not impossible, and most of all USEFUL to you! There are near-infinite ways to tailor the pledge to your own requirements. Here are some ideas:

• pledging to wear things you made a year ago or more, to see if you can bring some of them back into regular rotation, or if it's time to let them go.
• pledging to only wear separates to force yourself to get creative with your mix-and-matching.
• if you'd like to wear dresses (or whatever) more often than you current do, pledging to wear each of your me-made dresses at least once during the month.
• pledging to wear each of your me-made garments only once during the month, perhaps to see what didn't make the cut and to therefore not make any of that type of garment again!
• pledging to finish all your UFO's by 31st May if the sight of your UFO pile has been weighing you down.

If you do have a blog or social media accounts, why not re-post your pledge and the logo at the top of the post there so your readers and followers can see what you are up to and be inspired by your endeavour? If possible, please include a link to this post so others can also sign-up if they are interested. If there's one thing I've learnt from these challenges, the more people involved, the better the party!

I've signed up, what do I do now then?

Nothing in particular until 1st May 2019, except let an underlying sense of excitement brew! You may decide to finish up that UFO, but please people, NO PANIC-MAKING NECESSARY OR CONDONED!!

If you are concerned or confused about any aspect of this challenge, please email me at sozoblog (at) g mail (dot) com

Let the signing up commence!!!!!

It's coming..... Me-Made-May 2019!

In less than a week, the sign-ups for the annual Me-Made-May challenge will begin! If there is anyone reading this that doesn't already know about Me-Made-May, let me explain. Me-Made-May is a month long challenge with participants setting their own pledges with the aim of improving their relationship with their handmade wardrobe. Participants usually try to do this by wearing their handmade creations more often and/or in new ways throughout the month. At the end of the month, many participants report that they learnt so many useful lessons about themselves and their creations, which in turn helps us use our clothes-making time more effectively going forwards. Plus, aside from being enlightening, it's heaps of fun! Oh, and can you believe that this year will be the TENTH year of this challenge?!?!?!

In case you have heard of Me-Made-May already but received misinformation about what it's all about, please let me clarify. Me-Made-May is NOT all about taking daily photos and sharing them on Instagram (although you totally can if you wish, please use the hashtag #memademay2019), that's just one way to document the challenge and is entirely optional, NOT the challenge itself. Plus Me-Made-May is NOT a making challenge. It is about increasing the enjoyment of what we have already made and learning lessons to apply to future projects, NOT about stock piling more makes.

You don't need to have any social media presence whatsoever to take part; you just need to come up with a challenging but do-able pledge for yourself, and stick to it throughout May. I've got a couple of extra things up my sleeve to make this year's challenge even more fun (oh, and finally a professionally designed logo! It only took me ten years...), so make sure you come back here from the 1st April if you plan to take part this year....

Fab Free Kids' Patterns For 6 Years And Up

When I compiled 'My Favourite Free Children's Sewing Patterns' post a couple of years ago, I found that so many of the free children's wear patterns out there tended to be for toddlers and very young children, with a lot of the sizing stopping around six years. And with most kids going to school at this age, and becoming increasingly independent, theoretically more sewing time is freed up for their parents and carers. Yet ironically, this is the age when most of the free kids' sewing patterns dry up!

My daughter will turn six this year, so with a healthy dose of self-interest, I have compiled this list of great-looking free sewing patterns with sizing that go up to at least approx. 8 years. You're welcome! As with my previous blog post list of free kids' sewing patterns, this isn't an exhaustive list of every free pattern out there. This is a selection of patterns that I think look well-drafted and could be useful for creating a well-rounded kids' wardrobe. And I personally plan to try out most of them! I haven't had time to try downloading and investigating every one of these patterns yet, however, where possible, I have included information about the process of accessing the patterns. A massive thanks to all these awesome and generous pattern designers for making their hard work available for free.


Tops:

(image source: Misusu Patterns)

Rowan Tee by Misusu Patterns

sizes EU 62 - 164 (approx. 0-3 months to 13-14 years)

(I reviewed this pattern here)

The Rowan tee is an over-sized, boxy, unisex-style T-shirt with two sleeve variations and optional patch pocket that is designed for knit fabrics. This one is easily downloadable from their site. 

