From cutting the lycra to finishing the ties the whole Isla bikini took about two hours. That includes the time I spent carefully handling the stretch fabric to avoid distortion. The pattern is efficient and there are no wasted steps. A great quick project for summer.
The invisible zip section in the coat pattern took me two passes through the instructions before it clicked. The written description was a little brief there, though the iamge helped. Once I understood what was happening it went in cleanly, and the finished coat looks polished.
He told them his wife made them and apparently got several impressed reactions. That was enough payoff for the afternoon I spent making them. He came home asking when I would make his next pair.
The trousers themselves are excellently drafted and the fit through the seat and thigh is very good in size L. My only note is that the side pockets could be cut a bit deeper for practical everyday wear - they are fine for formal use but I prefer a deeper pocket. The pattern is easy to modify in this regard though, and everything else is excellent.
She picked up the finished outfit before I had even trimmed the threads and went to show everyone in the house. The joy on her face was completely disproportionate to the hour I spent making it. That kind of response is why I sew.
