I've made another garment as a Britex blogger. You can see the post on their blog here.
When Britex asked me to choose one of their polyester fabrics, I was drawn to their Japanese-Influenced Polyester Crepe. The pic on the website doesn't show its true glory, so here it's draped over a chair:
I love the texture of a pebbled crepe and this fabric came through the washer and dryer like a champ.
But how to use it?
I wanted to sew it into harem pants, but I could also see this as a stunning kimono jacket. The fabric resists wrinkles and would be great for travel.
I decided to use Sandra Betzina's harem pant pattern, Vogue 1355. This harem pant is unusual in that it is close-fitting through the crotch. The fullness is located on the inside leg, not at the outer hip.
It is designed for a knit fabric, not a woven, but this fabric has such a wonderful drape that I forged ahead.
I made a few changes. The pattern uses 2 pattern pieces: one for the leg (this is a no-side-seam pant) and one for the yoke. I omitted the yoke and extended the rise of the pant.
The ankle of the pant is quite narrow. I realized it would be too narrow in a woven fabric to get my foot through the opening. I was considering shortening the pant slightly to remedy the problem but, in the end, I really liked it finished with a slit at the inside ankle.
The best thing about these pants, besides the fun print, is that they were a quick sew! Just one pattern piece (after my alterations) meant that I was quickly done.