(image source: Threads by Caroline)

Ester and Ebbe T-shirt by Threads by Caroline

sizes approx. 9 months to 11 years

A cute, unisex T-shirt pattern that includes long and short sleeve variations and optional shoulder ruffles and patch pocket? Yes please! The Ester and Ebbe T-shirt, which is available in Swedish as well as English, isn't easily located on their website. However, there are two ways to access it (and the sweet Vera skirt pattern, also free): you can access the files by signing up to the 'Threads by Caroline - Sew and Tell' Facebook group, or get them emailed to you by signing up to their newsletter, which you can do from the bottom of their site. 

(image source: Scattered Thoughts of a Crafty Mom)

Free T-shirt Pattern by Scattered Thoughts of a Crafty Mom

sizes 3 to 14 years

This simple, long-sleeved T-shirt pattern is billed as a pattern for girls, but I personally think this top would be equally suitable for boys if they're into slimmer fits. It could be a great option for making sleep wear tops as well. Ok, I've convinced myself; I'm making this for sleep wear whenever one of my kids next needs some. This pattern is easily downloadable, no sign ups needed, but the site does require you to navigate round A LOT of adverts. 

(image source: Made By Oranges)

Dory Tunic by Made by Oranges

sizes EU 92 - 164 (approx. height in cms)

The 'Made by Oranges' design team are the people behind My Image, B*Inspired and B-Trendy pattern magazines, and they've made a number of their patterns available as very reasonably priced PDFs. This free tunic-length hoodie pattern could easily be transformed into a more classic, unisex hooded sweatshirt style if you desired by shortening it and possibly adding a hem band. Downloading this pattern is painless, just make sure you are selecting the version of the language you'd prefer (Dutch, German, English, French). I ended up downloading the Dutch version first time round.  

(image source: Scattered Thoughts of a Crafty Mom)

Tie-front Knit Top by Scattered Thoughts of a Crafty Mom

sizes 3 to 14 years

The tie-front detail, dolman sleeves and relaxed fit make this a really lovely pattern that would look fabulous in drapier single jerseys. I think this could be a real winner with early- and pre-teens, but then what do I know?! As with their Free T-shirt pattern (listed above), this pattern is easy to download but you have to dodge heaps of adverts. 

(image source: Petitboo)

Jasmine Top by Petitboo

sizes 2 - 10 years

This sweet little knit top pattern has a curved hem and folded sleeve details, and it could easily be lengthened into a dress. I have made a garment using this pattern but have yet to write a review, however it came out really nicely. You will need to be a member of Craftsy to access this pattern, which is simple enough to do. 

(image source: Life Sew Savoury)

Girl's Swing Tee by Life Sew Savoury

sizes 4 to 16 years

This swing tee pattern has been graded out to a size 16 years, which seems mighty generous. It's flared at the hips with a slight high-low hem and could be a great pattern to use up small lengths of drape-y knits. I'd love to make this with different fabrics for the front and back. Accessing this pattern is slightly confusing because you are asked to click on a button to download this pattern via Craftsy, however once clicked you don't get redirected to Craftsy at all, and in fact stay on the original site to complete the transaction. 

(image source: Hey June Handmade)

Woodstock Swing Tee by Hey June Handmade

sizes 6 - 16 (I'm assuming that's years)

This prolific pattern company has a number of free sewing patterns, four of which I'm including in this post because I think they look well drafted, and are offered in a generous range of sizes. This swing tee is very similar to the one pictured above it, but seems to have a slightly more trapeze-shaped silhouette and exaggerated hem dip. You can't accuse me of not being thorough. The pattern includes A0 and copyshop versions, as well as your regular print at home option, and was very easy to download.  

(image source: Ikatee patterns)

Ibiza Blouse by Ikatee patterns

sizes 3 - 8 years

This beautiful summer blouse pattern is one of the five free patterns on offer from the gorgeous French sewing pattern company, Ikatee, when you sign up to their mailing list. 

(image source: Hey June Handmade)

Happy Tank by Hey June Handmade

sizes 2 - 14 (I'm assuming that's years)

If you're looking for an easy hot-weather/holiday-wear project to make for a girl (or boy if they wish of course!), the Happy tank may be worth a look. Designed for knit fabric, the braided racerback straps are a feature that I'm assuming would be fun to make, and this pattern could easily be lengthened into a dress. I also like how clean and user friendly the Hey June Handmade website is, and how easy it is to access their free patterns. Thank you!

