As I contemplated my wardrobe for our trip to London and Europe, I thought about what my husband would like to wear and decided he needed warm, comfortable, and vaguely smart trousers.
I have a TNT pattern, Kwik Sew 3663, which is a pair of elasticated trousers with side pockets. They fit well, are comfortable, and they are great for travel as I can put zips in the pockets, making them a bit safer.
I had a look in my stash and found some amazing worsted wool which a friend had given me as part of her destash.
The mink and cashmere flannel intrigued me, so I researched it and found the following:
Rare ultra-fine runs (such as high-ply worsteds featuring cashmere and specialized soft fibers/mink) are occasionally produced in limited mill archives by English and continental luxury weavers, It seems that the base fabric is fine merino which is blended with cashmere and mink, which is quite thick and apparently very warm. It was magnificent to cut and sew, and my husband really enjoys wearing the trousers.
It was quite a small piece of fabric, and I was able to just get the pattern out of it and am pleased that there is very little wastage. This tiny piece will be used for some other purpose, it’s much too precious to waste. I had intended to sew a piece of that selvedge into the trousers somewhere, but it will have to be done once we are home.
I added the zips to the pockets, but feel that I should have lapped the seam towards the back, not the front as I think it looks a bit strange.
I didn’t take any photos when I first made the trousers, so all the photos I have are of him wearing them on our holiday. I’m really pleased with how they have held up, they haven’t gone baggy or stretched out anywhere. A photo of him wearing them.
I also made him two new tee shirts, both from my stash. I used Kwik Sew 3299, another tnt pattern.
I made a black one and a yellow one. I didn’t have any yellow ribbing that matched, so I added a navy blue neckband.
Again, I took no photos, but here are a few of the two tee shirts in action, always with the new trousers.
I felt that neither tee would be warm enough for our trip, but the addition of a rugby top made in 2014, using Stretch n Sew 1758, or a flannel shirt (made in 2017).
I had a browse in his suitcase and took a couple of photos of the tees laid on the bed. The black one is very plain, but made from a really soft cotton knit.
The yellow one needs a press. We tend to launder clothes in the bathroom and hang them up to dry, but this cotton knit is quite thick and wrinkles a bit.
We could have just bought these three garments and a couple of jackets on holidays and that would have been enough, as he’s worn them constantly.