Style Arc's Barb Pant


I know I'm supposed to be working on my Angela Wolf jeans but I had to buy some more denim and I got sidetracked with Style Arc's Barb's Stretch Pant in the meantime.  I got this pattern as a free download for signing up for their newsletter.

I have mentioned that Daughter has been losing weight.  I took in a couple of pairs of her black work pants for her (rather substantially) but they are hanging on her again.  I figured it's time for new pants for the girl, and knowing that she needs something comfortable but office appropriate I've been eyeing this pattern.  The pattern is drafted for a stretch woven, and recommends Stretch Bengaline.  Fabricland had their members 50% off sale yesterday and I went looking to see what they have.  They don't carry Bengaline (not that I even know what that is), but the staff recommended either a ponte or the "Symphony" fabric I ended up chosing, a poly-lycra sturdy knit with a nice weight and drape and a beautiful finish.  I bought enough so that I could have a pair as well.

 After the waistband has been
lowered by 1 1/2"
I have been reading a lot of reviews of this pattern - there are lots out there because of the free pattern thing - and the common consensus is that the waist is too high - as in inches.  I took the front and back rise measurements from a favourite pair of jeans and adjusted the pattern by 1 1/2".  I also widened the bottom of the leg by 1 1/4" to match these same jeans.  I find that is a better look with the clunky shoes I wear to work.  I normally make a 14 in "Big 4" patterns, but I made the 12 based on my measurements and it fit perfectly.  In fact there is supposed to be negative ease which I didn't get, but I think they look fine.  I was a little worried that the knit fabric would make them too much like a yoga pant for the office, but I think that the looser cut of the legs on this pattern makes them more professional looking and they will be fine.  I just hope daughter agrees!

These pants were ridiculously easy to make, and I immediately started on a second pair with this beige stretch twill out of my stash.  I usually live in jeans, and the beauty of these pants is that they stay put without a belt, which means my top will sit smoothly across my tummy without a big belt lump.  At first I thought I liked these ones even better, but that was before I saw how much they wrinkled from sitting here writing this post.  This makes me wonder if this fabric would be better suited to a tighter pattern that wouldn't "allow" for wrinkles.  I'll have to give that some thought.

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