I'm having an absolute blast with my new relationship with Zelouf Fabrics! I love having the opportunity to work with fabrics I've never seen before and being able to stretch my creativity. 

This fabric is Lexi Lurex Mesh Bonded Knit. I used the Champagne color. That particular color only has a few yards left, but there are other wonderful colors to choose from. 

When I ordered this fabric, I knew I wanted to make a suit... it just screamed suit to me. Vogue 1716 was my original choice. But I wasn't sure how well this fabric would tailor and that jacket has welt pockets with flaps.

I reached way back in my stash and pulled Butterick 5428 (it's long out of print). I've been wanting to make that jacket for years. 

I lengthened this jacket by 7" at the waist and just added width to the bottom. I hated where the jacket would've hit had I not made that alteration.

Longer jackets just look better on me instead of one that sits right on top of the hips.

I interfaced the under collar and the facings. Normally, I would interface the entire body of a jacket with a lightweight interfacing. But I wanted this jacket to feel more drapey and I really wanted to play off of the beautiful pleated detail.

I love a jacket that has back princess seams. Makes altering so easy. I made my usual swayback adjustment. The only thing I wish I had done was create a back vent. I didn't think about until I was actually at a point of trying it on.

I used extra large coat hook and eyes for my closure. On the pattern, it instructed for a bow to be made and handstitched onto the right side of the jacket at the waist. I tried it that way and it looked pretty silly. It would never hang straight and stay that way. So, I just took that piece and cut it in half and sewed it to each side of the front to just make a tie.

I wanted a plain pair of wide legged pants, because the jacket is clearly the star of this show. 

I used McCall's 7443 (currently out of print). The pants are plain front with back darts and a side zipper. I was surprised at how short they're drafted. I had to add 6" of length and I should've gone longer than that. The pattern is drafted with a 2" hem allowance. I could only do a 5/8" so that they would be long enough to wear with heels.

I think a natural reaction to a fabric like this is to make a dress or a skirt. I've been trying to be more proactive in thinking outside of my sewing box. And I'm glad I did, because I love the way this turned out.

I was inspired by this style. And McCall's 8045 just made since. The princess seams were designed to be colorblocked.

For my pants, I sewed them using my Janome Memory Craft 15000 and the Janome AirThread 2000D.

My fabric is two different shades of khaki cotton twills with some stretch. I've had them for a while, but I'm pretty sure they came from Mood Fabrics. I cut the size 16 and graded to the 18 at the hip and back to the 16 through the legs.

These days, there is just no getting around not doing a full seat adjustment for pants. 

I made a 1.5" adjustment on the back and the side back pieces and half an inch to the crotch length. I also added three inches to the length.

Before adding the waistband, I took 3 inches off the waist and made the adjustment on the waistband also.

I also added darts to the yoke for additional shaping.

These aren't things that anyone would expect you to know to do if you're new to sewing pants. I've been sewing pants to fit my ever changing body for so long, that I know how I want them look and fit.

I've been a blogger for a long time. I've always wanted to keep the "aesthetic" of my platform purely about sewing and only sewing. I hardly even talk about my own family UNLESS it's sewing-related. I haven't discussed anything political since Barack Obama was elected, because that was just monumental and my ancestors' wildest dream. I had to shout about it from the rafters. The only time I've "acted up" was when a troll needed to be dealt with swiftly. I'm always going to advocate for myself. There's no taking the high road when you're being openly disrespected. You have to let them know... train people how to treat you. I've witnessed a lot of things happening in the 15 years that I've been taking up real estate on this little corner of Al Gore's internet. A lot of unrest... a lot of unfair treatment of disenfranchised folks. And I kept it strictly about sewing, even when I've noticed systemic racism and implicit/unconscious bias within our sewing community, because my sewing has always been my peace.

When I purchased this Italian Black/Off-White Stretch Cotton Print, I bought a large cut of it because I knew I wanted to make a two-piece.  

The jacket is McCall's 7730 and the pants are Simplicity 8655. I cut the size 14, D cup in the jacket. I like the style of the jacket, I felt that the lines were a little plain. So, I decided it could use a little zhooshing up.

I selected this design -- Midnight Blooms from Urban Threads. 

On my Baby Lock Aventura II, I adjusted the colors so that they would show up on my fabric and compliment the print.

I made a test design and decided where I wanted to place it and using my 6.25" x 10.25" embroidery hoop, I hooped the jacket fronts prior to sewing the darts so that it would lay flat. And I flipped the  design orientation the opposite way for the other side. Instead of using stabilizer, I interfaced the entire fronts.

I like the way the design turned out. I wanted to do more and get really creative with the placement. But sometimes, less is more. I didn't want to overdo it and end up trashing the whole project. So, I decided that as I get use to adding embroidered designs, I'll gradually become more playful with placement.

For the inside of the jacket, I lined it in an Antique White China Silk/Habotai from Mood Fabrics.

This was a really easy jacket to bag a lining on, even with the vent. I added an embroidered stitch to the lining as well.

I didn't want the sleeve flounce to collapse, because I think that would take away from the design. I added horsehair braid to the hem.

I love adding separates to my wardrobe. They create a great ensemble and also work with the other pieces in my closet.