Striped Linen Pietra Pants

I've been needing a few more pairs of work-appropriate pants (shout-out to Worktober from Alexandria Arnold!), but my body has not been liking "hard pants" these days, preferring a bit of wiggle room.

Wedding Wear: Pleat Top and Paris Palazzo Pants

Tim and I went to a black tie optional wedding in Boston a couple weekends ago. 

I don't own a gown and wasn't feeling inspired to make one, but I do have a stash of beautiful silks from my time living in Southeast Asia and some other random special occasion fabrics from various sources in my stash, so I decided to make do. 

Eileen Barrel Pants in Black

Basic black... a wardrobe workhorse that's impossible to photograph! 

Pinstripe Paris Palazzo Pants

Pinstripe Paris Palazzo Pants. I love a bit of alliteration...

This is another project for Black History Month Pattern Designers challenge, a sewing challenge that highlights Black patten designers!

Caramel Twill Eileen Barrel Pants

So nice I made them twice!

Railroad Stripe Eileen Barrel Pants

 I'm very behind on the barrel leg pant trend. This is my first pair!

Medallion Reya Pants

Earlier this year my sister and had some fun picking out second-hand craft supplies at The Makery, and we scored some fun stuff!

Denim Taylor Trousers

You know a pair of pants is good if you wear it for a 26,000-step day in NYC and are still looking fresh and feeling comfortable!

Deadstock Wool Taylor Trousers

I know, I know, another pair of Taylor Trousers? And a wool pair with spring right around the corner? 

Yes, but we just got another inch of snow last night, so there is still time for these winter pants.

Canvas Topo Pants

 More pants from second-hand fabric!

Fleece Lined Taylor Trousers

 Say, Meg, didn't you just make a pair of deep olive Taylor Trousers?

Deadstock Wool Tweed Reya Pants

Now that I've shared the "hard pants" I made recently, here are some softer pants!

Olive Loaf Twill Taylor Trousers

A tale of folly and redemption, these pants!

Abstract Cotton Jacquard Pietra Pants

After my recent success with the Closet Core Pietra Pants pattern, I decided to make another pair! 

Sew Fancy Pants: Seersucker Free Range Slacks

 One final #SewFancyPants project for the month. 

Sew Fancy Pants: Wide Legged Wool Pietra Pants

Another Sew Fancy Pants make!

Sew Fancy Pants: Dani and Miller

I'm so thankful for the sewing community and the fun challenges that prompt me to tackle sewing tasks that are lingering on my to-do list. 

I've really been struggling with sizing these days. I'm bigger than I used to be, but sizing up has not been foolproof for me. Earlier this year I cut two pairs of pants my measurements and sewed them up.

But they both ended up turning out enormous for some reason! They've both been bunched up in a corner for many months... but happily Sew Fancy Pants, hosted by Nicole, and the #JFFIChallenge2023, hosted by Wyldwood Creative prompted me to dig them out and give them another try!

Dani Pant: This pair of pants has a tortured origin story even beyond the sizing issues. This is the True Bias Dani pant, which I originally cut out last year, maybe in the spring? 

This is view D, the tapered pant with the full elastic waistband. I skipped the side seam and back pockets out of laziness and a lack of fabric. 

The fabric is speckled Essex cotton linen in black. I love the multi-colored speckles and the texture they give the fabric! Of course you cannot see the speckles because my photography skills have failed yet again.

I first started with size 20 from the curvy range, which corresponded with my measurements, and, as I said, they were huge in the legs. Like comically so. I tried to to turn them inside out and sew up the side seams a bit, but it wasn't looking right, so I ultimately unpicked them. 

Remind me never to unpick a black garment with black serging. Ug. Once I had them taken apart, I cut down to a size 16, and got to re-sewing them.

 

But the torture didn't stop there... I somehow managed to sew and serge the two front legs together as well as the two back legs before I noticed. More unpicking. Sigh. 

Ultimately I made it through alive and with a pair of decently fitting pants, though! Now that I'm closer on the fit for the Dani pattern, I'd be up for trying the fly front view, and the shorts look pretty cute!

Miller Trouser: The second pair of too-big elastic waist pants. These are the Paper Theory Miller Trousers, a relaxed fit trouser that sits at the natural waist, has a pleat in the front leg and darts in the back waist. 

Like the Dani pants, I cut the Miller size that corresponded to my measurements, size 22. But they were enormous. I tried to re-cutting in a smaller size, but couldn't quite make it work the way the pockets are done. So to the bunched up corner they went for 6+ months.

When I took them out recently to try again, I opted to re-sew them, but with a 3/4 inch seam allowance on the side seams and inseams. I also sewed the crotch seam with a 3/4 inch seam allowance at both ends near the waist, but tapering to 3/8 inch at the bottom of the curve. This worked out pretty well!

The fabric is Ventana twill in ivy that I bought from Fancy Tiger Crafts a couple years back. Always on the hunt for the perfect olive green bottom weight.

In the end I'm fairly happy with my Miller Trousers. Oversized, but with my fit changes, no longer ridiculously so. I wish the waist was a little bit higher; I feel like these might be the type of pants I have to constantly tug up because they hit my belly at the widest point.

Anyway, hooray for Sew Fancy Pants for getting me to finish these long stashed, unfinished objects!

Kaffe Fassett Glebe Pants

 Glebe pajama pants for life.

Glebe Pants: Can't Stop, Won't Stop

 I literally can't stop making pants. Elastic waist pants. 

Birchgrove Pants Two Ways

 I can't get enough of Muna and Broad's pants patterns...