Pattern Description: From StyleArc’s Website: Great pull-on palazzo pant – good for all occasions. Wear it with sea-side sue top adding a great necklace and a pair of heals[sic] – you are ready for your dinner date! Or add a t-shirt and some flats and you will be looking good to walk the streets of Paris.
Speaking of Paris, when I was there last week. I LIVED in a pair of Reebok yoga pants that are cut very similarly to these. I also had a dressier pair of pants for dinners, and a dress (which I never wore, alas – my feet rebelled at the idea of heels after walking the Parisian avenues all day). Anyway, I lived in those pants, so I decided to make another pair when I got home. This pattern has been in my stash since StyleArc started up. It was one of my very first purchases from them. So I pulled it out, and got going!
Sizing: 4-30. I made a 10, and I think I could go down to an 8 with no ill effects.
Fabric Used: Swiss 4-Way Stretch (knit) fabric in Black from Gorgeous Fabrics (of course)
Machine(s) Used: Juki Industrial Serger, Janome home serger, (both for the seams) Pfaff 2130 (for the hems and waistline)
Needle/Notions Used: Stretch 70/11, clear elastic and 3/8 inch black elastic. Thread.
Tips Used during Construction: Anything by the Pressinatrix, Check the Grain on Knits, Tips and Tricks for Sewing with Knits
Did it look like the photo or drawing when you got through? Yes
How were the instructions? Pretty non-existent. This was one of the early patterns from StyleArc, and they don’t have a lot of directions. I’m not sure if Chloe et al have updated them since I bought it, but to be honest, if you have any sewing experience, you really don’t need directions. There are only two pattern pieces. You sew the front and back of the legs together, join them at the crotch, apply the elastic to the waistline and hem. Ta daaa! A great pair of comfortable pants in less than 2 hours from cutting to wearing.
It helps that they are beautifully drafted.
Construction Notes: I added clear elastic to the crotch seam (more on that in a tip later). Other than that, I just serged the seams and zigzagged the waistline to secure the elastic and used a narrow zigzag on the hems.
One thing to note is that these pants run long. I’m average height (5’6″) and these are pretty long on me.
Likes/Dislikes: Easy, peasy, super-comfy something that rhymes with peasy….
Would you do it again? Would you recommend it? Yes and yes!
Conclusion: Another fabulous pattern from the StyleArc folks! Here’s a really boring picture on Shelley:
I’ll try to get a picture on me this weekend.
Happy sewing!
