Pietra Pants… Again

I’m low-key convinced that I don’t make anything except Pietra pants. After three toile pairs, and four attempts on the same navy linen pair in the last twelve months, you’d think that I’d have had my fill.

But the thing is, I am absolutely obsessed with this pattern from Closet Core Patterns, because I’m convinced these pants were drafted for my body. They have everything I want – flat front, elastic waist and slight taper to the leg for a finish that can look professional and casual depending on how you style it.

I was also helped along by the stunning pair @made.by.min made earlier this year – I immediately set out to make a carbon copy (if you’ve been hanging out with me for a while now, you may be aware that I’ve copied her makes before and I still have no shame). I found a caramel coloured cotton/linen blend from Spotlight (we are not 100% sure if it’s the same fabric, but Melinda did help me look which was very kind of her).

2020 has been pretty stressful thus far and I’ve dropped a size or two somewhere along the way, and lost my original pattern pieces, so reprinted and cut a size 2 grading to a 0 at the waist where I had previously cut a size 6. Part of this large drop was that I was inserting an invisible zip (there’s a great tutorial for this on the Closet Core Patterns blog) to allow for such a small waist, so I knew I could go smaller and still get the pants on. The only other adjustment that I made was to scoop a little extra (about 1.5cm) room out in the crotch curve of the back leg pieces – @do.re.mi.fa.sew enlightened me to this, and the Closet Core Patterns pants fitting guide confirmed that it was something I should do to ensure the waistband doesn’t dip down at the back due to not having enough room in the seat. I’ll admit I eyeballed the curve but it worked!

The Pietras are such a dreamy easy sew for me now, but even the first time I made them – the instructions and method are just so great, I really, really love making and then wearing these pants!

This particular pair, along with the navy one, are forming the basis of a more curated wardrobe that I’m working toward – my sewing skills are now at the point where I’m making the images in my head, and I have a more defined idea of the colour palette and capsule wardrobe I want to make for myself. Stay tuned for this evolution and the inevitable breaking of my own rules!