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
Today I'm sharing one of my recent favourites: the Opal trousers by Megan Nielsen.
I really love this pattern! I'm very happy with the end result. The trousers are loose-fitting and feature an elastic waist so they're extremely comfortable. There are also options for 2 short lengths as well as trousers, patch or side seam pockets and a regular elastic waistband as well as the paper bag one I made.
I made a straight size 10 but I cut the tall leg length as I've been burned with Megan Nielsen's regular inseams in the past. I ended up taking some back off again but I can't remember if it was 1 or 2 inches. For the record, I'm not tall, I'm 5'6" but for some reason, MN's trousers have ended up too short for me in the past.
Construction was really simple and quick and the instructions were great. One thing to note is that they call for 32mm or 25mm elastic. I only had 25mm so that's what I went with but that was *very* snug in the channel. I can't imagine how 32mm elastic would've fit nicely in there... It may be a different story if you make the regular waistband but I certainly wouldn't go any wider with the elastic if I made the paper bag version again.
The fabric was a joy to sew with and it's lovely to wear as well. It's a viscose linen blend I got in Canterbury last summer when I visited with my friend Mel. I got it with this pattern in mind and it's a pretty perfect pairing. I really love that colour as well. Such a great basic staple. I know I'm going to get loads of wear out of this one.
I must admit that until I added the belt I wasn't totally sold on the trousers. Even with a regular belt, I thought it looked odd on me. But once I made the fabric belt I absolutely fell in love with it! I have already worn it quite a bit and it's only been finished for a couple of weeks. It looks really smart but it's so very comfy! I live for secret pyjamas. This one is a total winner!