Another work from home ensemble, but of a very different variety from the one I made last week!
In addition to a fabulous caftan, I decided that I also needed a lounge-worthy leisure suit of some sort.
I seem to have no non-pajama lounge pants (besides a couple ancient, stretched out, faded yoga-esque pants from Old Navy purchased before I got into sewing). And that's been a problem.
I seem to have no non-pajama lounge pants (besides a couple ancient, stretched out, faded yoga-esque pants from Old Navy purchased before I got into sewing). And that's been a problem.
After seeing some positive reviews of the Seamwork Mel jogger pattern (on the Curvy Sewing Collective as well as Sheila, who has made like 19 pairs), I decided to give it a go!
Note: I am a Seamwork Ambassador, which means I received a one-year subscription in exchange for sewing up 10 of their patterns and providing some feedback to Seamwork about their patterns, articles, etc. If you use this link, you can get a little discount if you decide to purchase from Seamwork.
I'm between Seamwork's two size ranges. Although for my Joss pants I went with a size 16, for these Mel joggers, I chose size 18 because I had read some reviews that they were slim fitting. I don't really like tight knit pants (unless they're leggings).
Worked pretty well, although I have a bit of crotch weirdness... not sure if that's pattern or fabric or both!
Worked pretty well, although I have a bit of crotch weirdness... not sure if that's pattern or fabric or both!
For the main pant, I used some charcoal grey nubby cotton jersey I bought in Bangkok at my favorite knit-by-the-kilo shop. I don't think it has lycra in it, so it's not super stretchy. It's got a cool texture, with little golden, rust and cream nubbins throughout. In retrospect, it might be a little bit lightweight for pants...
I decided to use some black ribbing from my stash for the waistband and cuffs for a bit of contrast and because I wanted the cuffs to be stretchy for comfort.
I used my own single-layer pocket method by binding the front pant leg pocket edge with the ribbing and then topstitching the pocket to the front leg of the pants.
While I was making my Mels, I realized that the fabrics would work well for a coordinating t-shirt using the True Bias Rio Ringer T-shirt pattern!
I was a tester for the Rio Ringer pattern, so I received a copy of the pattern for free in exchange for my feedback on the pattern. This version is made from the final pattern, though.
My Rio is a size 16 graded to 18 at the hip. I opted for the size 16 in the larger size range, which is drafted for a D-cup.
I'm happy with the fit on my Rio, although I think I might give myself a small full bicep adjustment next time, as I find the sleeves a little snug. They tend to migrate towards my armpit.
I don't know if I'll really wear these two pieces together, but it was fun to make a matching suit! I think the Rio will pair well with other items in my Meg-made wardrobe, and the Mel joggers have already proven comfy for days bumming around the house.
