Category: pants

My ‘go-to’ outfit: wide leg pants and a safari style top

Published on by ellegeemakes13 Comments
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Each season, there’s one me-made outfit that seems to rise above the rest. This one is it! A pair of cropped, wide-legged pants and a linen Fringe top – -nothing unusual or particularly earth shattering about these makes. Yet,  I find myself reaching for them over and over again.

Honestly, these pants are the best thing I’ve made in a long while!

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Like every other sewing blogger, I have fallen in love with wide legged pants.  They have the double appeal of being stylish and easy-to-wear.  The fact that these were an easy ‘sew’ is the icing on the cake!

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Simplicity 8841 is an easy-to-sew pattern with a elastic waist and huge pockets. There’s a straightlegged version and a wide legged version, cropped or full length. I went for the wide-legged cropped version, a look I’ve really grown to love.

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I chose lightweight cotton chambray for this version. The fabric is so soft, these pants qualify as secret pajamas for sure! There are belt loops and a belt as well, so if I want to tuck something in, the elastic waist is well hidden.

This modified Fringe top is the perfect mate for these pants.

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If you aren’t familiar with Chalk and Notch’s Fringe blouse/dress pattern, I can highly recommend it! It was the darling of Instagram for a while, and I fell in love with the many variations I saw there. Search the #fringedresspattern hastag on Instagram and you’ll see what I mean!

To make my top, I modified View A to give it a bit more of a Safari vibe. I left the upper bodice and neckline as designed (and they fit like a dream!).  Then, instead of gathering the bottom bodice panel,  I cut it to fit the measurement of the upper bodice lower seam, plus a seam allowance. I also drafted darts on the lower bodice to mimic those on the upper bodice. The pattern suggests you insert the ties in the side seams or in the back bodice darts. I chose to put them in the back darts, and I think that’s part of the reason the bodice fits so well. I love the sleeve cuffs and the button tabs.

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The appeal of this pattern for me is the lovely v-neck and spot on fit of the bodice. I’ve already cut a dress version, and am interested in another top, likely another modified version. Yes, I was late to the Fringe dress party, but better late than never. This pattern will be a tried and true that will take me into Fall as well.

Fall sewing is on my mind, as well as a few added wardrobe items for a trip to Italy in September. My sewing machine is fired up and ready for a marathon of projects this month, so watch for more blog posts. There will be a few….:) Happy sewing and thanks for stopping by!

Jumpsuit Love and Two New Buddies

Published on by ellegeemakes15 Comments

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I knew when I decided to participate in the RTW Fast this year, that I’d have my work cut out for me in a key wardrobe category – – Pants. I’ve always preferred RTW over me-made pants in past years. But in the jumpsuit category, RTW has always let me down; the fit, the fabric… not to mention the comfort factor. Ugh. So, creating a jumpsuit that fit was a challenge I accepted willingly.

Of course, as soon as I finished this, my husband informed me he isn’t a ‘fan’ of jumpsuits. Ha, isn’t that such a guy thing? If he would just wear a jump suit, I’m sure he would change his mind.

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The pattern I chose is Simplicity 8610, a jumpsuit with a slightly raised waist, deep pockets and slight gathers at the waist.

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I was attracted to the details on this one – the raised, gathered waist, the top-stitched bodice band, and the buttons on the straps.

 

This is my first jumpsuit and I was a bit nervous about fit, so I’m glad this pattern was pretty forgiving. The look/fit is so unstructured, there was little I could do to screw it up! I cut the size my measurements indicated and it fit perfectly – a rarity in patterns that must be celebrated! I also found the placement of the back pockets to be spot on too! That’s got to be a first for me. The one modification I made was to shift the gathers so that the center front of the waist is and smooth. I did this because I thought there was a bit of a pooch at the stomach when the gathers were evenly distributed.

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Simplicity recommends soft fabrics like cotton and linen, but I really wanted ‘drape’ so I chose a soft medium weight crepe, and I’m glad I did as it’s so comfortable and easy to wear. It was great to work with – not too slippery and it doesn’t fray. As fabrics go, crepe is pretty versatile – – easy to dress up or down. I might be able to get away with wearing my new jumpsuit in the fall with a shirt underneath. What do you think?

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Are you a jumpsuit fan, or are you in my husband’s camp? I’d love to know pattern recommendations for the future, as I’m loving this one right now!

It’s been a year since our nutty tabby, Dustin, passed, and we decided we’re ready for a new friend. We went to adopt one, and ended up with two babies :). They’re a boy and a girl from the same litter who look like twins; Maggie and Mitchell, only three months old!

They were a bit nervous at first, but are now feeling enough at home to show us their stuff. There’s lots of running, jumping and climbing at our house right now. I’m sure they’ll be leaping into a blog photo or two before too long!

Happy sewing and thanks for stopping by.

 

Arenite pants…An Anthro knock-off?

Published on by ellegeemakes14 Comments

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In RTW lingo, these pants are called joggers.  This is a fact I gleaned from a knowledgeable and very trend conscious sales person at Anthropologie. Yes, I tried on several pairs of the lovely pants below. Yes, I did love them.

