New Lounge Pants
When it was first released I saw so many great versions of the Made for Mermaids Winnie pants. They looked fantastic and I finally broke down and bought the pattern when they had a sale over Black Friday.
My go to for pants on the first make is to make a pair of shorts from the pattern. Shorts use less fabric and the fit portion I am most interested in is the crotch and rise. Leg stuff I can figure out by taking away fabric or adding a gusset.
If the shorts fit well my theory (which I have used at least twice and has not led me astray yet) is that the pants will also fit well. I do not make super short shorts so this will work I believe.
The pattern is written for knits. I especially love the pintuck down the front of each pant leg.
My first pair used up some scraps of light sweatshirt fleece. These fit quite well and I plan on using them for sleep shorts. I am not trying to impress anyone with my sleeping attire so having 2 different colors is not an issue.
Since I knew they fit well my next pair was made out of tie dyed french terry. I also got to make grommets in the front of the pants - love to hammer out my frustration while sewing.
The pattern calls for a drawstring made from the material used for the pants. I hate turning fabric tubes (almost as much as inserting neckbands). I have tried all the tricks but I just do not enjoy that little sewing business. For this pair I thought a length of twill tape would work just fine. But….I do not like how the ends of twill tape (or any drawstring) fray and look sloppy. Also I do not enjoy restringing drawstrings when they get pulled too much and get lost in the middle of the waistband.
A few minutes of searching lead me to paracord cord stoppers. I bought a bag of 25 (why in heavens name would you not put an even number of these little beauties in a lot is beyond me). Where have these things been all my sewing life? They work like a charm.
I am so pleased with how these pants turned out. They fit like a dream. The length is perfect for me (I am a fun sized petite lady). I have been wearing them the last few days and they are some of the most comfy pants I own. They are like a fancy upgrade from sweatpants.
The pockets took me a minute or two to figure out but they are also another great feature. Being able to add pockets to your own clothes is like a sewing superpower. I am already cutting and planning my next pair.
