Sew Long Summer…hello Chi Towns and Toaster Sweater

I’m saying Sew Long Summer with two items that have been a long time coming.

I’ve needed a classic pair of trousers (that fit), since my son was born five years ago.

Feeling pretty good about the Chi Town Chino shorts that I’ve been making, it seemed a natural choice to use the Chi Town expansion pack to make my first pair of trousers.

I’m really pleased with how they came out; though after an hour and a half into making the welt pockets I thought I’d never reach the end of them. Hang in there, the pockets come out so nicely and the rest of the pant moves along quickly.

The Pattern: Chi Town Chino Pants (expansion pack) in Size 8.

The Fabric: Black twill from Imagine Gnats (now sold out)

For my top, I’m revisiting the Toaster Sweater. When I made it last spring (here) I honestly didn’t think I’d make another one, but it turns out the Toaster was just the pattern for showcasing my surface design idea.

I’ve had my heart set on some tapir fabric since seeing some on etsy last year. After watching Elizabeth Made This use fabric stamping so often, I was really encouraged that I could give stamping my own fabric a try (it took about a year of thinking about it though).

I used a Speedball kit (similar) and Jacquard fabric paint from my stash. I think I spent about thirty minutes carving the stamp and another ten stamping the fabric. After Elizabeth’s advice, I heat set the fabric paint for a good five minutes and let the fabric dry an additional week before laundering. So far so good.