Friday, March 9, 2012

Style Arc Kerry Cargo Pants


I have turned the captcha off on my blog. You should be able to post comments without word verification. Please let me know if this is not the case.

Not a lot of sewing here. I started a food detox last Sunday and had several days where I felt pretty sick. But I've come through to the other side and am feeling much better. I actually finished these pants last Sunday and am just now feeling up to blogging them.

I've had this Style Arc pattern for many months but couldn't decide on a fabric. Recently, a friend was de-stashing and I snagged a piece of tan-colored stretch woven. A fairly beefy woven cotton, with two way stretch, the 2 yards of 54" fabric was insufficient, according to the envelope. But I laid out the pattern and decided I could just barely make it work. (I omitted a few of the smaller pattern pieces, which helped.) After cutting these out, all that remained were a few, very small, scraps.

Alterations and Modifications:

I made my usual size 10 with a few modifications:

  • Replaced the drawstring waist with elastic.
  • I plan to wear the pant leg rolled up, so I did not shorten the pants, though they are quite a bit too long for me. I prefer the rolled up length to be "longer", so the extra length helps to create a more substantial cuff than if I were to roll up the hem once or twice.
  • Omitted the side seam pockets. My experience of side seam pockets is that they gape and are not flattering.
  • Omitted the back pockets. These pants, as designed are pocket-ful with six pockets!
  • I seem to be constitutionally unable to include certain types of embellishments - namely, anything military or safari. In this case, I cut out the pocket flaps for the leg pockets but could not bring myself to use them. I just preferred the pockets without. Maybe because I lived through the 80s and had enough safari and military details. :)
  • I lined the leg pockets with scraps of a cream linen/silk blend.
  • After the pants were sewn together, I removed 1/2" from the side seam at the waist (2" total). I would have probably needed this ease in a non-stretch woven.

Conclusion: This is definitely a more relaxed fit than other Style Arc pants I've made. Time will tell how much I wear them, but they are certainly very comfy.

StyleArc has spoiled me, I think. I recently have been wearing some of my older pants and they now feel over-sized to me. I have not lost weight, but I am starting to prefer a closer fit with my clothing. "Closer fitted funky." I like that. ;)

More Pictures

Pocket shot
Am I the only person who keeps a wooden spoon with my pressing tools? I've used the spoon to press open the seam in the tab.
I love the Frixion pens for marking. The pattern did not include a shaped tab, so I drew on one. After stitching, the marks are easily removed with a shot of steam.
Evidence that I haven't cooked in three months.
Cooking again!

29 comments:

  1. Great trousers and they look good on you

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  2. Shams, I was going to comment that you look very slender and ask if it was the vegan-ish diet, but you answered my question - it's the more fitted pant look. I guess we should all take a clue from that, lol.

    I've been eyeing these pants, since I bought a pair of Lucy cargo pants last year that I wore to death. Yours turned out great!

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  3. Thanks Jane and Janis.

    @Janis, I think the pose is also slenderizing. But thanks. :)

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  4. I love the colors in your top, and it goes so well with your new cargo pants. I'm loving the Frixion pens too.

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  5. Nice to see this style made up -- lookin' good!

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  6. It's time for me to place another SA order, and I'm thinking I need to get these pants - thanks for the review :)

    You are not the only one with a wooden spoon among your pressing tools, because I am now about to designate one of mine to go into the pressing room - brilliant! I know already that it will get a lot of use! I can definitely see it as a finger-burn saver, either by pressing open a seam using the spoon alone or with the iron....can't wait to test it!

    And THANK YOU for getting rid of the WtF! ;-)

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  7. Great cargo pants! Even though my Kerrys didn't make the travel wardrobe cut, they are my favorite of that type of pant. I like yours very much, although I, too, am getting away from the looser pants. You have such great legs, you need to show them off!:)

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  8. Since you say so, I will take a wooden spoon to the sewing dungeon. 8-)

    Very cute pants, I thought when I first saw the photo that you had lost weight too. Maybe everyone should make these so we will all look thinner. 8-)

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  9. These are nice looking pants on you! And I agree, something has made you look slimmer - the pants? the detox? not cooking for 3 months? At any rate, you look good!

    Thanks for turning that thingy off. Since my laptop crashed and burned, I do most of my blog reading on my iPad, which does not seem to play well with 'that thingy'.

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  10. Another vote for you looking very slim and trim here! I turned off the captcha on my blog too. Good riddance.

    Going to try the wooden spoon; thanks for the tip.

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  11. You look marvelous in those pants, and I love all the detail on them. Very cool looking.

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  12. Thanks for your great blog. It's always a pleasure to read and brings a smile to my face. I particularly loved the evidence of not having cooked for 3 mths. Very funny. I'm searching thru your blog with a reason - I'm sure you did a review of the vogue top with the zippered neck finish. I just wanted to see what you thought about the fit. I'm off to look for that. :)

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  13. That is a fabulous look! From top to bottom it is great! You look like you're on vacation!

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  14. Gorgeous, and they look great with your new Tshirt too! Well done for maximum efficiency with a too-small piece of fabric.
    And thank you for making the decision to turn off the word verification. I didn't mind the old one-word system so much but the new one is atrocious...

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  15. Great pants and particularly suitable for Sydney at the moment. It is raining a lot, so I need to roll up my trousers to walk the dog at the park.

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  16. Where do you get a Frixion pen? Pants are cute but I'm hungry so I would prefer the soup right now! Looks delicious.

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  17. Great pants. You look so skinny!!! I really like the fabric you used for your top.

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  18. Thanks, everyone!

    @ReAnn, I got the Frixion pens from amazon, but you can get them in an office supply store.

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  19. I love your pants. You really do look much thinner. Your wooden spoon idea is wonderful. I have one of those seam sticks that I got from Nancy's years ago that I use or I use the June Tailor Board. I have the frixion pens, but right now I'm looking for something to mark on a dk green challis. Maybe I'll have to dig up one of my chalk pencils. Your soup looks delish. Is that a winter squash soup?

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  20. These are so flattering on you, the style and fabric are a great match.

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  21. Sharon, the new pants are so good looking and I love the fit. You look very trim in this new outfit, despite the fact that you haven't lost weight. I also love the T fabric and the pattern. I will scroll back to find out more about that.

    Karen

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  22. Above comment was from Karendee

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  23. Fab pants. Thanks for the tip on the marking pen too. I must google that!

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  24. Love these pants on you. The volume of the pockets and tabs gives great balance. They look great.

    You are not alone. I have a wooden spoon in my ironing tools, one that broke in half. I put it to good use in the sewing room.

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  25. Great pants Shams. You have inspired me to check out the Stlye ARc site with a view to buying something to try out their fit on me.

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  26. P.S. Meant to say that I use a very fat wooden knitting needle that lost its friend in the presing area in the same way as you wooden spoon. It is also useful as a point turner.

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  27. As readers we can tell when something you make feels wonderful...the smile says it all! That top is so cheerful too and probably needs about 6 more pair of those pants in every color! Good going, Girl!

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  28. Wow, I'd never heard of those pens. I've been using the kids Crayola washables fine line. These sound worth a try for sure.
    Someday might try Stylearc too, although they look like they'd better suit slimmer bodies than mine.

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