This was one of those projects where the fabric lead the way. I bought this fabric at The Fabric Store in Brisbane, a couple of weeks ago. I think it is a poly-viscose blend. It has a heavy drape, sort of like crepe. I loved the fabric, but the colour doesn't love me, so I went ahead a purchased it not knowing exactly what I was going to do with it, but knowing it either needed to be combined with another fabric or confined to my lower half. I had a couple of Patrones magazines with me, and settled on some swishy shorts.
The Fabric - poly / viscose blend from The Fabric Store
The pattern: No 31 from Patrones 326. Obviously, I made some changes. I cut them off into shorts. I put an invisible zipper opening in one side, and only made a thin waistband, which I sewed over all the pleats, rather than having an opening at the wide flap (well, at least, I think this is what Patrones intended - I couldn't be sure). I had a bit of trouble with the pleats. On each side, there is a wider pleat sitting over the top of an inverted pleated. I fiddled and fussed with the pattern, and then the muslin, but could not get it to work like the photograph. I wanted the fullness from the pleats to give me the swishy effect, which it did even without looking like the photo, so I just forged ahead without getting it right. I added an in-seam pocket on the side seam that didn't have the zipper. The overall effect is more like a skort than shorts, and skorts seem to be having a moment just now.
When I was half-way through construction, I noticed this page in Vogue Australia's February edition. It looks as though Marni and Bianca Spender have similar pants in their line-up, so if you have been lusting after such a style, it is probably worth getting your hands on this edition of Patrones.
I wan thinking that they would be summer shorts, but they seem to pair better with more autumnal tops. In the above photos, I paired them with an unblogged top from last year - kill 2 birds with one blog post, so to speak. The pattern is the
Sloppy Josephine Tee by Papercut Patterns. It was a bit of a disaster. I made a medium, according to the size chart. It was unwearable. I took in all the seams., which make it more like a small. The neckline is still so low and wide that it is indecent. I need to layer a top underneath, but I don't have one the right colour (it is on the list). It does look like the photo on the front of the pattern, so I should not have been too surprised - I had just seen other blog versions which seemed to fit okay. I made another version of this pattern, using a wide neckband, which I do wear, but the proportions look off. I haven't given up on this pattern yet though - perhaps version 3 will be just right.
7 comments:
Swishy shorts sounds really luxe to me! I think they look really good even if they're not exactly as the pattern intended. Shame about the tee, maybe number 3 will be the charm.
The shorts turned out real cute! The tee is in a lovely colour, pity about the neckline. Good luck with version 3!
They look really cute! How did I miss that Patrones??? :)
I bet the longer version is incredibly elegant!
Funny I've been thinking of long pair in some swishy black crepe in my stash. My pattern is from Burda Style.
These looks stylish and comfortable. They are great. It's weird, I get Patrones magazine locally and the magazines are labelled with two digit numbers. It's currently in the 30s. I wonder if these are a different series to the ones you get numbered in the 300s. I certainly haven't seen these pants in my magazine.
Hello Megan,
I think the ones that are now about the 30s are their "extra" editions and the ones numbered in the 300s are the regulars. My subscription gets me the 300 ones but if I want the others, I need to order them (usually from http://www.sewingpatterns.eu/patronenmerken/patronenmerken-p-t/patrones.html)
Oh, now it makes sense! Yes, mine are the extra editions. Our local newsagent orders them in for me and another sewing friend for $11.50 an issue. I love how stylish the patterns are in these magazines.
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