Parsley Pants

I've had the Parsley Pants from Made By Rae pattern for months but I've been in a quilting zone instead of a garment one until recently. While I was looking through my sewing stash to help me decide what to sew, I rediscovered this skull fabric in my stash and knew the Parsley Pants were the next project for me.

I think part of the reason I go for long periods of time without wanting to sew garments is that the thought of the preparation exhausts me. I can't just sit, cut and sew as easily as when making quilts. 

Especially with PDF patterns. I have to print them off, tape the pages together and then cut out the pattern. But once I actually begin all that it doesn't seem like work anymore, it's more like a meditative task that helps me get in the right frame of mind for sewing.

The Parsley pattern has lots of bells and whistles, for endless variations so I thought with the first pair I made I'd try as many extras as possible. I decided on pintucks, tuxedo stripes (in a faux leather), and the box-pleated pockets with a flap.

Pintucks.

I cut my pleather in a 3/4" strip for the stripe.

I sewed the stripe on with a non-stick foot, and some Aurifil 40 weight in a longish topstitch.

My son saw the pieces at this stage and got so excited he did a happy dance.

I like to use a double topstitch in a contrasting thread for boys' clothes.

These pockets took longer to make than the whole rest of the pants combined!

Once all the extras were done, the pants went together really quickly. The pattern's instruction were well written and I never felt lost at all. 

I double top-stitched the inseam, as well as the hem of the pants to make them look more professional, and sewed a pretend fly-front to make it easier for my son to notice which was the front. I also used a stretch stitch to anchor the elastic at the centre back, and at the pinstripes at the front, after distributing the elastic evenly, to help it stay put and not roll inside the waistband casing.

The anchoring stitching at the back(you can see it on the right of the picture) to keep the elastic in place.

The pretend fly at the front.

And...done!

My 5 year old son tried them on as soon as I'd finished and didn't want to take them off.

I asked him to be "fierce", meaning like a pirate or something,
but I think he's been watching too much Project Runway with me. :D

Next, I think I'll make him some PJ's using this Parsley Pant pattern, as well as trying out the Flashback Tee I'd bought at the same time. I just need to figure out which of my awesome fabrics I've been hoarding I'm going to use.

-Strange.