Made by a Fabricista: Comfy Palazoo Pants

Made by a Fabricista: Comfy Palazoo Pants - Mommy and Me

Happy Saturday All! How have you been coping with this sudden change? 2020 is the year of adjustments and most of us will probably never forget due to the Covid-19. I am in the acceptance phase and the first 2 weeks were challenging for me to cope at first. I honestly adjusted around week 3 and have learned to cope and made the best out of it.

To get my daughter Arielle out of the house after not leaving for a month, I decided that I would make a few pieces that were on my to-make list and convince her to dress up so that I can shoot. She has been begging for a few palazzo pants since January and since we both have been home since March and I had no excuse, I just did it.

Arielle fell in love with the linen I used for my last Fabric Mart make in March and I had promised her that I would use the remaining linen in bright tan here to make her something.

I decided to use Simplicity 8605 palazzo pants to recreate a similar ready to wear pants she had.

It came out perfect and the size extra small (XS) with a few crotch adjustments and an extra 3 inches to the length was all she needed. I also modified the waistband and widened it to create a 3-row casing and opted not to make the belt for both pants.

My original plan with this apricot chambray linen (here) was to make a jumpsuit using Mimi G Simplicity pattern 9097. I was a bit hesitant because chambray linen is a bit lightweight compared to the regular 100% linen and has no stretch. I decided that a cotton sateen or 100% linen would be a better fabric choice so instead, I decided to make palazzo pants using the same pattern Simplicity 8605. I actually love pants and knew it would be perfect to rock when things return to normal.

For my size, I cut the medium (M) with the same crotch adjustments as my daughter except I added 4 inches to the length. I absolutely forgot to make my usual adjustments to the back pattern piece and will make it the next time around.

This pattern is definitely my favorite easy to sew wide-leg palazzo pants. I have shared and saved a few videos in my Instagram highlights on how to achieve a flat waistband. For a 3 case elastic waistband, I typically use 3/4 inch elastic but if I run out, I may add 1 casing using a 1-inch elastic. For Arielle, her waistband had 3 rows of 3/4 inch while mine has 2 rows of 3/4 inch and the middle with 1 inch.

This waistband is 3 inches wide and uses 3 rows of 3/4 inch elastic and 1-inch casing

Here are some quick visual steps to follow:

1. Measure carefully using the elastic before you stitch the casing to determine what size elastic will work for your waistband. I knew I only had enough for 2 rows of 3/4 inch and 1 row of 1 inch so I modified my waistband to match. Leave a minimum of 1/8 to 1/4 inch of each for the elastic casing.

2. Use the elastic as a guide if necessary to create the first casing seen here. I typically always use the elastic to guide the bottom casing and then my seam allowance guide on the machine for the top casing.

I absolutely love this method and change all patterns to use a wider waistband especially for elastic casing pants. I can rock it with a shirt tucked in or out and it lays just right. I have made this pattern several times and definitely recommend it using challis, linen, or chambray linen.

Thank you so much for reading! I hope you are coping well and you and your family are safe during this pandemic. Don't forget to stop by my Instagram page and my blog to see my latest make.

One Love,
Marica - Overdriveafter30

Made By A Fabricista: Celebrating warm weather with Spring sewing!

Hi sewing friends! I don’t know about you but boy, was winter cold and dreary this year! The weather here in the Philadelphia area has been slowly improving, but Spring sure did take her sweet old time to arrive. So by April, I was definitely in the headspace of needing to sew up things that were either bright and cheery or meant for the warmer weather I am very much craving right now. I recently purchased a few SewBexx Patterns so I took them on a test run to create some Spring makes. First on my list was to make a top using this absolutely gorgeous ITY fabric I picked up last year. I had two yards which was enough for a long sleeve shirt. I chose the Olivia top, which is oversized with a drop shoulder, has multiple lengths and a split hem. I think the pattern is intended for heavier fabrics but I was envisioning how lovely this top would look with the drape of ITY knit fabric, and it did not disappoint. It came together for me quickly and was a straight forward sew…and I love the br...

Made By A Fabricista: Stripes For Spring

Hi everyone! It’s finally warming up here in southeastern Pennsylvania and I wanted to make a light, flowy dress for springtime. I snagged a vintage Laura Ashley pattern from Joanns on one of my last trips there. I somehow didn’t have anything in my pattern stash with a sweetheart neckline, so I thought it would be a good addition. The pattern calls for a giant gathered skirt, so I knew I would need something lightweight and drapey for it. Something like a pink striped cotton fine seersucker. The fabric is light and has a really nice drape, almost like a challis . I knew it would gather beautifully. I got to work cutting everything out, with help from my assistant. When I say the skirt is massive I mean it. I ran into an issue right away where my fabric isn't wide enough to cut the back panel without opening the fabric out. And my three yards of fabric wasn’t enough to cut two back panels. I ran into this issue last year when making my pinafore dress . In ...

Made By A Fabricista | Chasing Time: My White Rabbit-Inspired Look for Atlanta Frocktails

For this year’s Atlanta Frocktails, I found myself captivated by a character who’s been quietly tugging at my imagination for years—the White Rabbit from Alice in Wonderland. There’s something so relatable about his frantic energy, always checking the time, always running late. While he’s worried about being on time, I’m usually calculating how late I can be and still technically arrive on time. Spoiler: I’m often wrong. It’s a cycle of procrastination and anxiety that I know all too well. So when I imagined my look for Frocktails, I thought—why not honor the White Rabbit? After all, time has been chasing me too. But this look isn’t just about Wonderland whimsy. It’s also deeply inspired by this year’s Met Gala theme, Tailored for You, which includes a focus on Black Dandyism—a celebration of Black elegance, intellect, and expressive style. I’ve been obsessed with this theme since it was announced. As a Black creative, I find it powerful and moving to see style used as a way to reclaim...

Fabric Mart Fabricistas

Search This Blog