Offgrain Continues: Dalek Ensemble

So I am undaunted. Challenge accepted. Dammit, I'm going to make this work.

This is my first batch of askew twill with the Dalek print.

And this is my attempt at regraining it. Soaked, washed, dried, soaked (in salt water), spun, stapled to emptied wall to dry. The wall is not square, either, so I used the level. Best wedding gift ever!

I understand now that the chance that this will revert to it's off grain nature is very high. The grain vs the weaving of the original textile; unclear as to who will win out.

But it's yardage. As silly as this may sound, my entire adventure with Spoonflower began with an internet search on the term "dalek fabric' and this is what I came to.

"Dalek fabric"

And that is my comment of one year ago. And this stuff is the result.

I have lopped my head off as even I cannot bear what my face looks like here. I take dreadful 'selfies' in general, and my resident photographer is on strike until I let him get his drivers license.

I used a scrap of my 'dalek grill' print for the watch pocket, and more of the sushi print for the pockets.

And on that theme, chunks of the test swatch strips for the  interior (curved) waistband.

The vest is from Folkwear Vintage Vests,  pattern A.  It's a classic pattern set, with excellent directions EXCEPT for the welt instructions. Which we will discuss another time.

The jeans are a kluge of a set of articles from Kenneth King about drafting a pattern from your old jeans, somewhere in the Threads archives of the last few years. I cannot find it online at present. His Jeanius class on Craftsy probably covers that story, and he is well worth spending your class money on. The man is a mad genius. Fortuny jeans! Yow!

The other part of the kluge is from Melissa Fehr at Fehr Trade, in her extensive writing/sewing about jeans. She's done all the hard work for you and I. Also writes as Squirrellypoo on Pattern Review. Truly worth reading.

I have always hated sewing pants. I have as many features that make me a tough fit as you.  Wait a minute: we all have features. Nobody fits a standard issue pair of jeans.

Results? I have made a clown suit, worn once to the theatrical showing of Dr Who, Day of the Doctor (last night). If the pants die, they did their job. The vest won't get washed (spot cleaned) so it will last.

And now I'm hooked. More jeans a'coming! NOW I get it.