Anna Allen Persephone Pants in Hermes Velvet

So apparently I don't learn from my errors.  Or possibly I just think that following pattern instructions and fabric weight recommendations...is optional.  Because version 1 of these amazing pants was made from a lightweight linen-silk blend that suffered from just not being heavyweight enough.

Thus for take 2, I naturally pulled this fantastic Hermes cotton velvet out of my stash. It's a one meter long and rather wide piece that I bought in Copenhagen and it is just so beautiful that I want to make everything out of it.  Naturally again...it's not heavyweight.  It um has great drape.

For this version I made size 4 again.  I removed the pockets.  They sit right on my hip bones and I can't get anything into them easily.  When something is in them, it hurts my hipbones.  So - no pockets.

Then by comparing closely to the first version, I removed 1 inch from the upper part of the waist.  I did this because I saw that the entire butt and crotch area fit me well, but I had excess fabric bunching at the waistband - the upper part of the rise was too long.  So I couldn't use the lengthen/shorten lines, since they are in the crotch and I didn't want to change that part of the fit.

I made parallel lines up high and used those.  I would lengthen the dart just a little next time as my modification led to a really short, fat dart.  I had to shorten all elements of the fly as well, and then make my own button placement.

I sewed these in one day.  It was amazing.  Except for the buttonholes.  I had small vintage buttons from etsy and no hammer, so I didn't test the buttons ahead of time.  And it ends up the crappy Singer I'm borrowing WILL make buttonholes but it does not align them correctly.  I had to do about 25 practice buttons before I could correct for the weird alignment.  That was when I realised that these buttons are some kind of vintage that look like they have to be soldered together. Etsy fail.  And since I had made 4 13mm buttonholes I was stuck with an irregular size.  I ordered So Many online buttons and nothing fit.  After a MONTH, I finally gave up and bought normal buttons at JoAnns.

And then once I finished the pants...the buttonholer Would Not make the buttonhole for the main button because of the many layers of fabric now present.  It's really frustrating to finish a pair of pants and feel like you are Just About to wear them but are stymied by a few small steps.  I seriously considered hand sewing the main buttonhole, but then I read a bunch of posts on how to hand sew buttonholes and decided I couldn't learn that before my frustration overflowed. So in preparation for a 3-day Thanksgiving sewing binge, I took these plus some big puppy eyes to someone I knew, who after much begging, grumpily sewed me one buttonhole on a Bernina.  I was never that excited by Berninas before but now I wish I had one.  It used a buttonhole foot rather than the long buttonhole thing, and because of this you have great control over the entire hole.

And my Persephone pants are done! And they are amazing!  And it looks like I need to size down for my next pair!  Which I will make in the correct weight of fabric, I promise! 

Persephone pants by Anna Allen patterns

I hopped on this bandwagon right after I discovered the pattern via Sophie (@adaspragg) on Instagram.  I had no idea if I would find it totally too crazy or really fun.  I also explored the phenomenon that is Kamm pants because I was out of that loop too.

I made a size 4, which fit my measurements exactly: 27-37.  I have seen since then that many people are sizing down to truly get the snug hip fit, and I could do that, but I do also really like how comfortable they are as is.  I don't have much room in the hips, but the high waist and loose fit below the butt mean there is so much space to move and bend - really the sad bit is just that they are a little too long to bicycle in (I tried.  Snapped threads.  No holes, luckily.)

The fabric is a somewhat lightweight, but stiff linen blend with a bunch of lurex in it, creating delightful iridescence when I move.  It is probably too light for this pattern and does leave me with terrible panty lines.  I have worn the pants a bunch and found them so comfortable that I will probably make another pair and choose a heavier fabric the second time around.  The problem with using a fabric that feels, in my head, like wild crazy rainbow iridescence is that these feel to me a bit like disco pants.  I don't think they are quite so out there, style-wise, as I feel they are.  But I feel like I'm really pushing the edge of fashion when I wear them, which makes me think my next pair need to be really toned down.  

Um, except that I have one meter of Hermes green cotton velvet.  It's a wide meter.  The pieces fit...so...I might have to do that next.

The instructions are impeccable.  The button fly creates a beautiful amazing clean finish with none of the ragged uncertainty that arises at the bottom of a zip fly.  (or is that just me?)  I LOVE the button fly.  I followed every bit of the instructions including the totally ridiculous belt loops because wtf belt loops?  I hate belts.

After washing:

It took one sewing day, meaning a full day with coffee breaks.  They fit perfectly, as I said.  Except.  They are too high.  I mean, they are in close relationship with my ribs.  After wearing them, the fabric has accordioned down the top about 2 inches to try to all sit at my waist.  (Yes I know I could iron them but I'm never going to.)  I find the pockets are flat against my hips which makes them functionally pretty useless.  I don't really want pocket contents bruising my hipbones.  So on the next (velvet!) version I plan to take 1" out of the top part of the waist and not put in the pockets.  Or belt loops.  I thought of using the crotch lengthen shorten line but I want to take away the height nearer the waist - I'm still thinking this through, so we shall see what happens!