Kwik Sew 3504 - second try

 Here are Simon's jeans, Kwik Sew 3504 in a size small.The first time Simon insisted he was a size medium and not a small. So I made the medium against my better judgement. They were so large that it would not have been worth it to take them in. So here come try #2.

 I am happy with the results. The first time I did them, they were too big. You can see them Here and Here. The second time you do a project, you just don't have the same steam. I planned on getting these done by Tuesday of my vacation, and I completed them Saturday night. I would sew the jeans while Simon drove the kids to daycare, then when he got home we worked on the valance and curtains. I was not in a rush.

 Then we he tried them on for fitting, they were TOO SMALL!!!! Ok, either he porked out in the last month or their sizing is wacked on this pattern. I ripped out my seams and make them 1/4 inch seams. Now it fits well.

A new pair of jeans just in time for Easter.

Kwik Sew 3484 - Men's shirt

For my first shirt I chose Kwik sew's 3484. This is the shirt that launched a $2500 purchase, my Janome 8200. I started out using my Singer Esteem with dismal results. All my work during a 3 hour class had to be redone. What a waste of a class. But I did get a kick butt machine afterwards!

Men's shirts have collar, short sleeves, and side hemline slits. View A has breast pocket. View B has contrast right front inset and breast pocket with contrast band at top edge. View C has contrast center panels.

 We chose view A for our first go. Simon had gotten me a gift card for Valentine's day for Fabricville and I picked up a beautiful baby blue linen look fabric on mega sale. I really wanted this to be done in time for Easter Weekend dinner. It is 1pm and it is done. Wow! And I got his jeans done in a size small (second try at sizing).

 This is a nice casual shirt. The buttons were easy to make, especially with my Janome, it was all automated!

The front pocket was a but mangled, but that was the Singer's fault, not mine at all, no. 

 The side slit was easier that I thought to do.

 It was interesting working with 1/4 inch seam allowance.

I really like this color. It scream EASTER!

Kwik Sew Jeans 3504, Wide leg Size Medium - a Work in Progress

After finally completing Simplicity's 4760, I was not happy with the results. The fit looked nice, but it wasn't what I was looking for.
What I wanted was a REAL pair of jeans for Simon. One where the pattern was easy to follow, clear and fun to sew. After all my research, it appears that Kwik Sew is the only company that still makes patterns for men that are relevant for today. The Big 4 seem to believe that men only wear pajamas or scrubs, or are Big and Tall or Husky.
So off to Kwik Sew I go. Seeing as I am in Quebec, I can not buy the patterns in store as they are in English only. I could drive to Cornwall, Ontario to buy one, but that would cost me $30 in gas, as opposed to $4 shipping. I waited until they were on sale on line, so not to pay $12. Kwik Sew will ship all their orders once a week bulk to their office in Ontario, then ship it out from there. This was we do not pay duties, but it takes 3 weeks to get here.

MenKwik Sew's 3504 are jeans that have a fly zipper, waistband with belt carriers, back yoke, back patch pockets, front pockets, a coin pocket, and
topstitching detail. View A legs are straight cut and View B
are boot cut.
I am making these is a size Medium with boot cut leg. Simon is in between a small and a medium, so we will make a medium. These pants have a proper waistband with belt loops, so he should be ok. He needs the boot cut to fit over his construction boots.

I am using a size 16 needle, with dark denim fabric we picked up on St-Hubert street this past Summer. I am using Gutermann's Jean thread, the navy blue and Gold. The Gold is what I am using for the Top stitching details.












 Look at what arrived. I emailed, no response. I called and the lady was not very helpful. She said she could send me out a new one, no apology, no show that she was shocked this happened. NOTHING. I email again, I get a VERY apologetic call that very same day, and they will refund me. I wanted to have this pattern for my sewing class starting that Friday, so I had to have someone pick one up for me on their way in from Ontario. Looks like you can't always avoid it.

I am used to the BIG 4 patterns, so the detailed explanations of Kwik Sew appear confusing at first. 
See the pattern piece shown here. "Place printed side of pattern piece UP on RIGHT side of fabric" On the explanations the diagram showed the piece greyed out as well.
Wow, extra explanations!
























One difference I DO NOT like is the fold placement indications. On the regular patterns you have the arrows. Here it is only "PLACE ON FOLD" I missed that the first time. You have to read everything on all your pattern pieces. They took the time to detail EVERYTHING!

 
The coin pocket was SO easy to complete and sew on. I was nervous of the pockets. They look like they have so much detail. But you know what, the pattern is kinda idiot proof! The instructions as so detailed and complete that my instructor and I took about 5 minutes to understand ALL that detail!

I am so pleased with my efforts. After these pants I think I will have the topstitching down pat! I love the look the yellow jeans thread gives. I am using Yellow jean thread for the top and blue jeans threads for the bottom thread.