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But No, I didn’t buy them because, hey, I’m on a RTW fast.

I would not say this style is a look that I’m drawn to. As a rule, I’m not attracted to loose-fitting pants with big pockets. But honestly….the Anthro joggers won me over. The slouchy look, the stretchy waist band, the color, and the fit….Needless to say, if I wasn’t on a RTW fast, they would be hanging in my closet right now. Instead, I left the store with a firm committment to give a knock-off a try.

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The closest pattern I could find was Sew Liberated’s Arenite pants. It’s a favorite pattern of many in our sewing community and I did check it out when it was first released.  I found it…interesting, but just couldn’t see myself in that style so I took a pass.

 

But never say never, eh? The pattern design is just like the Anthro joggers!

Pattern review: I cut my version from linen, my favorite warm weather fabric. I modified the pattern slightly. Before cutting, I removed some of the fullness from the pocket so that it would hang closer to my leg. I’m not going to lie…as designed there’s just too much going on there for me. I had to lengthen the pants a bit (1 inch), a surprise since I’m only 5’4″ but as drafted, they’re a bit too short for the slouchy look I wanted.

There’s so much to like about this pattern. It’s carefully drafted with yummy details like a front top-stitched seam, optional cuffs and in-seam pockets. Another plus…the fit is very forgiving, so if you’re new to the world of sewing, these pants are a good place to start. There are french seams throughout and the instructions are quite detailed and easy to follow. This is only my second Sew Liberated pattern, and I was truly impressed! IMG_3902

Look Analysis. Well, this Anthro knockoff is close….but not perfect. The fit of the Arenites (on me) is looser than the Anthro joggers. Yes, the Arenites are comfortable, but the look isn’t quite as trendy as the Anthro joggers.  The color of my linen isn’t quite as vibrant as the RTW fabric, but that’s not a deal breaker. I am pleased that the Arenites do have the ‘jogger’ look and style I was going for. So, a cautious ‘thumbs up’ from me. I might give this pattern another try at some point… cut it a bit smaller through the hips, maybe use a drapey fabric like rayon for a totally different look. Hmmmm…..

The top I’m wearing is another version of one of my favorite Big 4 patterns this year, Simplicity 8601 (previously made and blogged here.) This version is white and gray linen (Fabric Depot); white linen on the front bodice and sleeves; gray linen on the sleeve ruffle and bodice back. The light gray really makes the ruffle ‘pop’ but I’m not sure that shows in the photos. I do love the waist tie look and am really loving this pattern! It seems to work no matter what fabric I throw at it!

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Although my  Arenites do not fit my figure as well as the Anthro joggers, I will enjoy them. Clearly, they fall into the my favorite clothing category – – secret pajamas! Perhaps, there’s a pattern available that would have worked better for my ‘knock-off’? Suggestions welcome!

Happy sewing and thanks for stopping by!

 

Party Pants Times Two

Published on by ellegeemakes19 Comments

Secret pajama pants! What could be better? They’re perfect for a night out…a comfortable yet stylish option that makes you feel pretty good until your date says, uh…those pants are pretty baggy, aren’t they?

Well, yeah, but in a very evolved I don’t care if I show off my figure sort of way, am I right?

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Of the two pair of pants I made from McCall’s 7726, the linen ones are my favorites. This linen is especially nice with a soft hand (fabricdepot.com), perfect for this style. Soft wrinkles are inevitable with linen and they seem right at home here.

Pair number two is made from twill with an overlay of black lace.

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The fabric has been in my stash for along while, so I have no clue where it came from. Since twill is a recommended fabric for this pattern, I just had to give it a try. The twill added so much structure to the look, it’s as though I made a completely different pattern!

McCalls 7726 is a pretty forgiving option if you’re ready to sew a new pair of pants.

The paper bag waist is created by eight pleats, so if you need to adjust fit there, you can do so by tweaking of the size of the pleats. The pants have generous pockets and optional belt carriers. I cut a size 10 in the waist, then graded to a size six everywhere else. The fit is generous, so there’s quite a bit of wiggle room. The pants are long too…I cut off quite a bit to get my cropped look (I’m 5’4″).

I chose View C for both versions. The main difference between the views is the width of the leg. I love wide pants but they tend to look ridiculous on me, so I opted for the narrow leg. I also made the fabric sash for both pair.

This is an easy pattern and the instructions are spot on, even the ones for the fly zipper. The waist instructions vary a bit by the version. The facing is applied to the paper bag waist before or after making the pleats depending on the view that you choose.  I pleated the waist after creating the facing and it wasn’t hard at all.

 

Well, the fit of this style might be too loose for some people’s taste, but not not for me. I am a big fan of this style. These pants can be dressed up or down as the mood strikes. I wore the twill pair when I was out and about, and every woman I met wanted a pair, including a sales girl in Anthropologie, LOL!! We all love secret pajamas, don’t we?

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Next up for me are a few springy tops, a linen jacket, shorts and a skirt for Spring/summer, even though it’s cold and wet here.  I’m also considering another cardigan before Me-Made May, since the weather is frightful. I’m looking for a new cardigan pattern with a hem band…any suggestions?

Happy sewing and thanks for stopping by!