I Want Spring!! Upcoming Project List

If you live on the east coast or know someone who does, you may hear a lot of complaining about something that starts with the letter "S"...SNOW! It is nice to look at for a little while but when you have to go places, it is not as fun! We have been bombarded with snow lately and more is on the way! The only nice thing is when it snows, I can lock myself up in my sewing room! I'm honestly not all that interested in making winter items at the moment, but have three projects in mind to make for early spring. 

1) A basic blazer made from black ponte knit. 
I need a basic blazer and I've been seeing knit blazers in the stores for at least the past two seasons. I made one last year, only to find out I never washed the fabric before I used it and the entire blazer shrunk! (That's a lesson for those of you who do not pre-wash fabric!) 

Here are some of my inspiration pieces: 

All images courtesy of Pinterest.

I am using Simplicity pattern #4698 (out-of-print) that I've had for a number of years. I already pre-washed the good fabric, made a muslin and cut the pattern from the good fabric. I'm hoping to make the jacket this weekend. 

2) The Macaron Dress by Colette Patterns, made from a floral print cotton pique and lace. 

This fabric was originally in Julie's Picks a few months back. I snatched up a piece for myself before it sold out. Then on a recent fabric buying trip I found another roll of it. I have known what I would like to make from it since the day I brought it home. I also knew that I would blog about the finished product in the near future, so I decided I should buy the other roll. This fabric will be available online soon! I will be pairing this print with a lace from my stash. I have a few laces to choose from, but am unsure which one I will use in the end. 

Photo from Pinterest, a Lilly Pulitzer design. 

Photo from Pinterest, an Anna Sui design. 

The bright colors and floral print of the fabric and the retro feel of the pattern reminded me of Lilly Pulitzer designs. So this will be my "Lilly Pulitzer-inspired dress."

3) Printed cotton sateen slim leg trousers. 
Another project inspired by Lilly Pulitzer. This fabric is sophisticated, but still fun when used in trousers. Printed pants have become popular again and I embraced this trend with a few pairs of printed shorts last summer. I never blogged about them, but it was a fun way to jazz up my summer wardrobe. So I'm going to give it a try in a pant. 

It has been a long time since I made pants for myself. I find them intimidating and would rather buy RTW because they are "good enough." I know there is a difference between a good fitting pant and a great fitting pant, but I have not gotten up the courage to do it. So I'm going to plunge into the pants world again and make some slim leg trousers. I haven't selected a pattern yet and thought I would get the viewers opinion on a good pants pattern. I'd love to be able to make more pants because I lack in that dept. 

So...what is your favorite pants pattern? I'm especially looking for a slim leg pattern, but if you have a TNT (tried and true) pants pattern that you would like to share, please do!