My Contribution to the Pyjama Party

Well here they are – my polka dot wide PJ pants – my contribution to Karen’s Pyjama Party. Very wide cut (Burda July 1994 magazine – I wasn’t going to spend on money on the pattern) but they are very very comfy. As usual I cut out the size as per my measurements and it was way too big...so had to reduce all the way around and re-do my elasticised waistband down lower. Here is BB and the PJs (sounds like a band name!!!) BB= Borromini Bear – read below for more details.

As I started wearing these pants BEFORE 3pm today...there is no way that I was going to take a photo of me wearing my PJs on my bed and post it online...sorry- just can’t do that!!! So here is a photo of me in my comfy corner – surrounded by my books, mainly architecture books (and over 80 sketchbooks stacked end on on the small shelf) with a good cup of earl grey tea (note hand knitted cosy and BB!) and my art supplies. I often sketch in the evening in this spot.

As for my bedside book... I am STILL working my way through The Art of Urban Sketching – which I am very honoured to be a part of! And as you can see have been tagging various pages. (inspiring architecture sketches by others)

Also I am reading these books... It is public knowledge why and when I am going to the Dominican Republic...teaching a workshop on sketching architecture with Frank Ching at the 3rd international Urban Sketchers Symposium... But why the NYC books?

It was SO much fun to be a part of this sewalong. I have a LOT of other things going on at the moment but this sewing adventure didn’t take much time at all, I found it relaxing and the end result is very practical to wear right now. Thanks Karen!!!!! An aside...if I was to make one more pair very shortly that would cover me for Me Made May (unfortunately I have only made summer dresses in the last few years so not appropriate for May in Sydney!)

My First Sewalong!!!

When I saw Karen from Did You Make That was about to host a sewalong for pyjama pants... I knew that this was my opportunity to come out of my lurkdom in the sewing online community. I didn’t want to buy a pattern so I looked through my old stack of burda magazines to find a pattern. The VERY LAST magazine I looked at did in fact have a pair... Very wide legged...but it would do. This was the page of my sketchbook I did that night...it just so happened to be the first cold night we had (here in Sydney) so I got out my winter PJ’s and sketched it....along with another event and re-doing a disaster sketch(on Cockatoo Island) from the weekend before.

Then I went to Spotlight (the only opportunity I had to buy fabric) which had the most appalling selection of flannelette and decided on this blue dolka dot..seriously it was the only option. I wasn’t to find a fabric that didn’t scream PJs as I want to wear them all day on Saturday when I am home. Here is Borromini Bear (also known as BB, or Borro) my very special sketching companion making his debut in a sewing adventure...I am not sure he is quite easy about the whole thing!

Things are out of control for me so I was deciding that I wouldn’t get time to partake of the sewalong... However Tuesday night this week, with the prospect of a Public Holiday the next day (ANZAC day) I actually summoned the energy and started my ‘clown pants’! I couldn’t believe how easy it was. Ok... I could have kept going but decided that I would slow down and sew-along....slowing down meant doing a tea cup sketch...in usual Liz style. Hmm, it is quite as much fun to ramble about my sewing as it is my sketching... And quite a different experience not knowing if there is anyone out there reading it... Also I am quite happy to sketch my sewing projects as I can always hide my sewing mistakes or even my odd tastes behind one of my splashy watercolour sketches...it is another thing totally to be expected to post a photo of me wearing the final outcome.....