Bottoms:

(image source: Elegance and Elephants)

Retro Sweatpants by Elegance and Elephants

sizes 12 months - 9 years

(I reviewed this pattern here)

These classic knit sweatpants look like they have a high comfort factor. They look great for lounging around or more sporty activities. Downloading this pattern was painless, FYI.

(image source: Ikatee patterns)

Jim Jogpants by Ikatee patterns

sizes 3 - 12 years

Another of the five free patterns on offer from Ikatee when you sign up to their mailing list. If these were made in interlock, rib or jersey, they might make great pyjama bottoms. 

(image source: Sprouting Jube Jube)

Flora Capri Leggings by Petitboo

sizes 2 - 10 years

(I reviewed this pattern here)

I've made countless pairs of this basic leggings pattern now, often lengthening them to the ankle. I really can't recommend the fit of these enough. Please note: you will need to be a member of Craftsy to access this pattern.

(image source: @botterman_empire on Instagram)

City Gym Shorts by Purl Soho

sizes 2 - 11 years (plus adult women's sizes)

(I reviewed this pattern here)

I had forgotten all about this pattern until my amazingly talented friend Emily made the utterly perfect pair pictured above. After a number of wears, I didn't find the adult version of these as comfy as I'd hoped, so I'd recommend using less-than-precious fabric for a trial pair and find out if your recipient likes wearing them before you make more. Accessing the pattern was simple. 

(image source: Bel'Etoile)

Siem Shorts by Bel'Etoile

sizes 3 to 14 years

Kind of like a knit version of the City Gym shorts listed above, the Siem shorts have a longer leg length and, being knit, are possibly more comfortable to wear. I'm thinking that this style could work well as summer sleep wear as well (evidently I am obsessed with figuring out if a pattern is suitable for sleep wear!). Oh, AND the pattern is available in Dutch as well as English. 

(image source: @horsesloveapples on Instagram)

Sunny Day Shorts by Oliver + S

sizes 6 months - 12 years

(I reviewed this pattern here)

I think this is a wonderful, basic, woven shorts pattern, however I know I'm not alone in finding that it comes up a bit small, so you might want to opt for a size larger than you'd usually pick. I've also lengthened this pattern to make pyjama bottoms, and generally speaking it's a great canvas for all sorts of customisation and personalisation. This easily downloadable pattern is split into two size ranges: 6 months to 4 years, and 5 to 12 years. 

(image source: Small Dreamfactory)

Girl's Skirt by Small Dreamfactory

sizes approx. 0-2 months to 10 years

(I reviewed this pattern here)

If you're looking for a simple A-line knit skirt then stop the clock. Personally, I found that this skirt came out very short, so you may wish to combine the width you need with a longer length. This pattern prints out on impressively few pages, however, be prepared to add your own seam and hem allowances. 

(image source: Hey June Handmade)

Monkey Bar Skirt by Hey June Handmade

sizes 2 - 10 (I'm assuming that's years)

Yet another free pattern by Hey June Handmade, this skirt can be made as an A-line style or as a gathered tiered style (as pictured) and features the clever addition of attached knit shorts underneath. This is PERFECT for my skirt-loving, tree-climbing little girl, and I'm sure I'm not the only person who knows one of those! Easy to download. 

Playsuits and Dresses:

(image source: Elegance and Elephants)

Pleated Playsuit by Elegance and Elephants

sizes 12 months - 9 years

This woven playsuit pattern has some lovely details and would look fabulous in a solid or printed fabric. 

(image source: Purl Soho)

Summer Romper by Purl Soho

sizes 2 to 11 years

Another lovely, tie-shoulder, woven playsuit pattern. I'd like to try adding a simple rectangle shape skirt piece to the bottom instead of the shorts section to make this pattern into a dress.

(image source: Sewpony)

Dulcie Dress by Sewpony

sizes 12 months to 10 years

This bodice-and-full-skirt dress has a relaxed style and a number of optional design details (square or round neck, pockets, collar, side ties, turn-back cuffs). I plan to try making this pattern for Dolores in gingham to be worn as a school dress in warmer months. Please note: you need to sign up to the Sewpony newsletter to access this pattern. After you sign up, you will be sent an email that includes a link to the download page. 

