I was almost going to title this blogpost “Dressing up for me” following my more recent blog posts as I continue to discover clothing and choices that make sense to me. The discovery and therefore the decisions revolving around sewing and dressing up has been interesting, liberating, exciting and reassuring. One of the things I realized during Me Made May was that while it is wonderful to be inspired by book or movie characters or even celebrities and influencers, I think the truest most rewarding form of inspiration comes from within. There’s an infinite amount of inspiration out there and it is easy to be all over the place, get distracted by the shiniest newest thing on the block but pausing, reflecting and reevaluating what really works for me, what I want to say through the clothes I make and wear, which path I want to take in terms of my sewing and blogging journey has been revelatory. Zeroing down on that was probably the hardest part and involved a lot of digging into the past whether it was rethinking what dictated and influenced my style choices or figuring out what factors will determine those choices going forward. Despite my rather convoluted analysis of my wardrobe history, I think I have arrived at a simple maybe even straightforward path going forward.

For the past several weeks, I have slowly been figuring out what I have and what I need in my closet and now I am looking forward to sewing and sharing some of those projects here. I really only have one goal: To make and wear clothes that will transition well from home life to when I have to run errands. Before the pandemic, I was changing throughout the day because my home clothes which are so comfortable are mostly mismatched rags and the clothes that I changed into while stepping out were mostly fitted skinny jeans that were not comfortable enough to lounge in. Can you imagine the number of times I changed each day for pickups and drop offs?! All because I didn’t have the sense to put together an outfit each morning that would work both ways. It isn’t entirely clothes that I lack, though I could use some sensible additions, but it is the mindset to plan a functional outfit for the day and consequently plan sewing projects that flow with that theme that was lacking. So a seamlessness between making, wearing and posting on instagram the same kind of clothes is what I hope to achieve. 

With this bit of clarity in vision, I have been sewing some comfortable aka elastic waist pants in fabrics that more or less coordinate with the rest of my clothes. I have also packed up some clothes that I love but just don’t fit right anymore as my measurements have changed quite a bit in the last two years. I am also considering destashing some fabrics that I might not want to use in future. I am not much of a fabric buyer or hoarder, unless you count the pile of fabric my parents ship to me once a year. It’s been close to three years since they’ve been able to send me more fabric so my fabric pile has dwindled considerably and I kind of like it and hope to make it even smaller.

Since making my Nara pants (from my post here), I have embraced the wide leg style wholeheartedly so that’s mostly the direction I took in terms of making more. A new to me pattern is this widely popular Pomona Pants and Shorts pattern by Anna Allen patterns. I really love the high waisted and wide leg silhouette and I’m in the process of making a pair in linen. But what really caught my eye was the tapered leg version made in a heavier fabric like canvas or bull denim more specifically the one on the cover of the designer herself. I just really love how those pants will work like jeans while not being constricting like jeans so that’s how my denim Pomona pants happened. The fabric I used is a really light weight bleached denim from stylemaker fabrics which feels and behaves like a soft linen and will work equally well for the wide leg version. 

Based on my measurements, I printed and cut a size 4 but they were huge on me, the pattern is nested in such a way that a smaller size can be cut from it without having to reprint anything. Since I’d only basted the pants, I was able to remove the stitches, iron my fabric and cut a smaller size. I did this one more time and ended up with my final size 0. I also removed 1” from the rise (at the lengthen/shorten lines) and about 4” in the inseam (2.5” at the lengthen/shorten line and 1.5” at the hem). I also took out ½” all around the back pocket to make it smaller. My front pockets were an afterthought so they’re basically patch pockets borrowed from the lining of my Bryce Cargo pants that I placed about 1.5” on either side of the center seam. After having worn these pants quite a bit, I love the patch pockets construction without the bulk from the traditional pocket bag and facing  so I might do the same for my next pair as well.

A couple months ago, I made a dress in my favorite color of all time and was left with the teensiest bit of scraps. With a seam down the front and some cutting across the grainline, I was able to make this Crystal Cove Cami* (from itch to stitch patterns) and I’m just so happy with how it turned out. It pairs really well with some other wide leg pants I have but I found this particular pairing absolutely delightful.

It’s only the beginning of summer but with just a few pairs of new pants, and some upcycling of older blouses, I love where I am at. I am so excited about all the outfit pairings and can’t wait to share more with you. I’m also excited that I don’t have a mile-long sewing list this summer. I’m already envisioning idyllic summer days lounging in my very-loved handmades as I catch up on my reading. 

Thank you for stopping by. 

-love

Indu

*If you buy the pattern through one of my affiliate links, I get a small percentage of the sale at no additional cost to you. Thank you for considering.