Open Studio Shop pants pattern review

I've been planning to make these pants for a very long time. 

I was debating between the Shop pants, the Worker Trousers by Modern Sewing Co and the Adams pants. 

I understand that each of the three has some very different features but overall they fit a similar kind of mold to me.  So I picked these because I liked the slightly tighter fit, the front pocket angles and the cool back leg feature.  Comparing the three now, I'm still glad I chose these, and I don't think I would make the others.  Eventually, tired of a queue of pants, I changed all my fabric plans for these and pulled out some iced dyed cotton canvas that I dyed years ago thinking of making a Sienna maker jacket (which I really should still make...)

There are a lot of blogs about the size chart for these.  There are blogs! How exciting!  However it did make sizing feel like a minefield.  I presumed that I'm now working off the new size chart as there were issues which have since been rectified, but I also saw that very precise sewists are still not entirely happy with the final measurements of the pants chart.  So I both committed to the chart, and worried they wouldn't really fit.  I made a size 2 going up to size 4 at the waist, which was kind of a pain as crossing the size lines also affected multiple bits like pockets and darts.  In my previous notes I had put down size 2 as a better fit, and I think, if I reread all the blogs, a size 2 would have gotten me a more fitted final result.  This is what happens when you take too long to actually make something.

Sewing these took a long time because I went on holiday, didn't manage to finish them prior to the holiday and then just didn't think they would work out for me which undermined my post-vacation sewjo.  I thought the ice dye might make them look like clown pants.  Eventually I got irritated with my delays and here they are.  I thought the fly instructions were terrible and I had a lot of nitpicky opinions about abbreviations used in the pattern instructions.  My real complaint is the waist.  I actually took in the pants at the waist, they were so big, and because of that, with heaps of easing HARD, I got the pants into the waistband.  The 4 part waistband was confusing, it was impossible to tell which way was up, luckily the instructions have drawings that help with that, but I possibly mixed up right and left.  I did NOT cut the waistband short so my advice is to cut it extra long!  

Finally done, and they do fit, but they are very loose at the waist. No need to size up to 6 at the waist after all.  I'm a 27 waist and 37 hips.  I think this fits the vibe of the pants as being laid back, chill and relaxed fit.  For some reason I am not very enthused about them.  

 

I wonder if I would fit into them as desired if I sized down completely by one size. The bum is just so baggy and they are roomy everywhere.  The front crotch of the pants is super roomy - good for people who have a tummy as it hides it nicely, so these are great if you want to expand during the day from a good meal.  

 I do think the ice dyeing works on these and doesn't make them look like clown pants, but I'm not sure it's exactly my style (though I adore how the dye came out!)  They just feel sort of silly on me.   

Mile End hoody in both views, by Closet Core patterns

When this came out I wanted it right away but I was in the middle of a winter hoody binge and it really seemed like I should keep using the patterns I already had.  Eye roll.  I should have bought this right away. The papercut patterns undercover hood will always live in my heart but I think I've hacked it to its limit now and need to move on.

This is an amazing pattern.  The back seam wraps around to the front.  The sleeves are in two pieces and have an elbow dart.  The hem is also pieced.  

So add to that story: beautiful rainbow striped terry cloth from Blended Thread, and me post night shift.  

What could possibly go wrong?  ...with pattern matching across 6 pieces on no sleep?  OOPS

I made size 4 and I ran a commentary to my best friend as I tried to pattern match and that kept me awake and in good spirits through the drama.  It was pretty dramatic!  Because as much as you want it all to line up overthinking in my case always wins and everything is always off by 1 mm.  Just that little bit.  And then it all goes to hell with those elbow darts.  BUT at the top of the sleeves my matching is perfect, and it ends up that's the only spot that matters. 

 

I love this. It is a classic oversized, cropped hoody.  It's not super long.  I do however feel the draft up the sides, and in this fabric it's not warm at all.

The blended threads terry cloth is a bit stiff and not very stretchy, making it hard to get the bands on.  There's some white that shows through when it's stretched.  I love some of their designs but I have so far not been impressed with the fabrics and I don't think I would pay the shipping again. 

I obtained white terry cloth fabric from The Fabric Box to make the next one in the other view and ice dye it.  I have determined it's best to make an item and then ice dye it rather than the other way round, however the distressing problem is if the dye job comes out ugly you have wasted some time.  Making the hoody was slow because I was deep in moving, but it was fun as projects go and forced me to get friendly with my coverstitch machine, which is not a bad thing.  The ice dyeing was literally one of the last sunny days I was in Gisborne and was a bit stressful (ie late to work) but I love the result (and the other things I dyed are also amazing.)  In this case as well I had band problems - I absolutely could NOT use self fabric bands the length of the pattern piece.  I had to remove one half sewn on.  I think I added 3-4 cm and that was still barely enough.  So if you are not using rib, considering extra length on the sleeve bands.  The hem doesn't require as much stretching so it's not relevant there. 

