Eleonore, je t'adore!

Lets start by stating the obvious: I love Jalie patterns!  27 sizes in each pattern, great directions, clever construction, and modern wearable designs.  My latest Jalie creation is the Eleonore pull on jeans (#3461)

Jalie 3461

I started by tracing a size Z and then compared the pattern pieces of the Eleonore jeans to my beloved Jalie 2908 which I have made several times.  I needed to add quite a bit to the hip area of the Eleonore since the widest part of my hip is lower than the pattern's.  I also shortened the leg at the knee since I am 5'-2" tall.  I then added length back to the bottom of leg to be sure they would be plenty long.

I made a muslin out of some low stretch cheap knit and one thing was clear right away...I needed to raise the back up quite a bit, the yoke was barely covering my butt!  (I skipped the waistband on the muslin).  I lengthened the back crotch length up 1.5" at the center back tapering to nothing at the side seams.  I then made the yoke more curved so that it would come in where I curve in. 

My fabric was a thin stretch denim with 3% lycra.  I used it previously on this dress, and had plenty leftover.

And now...photos!

Front view (complete with odd facial expressions):

I have only done a temporary hem at this point so that I can decide exactly how long I want them and allow for any future shrinkage before committing to a length.

Side view:  You can see that is a good place for the back waistband to sit.  (Everything is covered!!)

I do need a little more room across the front of the thigh.  You can see diagonal wrinkles pointing to the front of my (athletic) thigh.  

Based on the excellent review by Manju of the Eleonore jeans, I compared the pocket size of the Eleonore pattern to my Jalie 2908 jeans...and the pockets of the 2908 were larger so I used those.  Since I made adjustments to the back, I needed to check the location of the back pockets.  For the first time ever, I entirely basted the jeans together so that I could try them on before determining the best location for the pockets.  Smart move:

Based on Manju's advice, I also tightened up the elastic on the back waistband.  The instructions tell you to cut the elastic the exact length of the waistband.  I cut it 1" shorter and stretched it to fit.  That was another wise move, although I could have made the elastic even shorter.

 

I am very please with how these turned out, and I anticipate making more in the future.

I would like to thank everyone for the kind words, comments, & messages of sympathy about the loss of my dad.  I truly appreciate it.  

At long last: the HP Marrakesh Drawstring Pants

This pattern is quite possibly the oldest unmade one in my stash.  Seriously, I ordered it on March 6th, 2011.  That is 3.5 years spent unmade.  Sigh.  It was also my first indie pattern purchase.  

 

While still living in India, I purchased some gorgeous white linen in order to make these pants.  I ultimately decided against making them because the water (undrinkable and non-chlorinated) would turn your whites gray.  Our white bath towels became very dingy and I didn't want the same thing to happen to my white linen.  And so the pattern lingered and lingered...until now.

 

I used a gray stretch suede-like mystery fabric.  It does not press well so I imagine there is a high polyester content.  In any case they are smooth on the inside and fuzzy on the outside.  

I made a size 16 and then took in the waist over an inch at the center back seam.  They are also drafted to be very long...~34" inseam.  I hemmed mine at 28"!


I added 1" to the CB seam to accommodate my pear shape.  I think the crotch curve should be lowered a little bit, it is a little too high for trousers.

The construction was not without drama.  I made 2 goofs on the waistband.


#1: I cut the front waistband too short:

 

 

#2: I put the buttonhole on the right front waistband vertically thinking it was for the drawstring...nope, it's for a button.  And I didn't make the vertical buttonhole for the drawstring at all.

A little cutting and piecing later, it was fixed:

I did the same thing to the right front waistband: cut off the vertical buttonhole, added a new piece (I lined the seam up with the fly topstitching), added the vertical drawstring buttonhole where it needed to be and made a horizontal buttonhole at the center front.


The drawstring is a elastic/fabric combination.  The elastic is hidden in the waistband, and the fabric ties come out the front.  The fabric ends are too wide and too short, which makes them both bulky and difficult to tie.  I plan on sewing the elastic in permanently and chopping off the fabric ties.  I don't need a big lump on my stomach from bulky drawstrings. 

Other changes I made were to topstitch the side seams from waist to hem to help the seams lay flatter.  My fabric was rather springy and didn't press well.  I also skipped top-stitching the pockets down.  I thought this would look too casual and wanted to keep my elastic waist pants as classy as possible ;)


The legs were very wide which made me look very wide and like I was swimming in fabric.  I tapered the legs in 1" on both the out-seam and inseam from the knee down.  The legs are still plenty wide but much more flattering this way.


This has turned out to be a comfortable and nice looking pair of pants.  I approve.