I've been wanting to move my blog away from Blogspot for a while but could never be bothered to actually do it. This week was the tipping point though, and I've now fully migrated over to https://patsypoomakes.wordpress.com/ . The blogspot address will remain here but all new posts will only appear at https://patsypoomakes.wordpress.com/ . There are lots of reasons for the move but my biggest one is how hard Blogger has made it for people to subscribe to receive new posts via email. It's such a basic requirement but apparently, they think it's too much to offer. I'm basing this purely on how I myself prefer to consume this stuff. I can't be arsed with feed readers anymore and emails are easy and convenient. When I receive one, if I fancy reading it, I will click through to it and, if not, I'll just delete it. Another reason is the spat between Google (owners of Blogger) and Instagram/Facebook/Meta. I don't even know if this is still the case anymore
A couple of months ago I decided I was missing some basic, plain trousers in my wardrobe. I wanted something versatile that I could dress up or down, depending on the occasion. A little bit like jeans but not as involved. So when I came across the True Bias Lander Pants, they looked like the perfect pattern to help me fill that gap.
You may remember I made a pair of Lander shorts in the summer to check the sizing and it was a success. Now all I needed was to find a suitable fabric.
You may remember I made a pair of Lander shorts in the summer to check the sizing and it was a success. Now all I needed was to find a suitable fabric.
I took a trip to Fabworks to look for some plain bottom weight fabrics and found this pale pink twill that looked just like what I had in mind. And here is the result:
This was a joy to make. The fabric is on the heavy side but my machine didn't mind it. I did hammer down bulky seams and belt loops to make life easier for us both. It was great to sew, behaved when pressed and even though it's a light colour, it's not too transparent.
I chose to topstitch with the all-purpose thread I was using because I wanted a streamlined look to these trousers and I'm very happy with the final look. Because of not having to faff around with contrast topstitching and also since this was my 2nd time at this particular rodeo, the whole thing came together in about 7 hours. For me, that's very quick.
The buttons are jeans buttons I bought from Fabricate. I thought I should get some heavy duty ones for this fabric or they might just pop off.
The buttons are jeans buttons I bought from Fabricate. I thought I should get some heavy duty ones for this fabric or they might just pop off.
The fit is just as good as with my first attempt. However, next time I will curve the waistband to see if I can get a better fit at the centre back. There is a little bit of gaping going on there but you will just have to believe me because I forgot to get pictures of it. I think I will try smaller pockets on the back next time as well.
When I tried it on to check the fit around the hips, an outfit idea took hold: a cropped top out of the remnants of my latest M7533 would be a match made in sewing heaven for these trousers! So I went for it. I chose B6175 which I made before here.
This time I made a size 10 and skipped out on the sleeves. I didn't take any extra length off the bottom either. I like that it hits just below the waistband. I can still wear it with other bottoms that aren't quite as highwaisted as the Landers without showing any of my stomach. The top has an all-in-one facing (I *LOVE* them!) and a simple button and loop closure on the back. It's a very good stash busting project. I used less than a metre for this one.
This outfit turned out exactly like the image that popped into my head while I was trying on the trousers. You can't beat that feeling. It's so great when that happens and I feel a little smug that it's something I can make happen every now and then...
I think it's also worth noting that this outfit passed the ultimate comfort test: this is what I wore on the way home from Boston this summer and it was very comfortable. There was nothing digging, shifting, sliding or squeezing. The trousers did get a little creased but who doesn't look crumpled when they're stuck on an aeroplane for 7 hours?
This is not yet the end of my love affair with the Lander Pants though. Now I need some dark Landers for winter.
Pattern: Lander Pants by True Bias
Version: trousers
Size: 6
Changes: none
Fabric: cotton and elastane twill
Pattern: Butterick B6175
Version: A
Size: 10
Changes: none
Fabric: cotton lawn