 

Sadly I have to say - these are both beautiful, nicely made, based on good inspiration, I have no complaints...and I can't really find any place to wear them.  They are roomy so they aren't warm.  They are quite short so anything under them hangs out and looks sloppy - and I'm short.  The sleeves are really spacious.  The hood on the hoody version is gratuitous, it's the kind of hood you never wear up. 

I have been inspired by the many hacks on Insta - it's definitely roomy enough you can make it in a woven then just add stretchy bands.  It's tempting to try something like that.  Also I get now that the front tie pulls it in, and though I didn't like the look of that in the pictures, it's possible I would love it in real life and that it would make the hoody feel more cozy. 

So now that I have made both of them (sorry my new photo spot is not getting me very crisp pictures and my hair really needs more attention...) I think I'm done with this pattern for now while I mull over whether I have any use for it.  Unlike a lot of my projects I love both of these and I'm keeping them despite not knowing how I'll wear them.

i am Cassiopee dress + some ice dye

 I've really wanted to make a second Cassiopee (first is here) and maybe cut down the sleeves.  In silk.  I bought some lovely flowered silk.  Not enough.  Drat!!  This dress is so wide, I think optimally a super light fabric will be amazing but I have to quit my habit of buying 1.5m of everything.  It's easy to think a simple dress doesn't take up much fabric, but these huge raglan sleeves consume, and any gathered skirt always needs more than you think.  It would be possible to narrow this pattern by taking out some of the side seams of the skirt and sleeves, but it would be quite a major change to the pattern pieces.

Cue my new ice dye obsession.  White jacquard cotton from The Fabric Box (along with so much other white fabric!  White is not safe!  Ice dye it all!) Colours are fuscia-navy-cobalt which according to the Procion colour chart should create a mixed dark purple.  I purposely added different amounts of the dye to different parts of the dress by cutting out all the pieces, overlocking all the edges, then dyeing them, and then sewing it!  (triple the work!!  Plus I am not sure you can even tell!)

 

So of course this is not really a lighter fabric than my first attempt, but at least it has pockets (did you need to ask? Bardon pockets.)  When I made the first dress, my love for Orla Kiely was outweighed by my annoyance at oversized things and I gave it to a friend who wore it as a tunic over leggings.  Now I'm looking at it and it seems all the great oversized fashion of NOW, so I was just ahead of the trend.  I don't know how this particular version of the dress will go but I'll give it a chance in my wardrobe, might try layering it over a silk slip or something. I also might chop down the sleeves at some point.

Still want to make a short sleeved one in silk.  I think that's really where this pattern would shine! 

Elizabeth Suzann Clyde pants 3

 I've made these a few times already.  Here for the first pair.  I didn't even like them that much.  I am not very happy with the pooling of fabric in the front of the crotch.  On the second pair I attempted a cheater fix by angling the front waistband and removing a triangle right below the foldover line, and also shortened the "waist zone" for the elastic to accommodate a smaller elastic.  I'm now kind of surprised to discover I apparently never blogged that second pair which were in a slightly stretchy brown wool suiting (so rare, I really blog almost everything!).  I wore them a few times and liked them ok but felt they would be better off with a friend so I sent them away.  

Now, I had this piece of canvas to ice dye and I wanted some pants and this pattern with its skinny little pieces fit on my fabric...so despite not liking the fit particularly, I committed.

This is again the modified version of the pattern where I angled down the front.  I noted on the previous pair that it's a partial fix, since really I would change the crotch curve to get rid of the extra fabric. The steep angle I've created is a bit tricky while folding the waistband over and for this pair, I used 1" elastic because that was the best fit for my channel.  

 

I ice dyed this fabric first then I cut it. 

I wasn't very happy with that first dye run - not enough dye!  Funny colour pooling.  I basically had cut exactly the right size fabric piece for the pants, because another project in a different set of dye colours is happening later.  So I was constrained as to where the pieces went.  After making the pants, I put them under another lot of the same colour dye which is warm black. Much better after that.  

 

They look a bit like clown pants when they are sitting around, but the fit is as expected.  It has rather reminded me that I am actually NOT very happy with this fit.  I might get around to making more Free Range Slacks this summer, and will almost certainly make more Pomona pants, but not any time soon.  If summer lasts long enough I would like to try the Bisque trousers but I'm moving to a colder clime (soon!) so it will be interesting to see what inspires me after the move.