The Perfect Summer Trousers
I cannot speak highly enough of this pattern. The fact that I had never made trousers before and they were successful the first time, should say enough. (For all the NZers reading this, sorry for the betrayal but I have now lived in the UK for 2 years and have almost successfully been trained into saying trousers instead of pants!)
The Sew House Seven Free Range Slacks is an incredibly versatile pattern that can have many different looks in different fabrics. However, I fell in love with the relaxed linen versions that I had been seeing on Instagram. Though I wasn’t totally sold on the look of the elastic waistband, I loved all the other details and knew that at least the elastic waistband should mean they will definitely fit.
I bought some beautiful pink Enzyme Washed Eco Linen from Fabric Godmother during the Black Friday sales. I knew I didn’t have time to sew them before I was due to catch a flight back to New Zealand, so I decided to cut out the pieces from the fabric and take them with me. The sewing bug had really got me by this point so I knew 3 weeks without a sewing project would be hard! I cut a size 12 to fit my hips and figured the elastic could be adjusted to be small enough for my waist. The only alteration I made was adding about 2 inches to the length of the leg pieces.
The instructions for this pattern are extremely thorough and easy to follow. I did all the extra steps, including back pockets, flat-felled seams and a partial french seam at the bottom of the trouser leg. It was my first experience with flat felled seams and the clear diagrams were very appreciated. (Though this post is after my reversible Arum dress, I actually made these first.)
I did suddenly realise as I was about to sew up the inner leg that almost all trousers I buy are too tight around the calf and I hadn’t thought to consider that. I did the tiniest of french seams over the calf to help with this and it made all the difference. However it’s not the neatest seam since some of the loose threads were poking through and I had to trim them. For a future version I would definitely add a little width to the calf area to account for this.
The only other trouble I had was an oversight on my part. I was doing all of this wonderful topstitching with a thread colour I’d brought with me from London… when I ran out. I was so frustrated, and it wasn’t a common brand that I could find in NZ. I managed to make do without by slip stitching the waistband and trouser hems down and skipping the topstitching along the rise/crotch seam. I don’t think it makes a major difference to the end result and I was glad to be able to wear my trousers sooner!
I found these trousers super satisfying to sew and I definitely want to make another, less summery version at some point in the future. Also I have a soft spot for these trousers because when I wore them out for the first time a stranger asked me where I’d got them, it was very fun to be able to respond with, “I made them!”
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| What a wonderful pair of pants... er, trousers. |
The Sew House Seven Free Range Slacks is an incredibly versatile pattern that can have many different looks in different fabrics. However, I fell in love with the relaxed linen versions that I had been seeing on Instagram. Though I wasn’t totally sold on the look of the elastic waistband, I loved all the other details and knew that at least the elastic waistband should mean they will definitely fit.
I bought some beautiful pink Enzyme Washed Eco Linen from Fabric Godmother during the Black Friday sales. I knew I didn’t have time to sew them before I was due to catch a flight back to New Zealand, so I decided to cut out the pieces from the fabric and take them with me. The sewing bug had really got me by this point so I knew 3 weeks without a sewing project would be hard! I cut a size 12 to fit my hips and figured the elastic could be adjusted to be small enough for my waist. The only alteration I made was adding about 2 inches to the length of the leg pieces.
The instructions for this pattern are extremely thorough and easy to follow. I did all the extra steps, including back pockets, flat-felled seams and a partial french seam at the bottom of the trouser leg. It was my first experience with flat felled seams and the clear diagrams were very appreciated. (Though this post is after my reversible Arum dress, I actually made these first.)
 |
| Ideally the back pockets should line up 🤞 |
I did suddenly realise as I was about to sew up the inner leg that almost all trousers I buy are too tight around the calf and I hadn’t thought to consider that. I did the tiniest of french seams over the calf to help with this and it made all the difference. However it’s not the neatest seam since some of the loose threads were poking through and I had to trim them. For a future version I would definitely add a little width to the calf area to account for this.
The only other trouble I had was an oversight on my part. I was doing all of this wonderful topstitching with a thread colour I’d brought with me from London… when I ran out. I was so frustrated, and it wasn’t a common brand that I could find in NZ. I managed to make do without by slip stitching the waistband and trouser hems down and skipping the topstitching along the rise/crotch seam. I don’t think it makes a major difference to the end result and I was glad to be able to wear my trousers sooner!
 |
| The topstitching isn't perfect, but nobody is looking that closely! |
I found these trousers super satisfying to sew and I definitely want to make another, less summery version at some point in the future. Also I have a soft spot for these trousers because when I wore them out for the first time a stranger asked me where I’d got them, it was very fun to be able to respond with, “I made them!”
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