(image source: Made By Oranges)

Scarlet Dress by Made by Oranges
sizes EU 74 - 164 (approx. height in cms)

This spec drawing may not look super inspiring, but the modelled images that you can see here look really sweet. I think this is designed for wovens, but I couldn't tell for sure via the website and have yet to download it for myself. However, what I can tell you is that a free dress pattern with long sleeves can be a rare and therefore valuable thing, depending on the climate where you live of course!

(image source: Hey June Handmade)

Racerback Dress by Hey June Handmade

sizes 12 months to 8 years

My daughter has owned several hand-me-down dresses like this in the past which were soooo useful in the summer. They are the perfect summer holiday garment if you're going somewhere warm because they don't need ironing. I'm planning to make a few of these this year in lightweight jersey for Dolores to use as summer nightdresses. Unlike some of the other Hey June Handmade free patterns, this one doesn't have a copyshop option but is very easy to download, and pleasingly the PDF includes the layers function so you don't need to waste ink printing out all the sizes you don't need. 

(image source: It's always autumn)

Play-All-Day-Dress by It's always autumn

sizes 4 to 14 years

It's like a mini April Rhodes's Staple dress! This simple knit dress is definitely a project that you could make the evening before setting off on holiday, or when all their summer clothes are in the laundry! They've also given instructions to modify this pattern into a raglan sleeved version for something a bit fancier.

Nightwear, Undies and Swimwear 

(image source: Sew a Little Seam)

Movie Night Pajamas by Sew a Little Seam

sizes 12 months to 12 years (plus adults sizes)

This fantastic basic pyjama pattern is basically a one-stop shop for all your kid's sleepwear needs because it includes heaps of variations: shorts, capri or long length bottoms with elastic or yoga band waistbands, and short, 3/4 or long sleeve versions for the top. To access this pattern, you will need a Facebook account to be able to join the Sew a Little Seam Facebook group. Once you've done that,  you will find a code that will allow you to download this pattern from their site. 

(image source: Made by Jack's Mum)

Speedy Pants by Made by Jack's Mum

sizes 6-12 months to 12 years

This pattern includes both boxer and brief styles and is for sale, but also available for free when you sign up to their news letter. This pattern might also work as swimwear if made in suitable fabric. 

(image source: Small Dreamfactory)

Girl's Singlet by Small Dreamfactory

sizes approx. 9 months to 14 years

This is like an adorable kid's version of my free women's vest pattern! They recommend to use ribbing for the binding and straps, but I fancy trying it with some soft fold over elastic. I don't think the designer has intended this singlet exclusively for underwear/nightwear use, however it's style lends itself that way IMO. 

(image source: Treasurie)

DIY Bikini Bottoms by Treasurie

sizes 2 to 14 years

If your child has a bikini top that still fits them but the bottoms have got too small, or they need some bottoms to go with a rash vest, then this looks like a fun, quick sewing project to take on. This pattern could probably also function as the basis for regular undies. I might test this theory and if I do, I'll report back...

(image source: Small Dreamfactory)

Girl's Swimsuit by Small Dreamfactory

sizes approx. 3 to 16 years

I was recently given some small pieces of swimwear fabric and I am so excited to give this pattern a try! You could also add some ruffles to the front and/or back like Swiss army wife did here. 

Lander Pants: 70s Style

Agh! My photographer (Mr SoZo) and I experienced a host of technical difficulties which has resulted in the colours in these photos being really weird. But, you know, when it takes as much luck and effort as it does to get a rare sunny day during the winter, clear sufficient space in the lounge and then placate the children long enough to take some photos, there's no way I'm going to retake them! Hopefully I'll get some more accurate pictures of these trousers during Me-Made-May later this year. 

70s style denim flared trousers are a real dream sewing project of mine. Until last year, I had a thrifted pair somewhat similar to these that were originally from Topshop. I wore them fairly regularly (pregnancies and weight fluctuation sometimes getting in the way) for about six years. Then, one day, I looked at my back view in the mirror. Oh bejeezus did they fit me badly around the bum! Even though they still felt comfy and were fine from the front, I just couldn't un-see what I had seen; the bubble was burst. Off they went to the charity shop. Ever since then, I have been plotting and scheming to make myself some replacement 70s style denim flares. 

