If you feel like you’ve seen these pants before, you have and you haven’t. These are the replacements for the previous natural pair that sadly shrank in the wash.* I’d been sorely missing having them to lean on all spring, and am thrilled to have a version back in my closet! They are both better and worse than the originals, in various ways. There’s no match for the incredible Huston Textile Union Cloth the originals were made of: Woven in California on a smaller loom, that cloth is chunkier and airier at the same time, and the fiber was CA-grown, climate-beneficial wool and organic cotton. Exquisite stuff. The ones above, on the other hand, are in some generic undyed canvas I bought at Elizabeth Suzann’s garage sale last summer for $2/pound (meaning these pants cost me about a buck), and it wears and hangs completely differently than the Huston cloth did. I feel great about the fact they’re 100% cotton remnant fabric, and even better about how genuinely not precious these are. I had said that I was not going to treat the originals as precious, and I’m saying the same about this pair, but it’s easier to feel that way when the fabric is, in fact, not precious! What I love about these pants in natural canvas is they’re like stylish painter’s pants, so that’s how I’ll be treating them.
I’ve gotten a lot of questions about how I modified and sewed my waistbands on all of these “toddler pants” of mine, since I don’t use the Robbie waistband (or pockets). So I’ll do a write-up on my waistband method for The Details. After which, I’ll show you this sweater, as soon as I can get it written up! Details on the ikat tank are here.
By the way, happy #memademay! Are you participating in any way? I’m at a point where every month is me-made month, in a sense, so I’ll probably be pretty loose about how I chime in. Definitely, absolutely not taking 30 selfies. ;)
• Pattern: Robbie Pant by Tessuti (reuse No. 5)
• Modifications: self-drafted pockets, assorted tweaks, modified 2″ waistband
• Fabric: remnant/unknown, 100% cotton natural/undyed canvas
*The fabric had been washed in hot water before it was given to me; I did not re-prewash, and I paid the price. And yes, I washed the finished pants on cool/delicates and air dried, despite their prewash. They shrank anyway — these things happen sometimes! The world carries on.
Are you REALLY not going to show us the top of that sweater tank on?! ;) Pants look amazing!
I will!
Great outfit, Karen. The layers are so versatile.
Thank you! I’m pretty fond of it.
Cute outfit! Can’t wait to see the post on the sweater vest.
Soon!
Lovely silhouette and elegant but un-fussy fabric choice.
What a great, fun outfit! Love the pants. The Elizabeth Suzann designs – be still my heart, how I love simple styles!
Love this, but really want to see that ikat print top underneath the sweater.
https://fringeassociation.com/2016/08/31/3-lakesides-2-fens-1-new-wardrobe-2016-fos-no-14-18/
Yep, that’s the one — thanks, Mimi.
They look great. Love the off-white. So …. Hipster Toddler Pants? ;-)
That’s the whole group of them. ;)
The funny thing is that the hipster toddlers of my acquaintance are all wearing harem pants and skinny-ankle joggers these days!
Okay, my reply to this went down a comment. Oh well. It’s the skinny-ankle joggers messing with me.
Lovely layering! I am making a hat out of ikat yarn-one could match your top:)
https://www.ravelry.com/yarns/library/swans-island-ikat-collection-firefly
Interesting! I haven’t seen that.
Let me just chime in here about those skinny-ankle joggers – they don’t look good on most people. There. I said it. Someone had to.
Have you made any of Sonya Phillips’ “100 Acts of Sewing” Pants #1? So easy and quick. (I’ve started to narrow the pant leg a bit – have now made five different pair!) I’ve also been experimenting with some of Tessuti’s pants patterns. I haven’t used the one you wear in this post, but I recently finished a muslin for their “Tamiko” pant, which I think you would like. Set-in pockets and interesting leg details. Fit really well for the first attempt – unheard of for me. However, they are a bit to wide in the leg for my taste so I’m noodling about how to narrow the leg a bit and not destroy the design intent. I also made their “Laura” pant – longer and slightly narrower pant leg with a simple notched detail at the pant leg hem. Based on what I’ve seen of your design preferences, I think that one would work for you as well.
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Your knitted top looks like the SS15 Shibui Knits pattern Square, but with a different gauge. Reminds me of something else too, but can’t put my finger on it right now. Anyway, the whole outfit is great. Love the cream pants.
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The Huston fabric is back in stock at Stonemountain and now I think I will order some!
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