Otherwise known as, “just because I have to be different.”
Although Syo has thoroughly enjoyed her Jalie 3022 shorts, she has no interest in flared yoga-pants, fleece or otherwise. She is a child of the skinny jean era. So I wasn’t planning on making her a pair. But, she has been asking for a pair of old-fashioned sweatpants, to wear to her hip hop dance class, where several moves seem to require tugging on sweatpants.
So instead, I pulled out Simplicity 3714, which sweater I had previously made. This time, I was going for the pants. Although I maintain that the half-bunnyhug is one of the cutest things my children have ever refused to wear. Now, it’s not entirely clear from the photo, but this, too, is a flared pattern. Not as obviously as the yoga pants, of course, but really, wtf was I thinking? Don’t answer that. I was thinking “I’m going to gather the ankle anyway, what does it matter?” and “I can just trim a bit off below the knee. It’ll be fine.”
And they are, I guess.
The fabric is a purple fleece I found at Value Village sometime last winter. Actually, it’s one of two pieces I found of the same fleece, on two separate occasions. Syo immediately laid claim to both, and the larger one is still serving as a blanket on her bed.
I cut the size 8 (which the pattern was conveniently already cut out to, saving me the effort of tracing), and added a bit of length (not that Syo is particularly long-legged), and for my peace of mind added a bit of height to the CB and shaved a bit off at the CF. And I made them up. Not a lot of thought, artifice, or anything. As a stunt, I topstitched both the inseam and outseam, which was really more effort than pants like this deserve.
The most complicated thing I did was interface the waistband with a knit interfacing, mostly as a support for grommets for a waistband drawstring. Speaking of which, I need to get a real drawstring, not just some flattened out bias tape. I wonder if I can find purple twill tape?
They seem to fit the bill, anyway although she pretty much never wears them except to dance class, and I suspect will never wear them for anything else once she’s done.
Next, though, she wants fleece leggings.
Ulp.
I love her poses in your latest creation! I’m intrigued by the sound of this hip hop dance class, sounds like fun!
If you get some purple bias tape and fold it in half and edgestitch it (so that there are no raw edges on the outside) it will last a lot longer than just flattened bias tape.
This is true. I was going to do that, but the stuff I had on hand was too narrow.
I routinely make drawstrings using a bias tape maker, though I cut the fabric on the straight grain.
I always admire your willingness to invest the time required to sew something that may never get worn! I know what you mean about the hiphop dance moves that mysteriously require sweatpants to tug on, though, so there’s that at least…
Ok, I absolutely love those photos. How old is she now? Nine?
Yup. 10 in June. How’s that for a headtrip?
Felicity is 10 in May! AAAH!!! And they aren’t suppose to be… developing yet. *sobs*
That has got to be one of the best opening photos ever. Your kids have some attitude, of the good kind, love it!
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She may wear them outside of dance class when she remembers they are purple!? Anything your kids wear is cute though ….