I made more pants! I made more pants! No really, I MADE MORE PANTS, and this is an excellent thing because it's an area in which I've really been suffering...I mean, I have my Birkin Flares, and I have maternity yoga pants (hahaha, yep), but these hit a sweet spot right in the middle.
These are the Hudson Pants in a microfiber twill with slight stretch. I purchased the fabric at Mill End here in Portland, and I actually cut these out months and months ago. In a size 10. And I am now a size 4. (Pictured above with a Deer + Doe Plantain Tee.)
BUT, I was determined to make them work. I wasn't sure really WHAT size they should be since the fabric was stretchy but not as stretchy as a knit...and I wanted a trim but not tight fit.
I ended up sewing them together as they were and trying them on. After explaining the look I was going for by showing him some "twill joggers" on Pinterest, my husband said they looked "puffy," so back to the sewing machine I went. I ultimately ended up taking off about an inch from each side seam (tapered to the ankle band as I had already sewn those on and was too lazy to remove them - doh) and a sizable wedge out at the center back - probably about 4" total, tapered down to the crotch. The fit is now perfect. (Pictured above and below with a Grainline Studio Linden Sweatshirt and Lark Tee underneath.)
In addition, I switched out the pockets for patch pockets in the front and added pockets to the back. For the front, I used the pockets from the Cali Faye Collection Pocket Skirt, and for the back, I simply traced some from a pair of linen pants I already own. They were originally an inch lower on my bum, but I ended up moving them up about an inch before sewing on the waistband (also at the advice of my hubby).
I also added a faux fly at the center front. You can tell in some of these photos I botched the placement of my buttonholes for the drawstring. I originally had them centered, but they looked weird since they didn't line up with the faux fly. So, I took the waistband off and lined them up with the holes. Now, it looks even more weird, but I could not be bothered with doing it a third time. Crooked pants for an often crooked person.
I kid, I kid.
I made similar modifications on this doomed pair, except I didn't lengthen these as I wanted them to be slightly cropped. I also did not piece together the front legs. (Pictured above and in the rest of the photos with a Grainline Studio Lark Tee and a cowl I whipped up with a half yard of knit fabric from Joann.)
Can you see how much I love you guys in the photo above? Yeah, it was raining when I took these photos. But I figured if I decided to wait for a sunny day in Portland, we'd all be waiting for several hundred years. So this is what you get.
I let my kids eat their quesadillas at the coffee table while watching shows during this photo shoot (something that never happens as a rule) so I could switch outfits and show you a few different looks. I think these pants are great because they can be dressed up or down or worn capri-length or cropped. They also go with lots of different shoes. I didn't think they would look good with the booties in the first photos, but I really like that for more of a date-night style.
I love my new pants and know they will fill a huge gap in my spring wardrobe. I'm excited to style them in different ways and to NOT have to sew those cuffs again for a loooong time. I forgot that my sewing machine doesn't have a free arm (my loaners from Janome did - but I am no longer a part of their program as I didn't have the bandwidth any more), and my usual method of sewing from the inside-out wasn't so great with that wide, stiff, corrugated elastic. Other than that, these were a quick and satisfying sew.
What do you think? Joggers are nothing new, but I think (hope?!) they are still in style. :)