(image source: Fabric Godmother)

Fabric: 

So what was the impetus to finally get to making these now? Well, my dream fabric landed in my lap. Well, not literally. It actually landed on a shelf at my fave fabric purveyor, Fabric Godmother. I have a very soft spot for denim in general, but this, THIS, is my one true love: broken twill denim. Seriously, I considered abusing my savings and buying the whole bolt. If you're not sure what broken twill denim is, basically, it's this: instead of the distinctive diagonal twill weave of regular denim, broken twill weave looks like zigzags (see below). Wrangler used broken twill denim a lot in the 70s, and many moons ago I found an amazing pair of vintage Wrangler jeans in a charity shop that I made into a denim mini skirt. I wore the living shizzle out of that skirt, and now that I think about it, I was wearing that skirt when I met Mr SoZo nearly eleven years ago! I digress...

(image source: Indiamart)

This broken twill denim that Fabric Godmother is currently stocking is a lovely mid-blue (in reality a bit darker than the pics of my denim trousers). It's 100% cotton and a medium-to-heavy weight, so suitably sturdy for the Lander pants pattern I planned to use. 

Pattern:

Of course, I am not the first to either make the True Bias Lander pants in denim, or to acknowledge this pattern's potential for realising your 70s denim flares fantasy. However, I did spend a sizeable amount of time researching 70s jeans pocket shapes and drafting what looked right to me (oh, and even longer positioning and repositioning them endlessly during construction!).  

This wasn't my first dalliance with the Lander pants pattern. Last year I made a very successful wearable toile of the shorts version. I spent a lot of time tweaking the pattern but used some random olive green twill in my stash that I wasn't mad about, so I really wasn't expecting to love or wear them as much as I did. 

What you won't have seen on any of my sosh medias is my second stab at this pattern. I had such high hopes for it, but the result was a massive pile of meh. I made the full length version in some navy suiting from my stash with metal buttons with little anchors on for the fly. I used the pattern's original front and back pockets, but rounded the corners for a slightly different take. Sounds alright, no? They weren't. The end result was so blah: disappointment levels were high. I forced myself to wear them a couple of times on the school run to see if I could warm to them, but no. I think the over arching problem lay with the fabric: they looked too office-wear, not cute naval officer as I'd hoped. And my doctoring of the pocket shapes hadn't been jazzy enough to elevate them. However, what they did teach me was that I could use a couple of additional tweaks to the pattern before embarking on another attempt.

The navy suiting pair taught me that I might have been a bit over zealous with my previous curving of the originally-straight waistband. I'd also been too heavy-handed by pinching out far too much from the back waist darts in my attempt to eliminate any sway back gaping. Somehow, the over-correction of these issues weren't really visible in my shorts version, but they became apparent in the full-length version. I sorted out those alterations before cutting into this beloved denim, and I feel that readdressing both was time well spent. 

Thoughts:

I love these trousers so much, and I'm so excited to see the denim age with wear and laundering. The fit is great and I've already worn them heaps. The higher waist of this pattern means that these work well with some of the garments, and in some outfit combos, that my low-rise Ginger jeans don't work so well with. And as the weather warms up, it'll be fun to discover new outfits to wear them in.   

If I were being hyper critical, I would point to two 'flaws'. You can't see the first here, but since these pics were taken, the buttons have shifted to the very edge of their buttonholes, resulting in a 1cm strip of the fly piece below now becoming visible. I thought I had positioned the buttons with due care, but I'm wondering if using a keyhole rather than regular buttonhole setting has contributed to this. Seriously though, I'm well aware that no one else in the world, aside from serious sewing nazis, would probably notice it.  

The second point that gives me slight pause is in regard to the fit through the leg. A lot of the vintage jeans I found images of were more fitted through the thigh, and flared out more from the knee. The Landers are fitted around the waist and hips and the leg shape is straight from the top of the thigh down to the ankle, which gives the illusion of a gradual flare starting at the top of the leg. This distinction is why I'd refer to these as denim trousers, rather than jeans. Someday I might scratch that itch with the Closet Case Patterns Ginger flared jeans expansion pack, but in the meantime, I'm sure I'll get much wear and joy from these.