After three months of silence, the dulcet tones of the sewing machine once again rattle through my home of an evening. Accompanied by clouds of iron steam and the occasional naughty word. But the outcome is these rather natty striped linen trousers. I deliberately forced myself to go slowly with this project and focus on doing just a few steps at a time. Normally as I get to the end of a project I get sloppy, particularly with dull things like hemming and finishing (I want to get on to the wearing dammit!), so as soon as I felt myself trying to rush I forced myself to step away and collapse on the sofa for a Parks and Recreation binge. Leslie Knope is my spirit animal.
This pattern is the Tessuti Laura Pants, which I bought from their Melbourne store along with the striped linen fabric. The fit on the hips and legs is perfect for me, the right balance of relaxed and slim cut. The only oddity of it all is the waist, which is cut really high and elasticated and feels a little, well, geriatric for my taste. I love an elastic waist on trousers, because I’m lazy and addicted to cake, but I think all those gathers look more stylish sitting on the hips. But I wear my skinny trousers with loose slouchy shirts anyway, so unfortunate waistband situations are easily covered. What I love about this pattern is the little split in the hem on the outer leg.
It’s such a nice, elegant detail, and I found very easy to do (although definitely one of those times when going slow and careful was required).
For my next pair (I want to make a winter pair in a more sturdy wool) there are two big changes I would make. First I want to change the waistband situation, possibly by combining the legs from Laura with the waist and hips of Margot, from Tilly’s book Love at First Stitch. Second I want to do the internal finishing differently, finishing all the raw edges with the overlocker before sewing. The pattern calls for overlocking as you go along, and I found this a terrible faff.
I think I’ll also pick a fabric that doesn’t crease up to nothing as soon as you look at it!
Pattern notes – (I’m trying to keep more detailed notes on each pattern I make – let’s see how long this lasts!)
Pattern: Tessuti Laura Pants
Size: S (UK 12)
Adjustments: none
Fabric: striped lightweight linen bought from Tessuti, Melbourne
Also can we take a moment to talk about these shoes? Sexy white leather and gun mental beauties that they are. They’re from an Australian brand called Senso, and I first spotted them in a gorgeous boutique in Napier, New Zealand. Stupidly I didn’t buy them because I was trying to be a sensible traveller and not weigh my luggage down with too much stuff. But they kept on haunting me, and I spent a lot of time trying to track down other boutiques that stocked the same brand. Finally, on return home I lucked out and found an online boutique in the UK that had them in my size, in the sale. They were delivered to my office on my second day back, when the jet lag had kicked in and I really needed a pick me up. Oh my beauties, I love you so much.
In other news, our home currently reeks of paint fumes as a very diligent young man paints our horrible wooden window frames. I can’t tell you how much I hate wooden windows. The green and pleasant environs of Surrey are calling to us, so we’re cracking on with operation sell up and leave London. All this home improvement and future planning makes for a nice distraction now that we’re back home and are pining for life on the road. I had a massive crash last week and started trying to work out whether I could move to Australia for a year. Everything from the cafes and the coffee to the outdoor lifestyle agrees with me. Plus there are beaches and surfing and no the insane work ethic. Oh, and ECHIDNAS.
So I’m eating my grief in the form of home made banana bread, and charging headlong into new sewing projects. I’m also starting to get excited about Me Made May next month, and have signed myself up for a summer pattern making class at Central St Martins. Oh, and Blogtacular in June – who else is going? I haven’t been to any blogging events in about 18 months – since I finally threw in the fashion blogging towel – and I can’t wait to hang out with other creative bloggers again!