Do you like sewing pants? I’m not the biggest fan. It’s not even the pants, it’s the hemming – ugh I hate hemming pants. I can never get it polished enough like a real tailor would. Since I’m picky when it comes to sewing details this is one thing that stops me from sewing pants. But guess what?! I sewed up some pants! Haha
I’ve been on the hunt for a good pair of pants that I can wear to work all the time. My requirements include but are not limited to – stylish, comfortable and a comfortable waistband as to not irritate my stomach incisions. I would love more functional pockets so I don’t have to think about where to put my phone when I’m walking around. I also would love to find a great pair of pants that can fit into or over my Chelsea Boots – this is an ongoing life struggle. 😉
I tried the Sew Over It Ultimate Trousers but the fit wasn’t quite right although I do love the look of them when they are not on me or when they are on me and I am not moving. Lol. They have no pockets though, which I thought I would be okay with but let’s be honest… I need pockets. I avoid carrying a purse if I can and I’m a fast walker so pockets are key for keeping me on the go.
In comes the Eleonore Pattern by Jalie Patterns – a pair of easy to wear pull-on jeans for everyday or in my case the office. My dear friend, Helen of Valentine & Stitch happen to write a blog post about these pants at the same time I was on the lookout for a comfortable, functional and stylish pair of work pants. Serendipitous? I think so! Plus don’t they look great styled with my Valentine and Stitch Dune top?
Here’s the rundown of my Eleonore sewing adventure:
The Process:
I will not lie I was a bit overwhelmed by all the sizes available. It was a little hard to see where my size was but little did I know I could print this pattern by size. When printing, I was in a bit of a rush so paying attention to those details went out the window! Once I cut out Size “S” I followed their instructions on how to make your Eleonore pants into skinny jeans.
I was very concerned about this as I thought this opened up the opportunity to ruin a pair of pants. Even so, I decided to take them in about ½ inch on each side. I wasn’t sure if that was enough but I rather too much room than having to squeeze my calves through a tiny hole.
I chose a black ponte roma fabric from Stylish Fabrics. Except for struggling to tell what the wrong side and right side are the sewing of these pants was pretty uneventful. I read the instructions through before I even began and re-read them several times during the process. At first glance, it seems like there will be a ton of steps but really it’s just that they have the instructions in English on the left side of the page and in French on the right side. What a relief! Furthermore, I love how they match each step with a figure number making it extremely clear. No room for ambiguity which is perfect in sewing!
The Fit:
So what’s the verdict – did they hit my criteria? Yes! Surprisingly I made a pair of pants that I love! Stylish, comfortable, they don’t bother my stomach incisions, they have sizable back pockets that fit my phone and they fit over my Chelsea boots. Woohoo! I wish you could see the details a bit better but this black color is so rich that it’s too hard to tell. They turned out well nonetheless. 🙂
The verdict on the hem:
Last but not least, the hem looks great. They don’t give away that they are handmade which means I will be wearing them again and again. I gotta say these are the pants of my life! 🙂
Happy sewing! 🙂