Simon had asked that I make his pockets extra secure. He feels that the pockets on his other pair may not hold up to the demands of construction work. He wants me to double sew the pockets again.
Pauline told me to sew the pockets twice, then we Overcast the seams with the serger in our class. They are SOLID, SOLID AS A ROCK!

Before moving on to the Fly construction, I decided to see if there were any tutorials on the Internet for this pattern. Everyone who reviewed this pattern said how easy the fly construction was. I found a very detailed step by step blog by Peter Lappin.. Check out his blog post about his Jeans sew-along here. I looked it over, and I printed it off to read over during my lunch break.

After a full day out and about, 2 active kids, my brain is tired. I decided to skip the fly for today and concentrate on less taking things, like the back pockets! Tyler woke me up at 6am, that's sleeping in for us. So I had lots of time to work on the back part of the pants this morning.

I took my time. I did my best to have the 2 rows of topstitches straight and equal. For my first attempt, I am satisfied. 

The I sewed the 2 back parts together and now I just need to do the fly. Do I wait until I get my serger this week, or do I bring them into Friday's class and use the serger there? Decisions decisions. I will read the fly instructions and see if a zig zag stitch will suffice.

I put the pants up to Simon and they may be a little too large. I went against my better judgement and cut the pattern at Medium, as per Simon's request. I told him he's wearing them regardless, lol!

Kwik Sew 3639 Bib Overalls

I was joking about making this for Simon and he ACTUALLY wants them. He says they would be perfect for work. Ugh, they are a lot of work, but it looks like fun!

I have a few shirts on my wish list from Kwik Sew for Simon. I have looked at a lot of patterns for men's shirts, and unless you are husky, or big and tall there are not a lot of options out there from the Big 4.
I am slowly becoming a convert to Kwik sew. I just received my 3 patterns for his jeans and 2 baby jammies. No one else has a pattern for a sleeper that has the zipper that descends into the leg? Who knew that they Big 4 would not know about the challenges of diaper changes?

Kwik Sew is having their rack sale and this was on sale. I decided that since for children's clothes and men's clothing Kwik Sew appears to have detailed instructions and superior quality paper (I trace my patterns) the extra few dollars are worth it. I decided to become a memeber and that was on sale as well! Woo-Hoo! The cheapest my patterns go to are $1.99 or $3.50. So the 0.99 sale will be great. But I have enough patterns for me at the moment. Enough to keep me busy for 4 months at the moment.

I will start this in my sewing class once I finish my Cynthia Rowley blouse. I have tried to find reviews on this pattern and no one has posted anything. If you come across anything please let me know! Thanks!

Kwik Sew Patterns: Not available in Quebec

So my adventure in making Simon his pants from the pattern Simplicity 4760 is not going well. The waistband is ridiculous! I will not be making these again. I have a nice denim I want to use for the boy's pants and I am in search of a good pattern that is easy to follow.
I am finishing these pants, as once I (and I mean my instructor) figures it out and I (I mean we) finish them he will be able to wear them. Otherwise they will be another pair of pants that sits in a bin of things I have made that are unwearable. Ugh. My failures are blaring at me from the stock pile.



So that leads me to find Kwik Sew's 3504 pattern. This pattern has great reviews and it appears to be straightforward. They look great, no negative reviews and they are standard men's jeans. Now I have been in search of a good pair of men's pants. But it seam that women are just not sewing for men anymore! There are no good patterns out there for men. This sucks! I want to use the boys as my guinea pigs!
So, what is the problem, you ask? Kwik Sew does not have instructions in French. I live in Quebec and if there is no French we can not have it. Silly, I know. They have Spanish and German, so what would be the big problem with French, you ask? NO idea. So I have to drive to Cornwall, Ontario, a 2 hour drive there and back; or order from the internet and pay shipping. A tank of gas or $4 shipping from Kwik Sew.
Now, don't get me wrong, I love a road trip. But a road trip for only 1 pattern seems a little excessive.

If I order from Kwik Sew I would get patterns 3527 and 3922. I have been trying to find a PJ for the baby that has snaps or a zipper that extends far so that I can change his diaper. You would be hard pressed to find one from another company! Believe me, I have looked!

Now, I ask you, when do they have their on line sales at Kwik Sew? Or can I order thses patterns from a cheaper place? Somewhere where the shipping is not $15.97 (patternreview.com). Kwik Sew's shipping to Canada would be $4 for all the patterns, but the total cost is $4.76 more than Patternreview. It does not make sense to pay more to buy the loyalty cards either!
Any suggestions?

MONDAY JANUARY 28TH

I sighned up for the Kwik Sew email alerts and I got one this morning! Patterns are on sale $6.99! Now I normally buy my patterns for $1.99 at Fabricville when they go on sale. They have a sale last week for Butterick at $3.50 and I thought that was expensive. $6.99 is a little steep, but I can not find a GOOD pattern for men's jeans, nor kid's PJ's with snaps or a zipper that will make changing a diaper easy. So, I will suck it up, and I better make a gazillion of these!