I've never met an elastic waist pants pattern I didn't want to try...
Here's my take on the latest pant pattern from Seamwork, Joss.
Note: I am a newly appointed 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 loved Seamwork's green linen Joss sample, as well as the other versions I saw pop up online in the past week... chic, yet comfy, perfect for our current stay-at-home situation.
Joss has an elastic waistband, wide legs cropped at the ankles, a high rise, and two front patch pockets.
The Joss pattern looked like a quick, satisfying project, too. I needed something soothing and somewhat frivolous after making a ton of masks!
The Joss pattern calls for medium-weight woven fabrics. I opted for this piece of Alison Glass Mariner Cloth that I bought on a whim. It's got a lovely texture, with these raised, woven-in stripes, and a gorgeous bright spring-y pear green color. The Mariner Cloth worked well for the Joss pattern; a good weight and drape.
I cut the waistband and pocket pieces on the cross-grain to save fabric and have the fabric's texture run in the opposite direction for some visual interest.
My lower body measurements put me smack between the size 16 and 18 on Seamwork's size chart. And the 16 and 18 are not in the same pattern file or made from the same block, which makes it kinda hard to blend between those two sizes.
As such, I agonized over which size to choose. I was too lazy to cut a muslin, so I threw caution to the wind and ended up cutting a size 16, figuring I could give myself a smaller seam allowance in the hip if necessary. The 16 worked out great, though! I'm really happy with the fit. I love the super high waist, especially.
The only changes I made to this version is to put a strip of interfacing across the tops of the pockets for some extra support. I bought a roll of this 1" wide interfacing from Wawak a couple months ago and I love it so... I also topstitched the crotch seam for durability.
One small change I might make next time is to simplify the waistband to reduce bulk: the Joss waistband is curved, with separate fronts and backs, as well as separate facings. It's a wee bit bulky for my taste when the elastic is in there, and I wonder if a one piece straight waistband might work just as well and have a lower profile.
Pretty chuffed with these Joss pants! They pair perfectly with my Seamwork Bo I made last year, and almost too perfectly with this Shirt No. 1 I made with the scraps of Mariner Cloth left over from my Joss pants! I don't know if I'll rock this faux jumpsuit as such since it's, well, a lot. But it's great as separates!
