what would we call these...?

Pants? Shorts? Harem-knickers? Pantaloons, perhaps?...

I found a pair of--whatever these are--at UO a few months ago and have worn them at least twice a week (example here). For me, the silhouette is so interesting because it isn't snug, which I very much appreciate of late. I'm also a fan of the 'drapey' feel, as it's both modern and reminiscent of my favorite fashion decade--the 1920s. So since I've worn the bejesus out of the other pair already, I decided to copy them in my favorite color, and eventually make a matching jacket (like this one--and oh, look! There's those pants again! :) to go with it so I'll have a suit and separates to wear throughout the fall that can be both dressed up and down. Sounds so simple, right? Almost easy, in fact!

Here's my idealized, simplified, super-clear sketch, ready to be "thrown" together:

Sure--pleats!! Why not? (And I was originally going to make a smaller, boxier jacket but have since changed my mind...)

So then I got more specific with my pattern pieces and measurements:

This really makes me laugh because I spent so. Much. Time. Working all this out and it actually makes sense to me, but come on. It looks a bit chaotic, no? So maybe things are starting to get a bit more complicated...

Did I mention I haven't really worked with silk before? Because I haven't.

Note that these sketches involve silk items with silk linings. Among the many, many things I learned--like even, pretty pleats are real, real hard and are best abandoned entirely and hand-basting is my new best friend-- was that silk likes to move. Merely glancing in its direction causes it to shift slightly to the left. So it was pretty slow-going in places, especially along the waist-band, which basically turned out after I gave up on the pleating effect:

I used iron-on interfacing for both sides of the waistband, which I initially thought I made too small (again--the tricky math business) but which led to the happy-accident of the detail around the zipper...

...which then made the waistband a little too large. Sigh.

Also the eagle-eyed among you will probably notice that the two tops of the waistband don't match up. I have never tried so hard to make anything work more than I did trying to make that work out and I have no idea what happened. I think I'll be able to disguise it with a button or a hook-and-eye-type of closure, but it just kills me. I think I'll just keep blaming the silk. 

And so. The waistband is a little too large. I wish I had made it both thinner--maybe 2" instead of 3" for example. And there's probably a way to add some elastic or smocking in there somehow to snug it up. That will have to be for next time. And I like the paper-bag waist thing anyway...

(outfit details here.)

Anyway--it got made! That is a wonderful fact. And, as always, a tremendous amount was learned for next time. Which will have to be soon because I bought a lot of silk and it is staring a hole through me. But I may have to make something out of a simple straight-forward cotton first. Or better yet--felt!! Or maybe just draw...though I do have a screen-printing idea burning a hole in my brain that might need to get started on...

Right now I've got Edith Piaf serenading me (it feels so personal with her!), as I gather together some orders for shipping. After which I am going to tentatively continue work on another silk project--a gathered-up tunic-type of thing that will go beautifully with the red pants if all turns out. And I will practice not screaming curse words and scaring the kitties. And my husband. And myself. 

Comments

[Ernestine]

Love the drapey-ness...