So... how was that Super Bowl?  Go RAVENS!

And speaking of the World Champion Baltimore Ravens... Remember that movie, "The Coalition" that I worked on?  Well... it's being released on DVD and Blu-Ray today!  

I couldn't be more excited and proud of my friend Monica Mingo, who wrote her dream down and made it happen!  And you have to know that Terrell Suggs is on cloud 9, after winning the Vince Lombardi trophy on Sunday night and today his first feature film is being released.  Sounds like a great week to me!

Here is the movie site -- The Coalition.  So if you're interested in seeing it, it's available at Wal-Mart and Target, in-store and online.  And also Amazon.com.  If you see, let me know what you think about the wardrobe!  Oh... and the movie! ;-)

Wearing:  Pea coat:  Vogue 2873; striped top:  McCall's 6355; brocade moto jeans:  Vogue 2973;  sunnies:  Karen Walker; pumps:  Sam Edelman.

Fancy jeans has been a really big trend this season.  And my favorite way to follow a trend and come in under budget, is to sew a garment myself. 

Sources one, two and three.

This is Vogue 2973, an out-of-print pattern by Montana from 2007.  Yes, I'm still reaching in the filing cabinet for old patterns.  I've been intending to sew this pattern since I bought it 5 years ago... but I was always waiting for the perfect fabric for the jacket.  

For the pants, I used a black damask printed Italian denim (cotton 85%/polyester 13%/lycra 2%).  When I first ran across this fabric, I knew it had to become a pair of jeans. 

While researching reviews of this pattern, I was surprised to see there were only two reviews for the pants.  I thought they were pretty great looking on the envelope which is sometimes a rarity with the pattern companies.  So when I read and reviewed the images, I saw why.  This pattern has an enormous amount of ease.  I wouldn't want to wear jeans with the type of "relaxed fit" that this pattern would yield IF I'd stuck to my proper measurements.  Which leads me to wonder, why the pattern didn't produce a garment that looked like the designer sample in the envelope photo?!  Could it be a case of a poorly drafted pattern?

So instead, I cut the size 14.  I still had to sew them and nip/tuck as I went along.  The leg was not originally as tapered as I wanted them to be.  I didn't want a "skinny" skinny jean... but more of a grown up straight-legged style.  For my pants/jeans, I try to keep in mind my hip to leg-opening ratio.  I'm not trying to look like an ice cream cone.  So I based my measurements on favorite pants in my closet.

Even though with the print, you can't see it, but there is a lot of topstitching and edge stitching.  I felt that gave them a good RTW look... that is when given a close-up inspection.  

And I didn't follow the instruction very much.  I know the order in which I like putting pants together.  Plus, I always use this method for fly-front zipper installation.

My favorite detail of this project was the welt zippers and the topstitching on the waistband.

This is a cool pattern that fit the bill for what I'd envisioned.  But please be warned, this pattern is not for the rank beginner.  It's for someone that knows how to take the pieces given and modify them into what they actually want.