Scrap Busting Stylearc Lola Pants

 

My latest pair of Stylearc Lola Pants were actually made on a whim.  I have been following a New Zealand designer who has released a similar pair of pants but in a lighter more drapier fabric.  I love the pants but just knew that I feel the cold and drapey light weight pants just weren't going to work for me in winter.  It occurred to me though, I just might be able to make something similar from stash fabric. 

I had been holding on to a smallish piece of wool denim that I bought at Spotlight quite a few years back now.  Both Courteney and I had jeans out of it but both pairs gave way at the zip.  I figured this fabric just wasn't suitable for pants and ear marked the remainder for a skirt.  The length was only short enough for a skirt and certainly not enough for pants anyway.  The problem is, I don't really wear skirts often in winter and felt that this fabric may look too much like a waitress uniform with boots and tights anyway.  With the ponte that I got for free because it was covered in oil (and I managed to wash out), I realised that I could eek out a pair of pants if I was clever.

I chose Stylarc Lola Pants as my pattern because my other favourite knit pattern, Papercut Anima, may just be a little too fitted for my wool denim fabric which had some width wise stretch but no length wise stretch and Lola is designed for a woven.

To get around my lack of length with the wool denim, I added asymmetrical seams on the lower legs which I made a feature of using top stitching.  This kind of gives a moto jeans vibe and  looks intentional which I was aiming for.  For this pair I added zips to the pockets which is a feature of the pattern I have never before used.  The zips were from my stash and had been rescued from another clothing item.  The pocket bags were created using an old business shirt of my husbands in a black textured synthetic blend fabric.  I am not sure what he was thinking when he bought this one but it did make perfect pocket bags.  I made the waistband from the ponte because it had more stretch and added grommets so that I could add a decorative tie.  To make the tie, I  rescued a cord that I found in my laundry that must have fallen out of a hoodie and know one in the family claimed.  I threaded it through my channel and shortened it to length before adding toggles which I scored at a manufacturers closing down sale some years back.  The final touch was to add elastic to the back of the ankles.  This is a feature of the pattern that I really like and have included on all four pairs now.

I am absolutely thrilled with how these pants worked out.  The wet look wool denim sort of has a pleather vibe which is very on trend at the moment and these pants are very comfortable but still manage to look put together.  I am sure they will get loads of wear over the remainder of the winter.

Oh I almost forgot!  The top I am wearing in these photos is also new!  This is Stylearc Alexa in merino from New Zealand Merino and Fabrics. I ordered this fabric last spring with the intention of making this tee.  I didn't really need any more merino because I already had a few pieces in my stash but floral printed merino is something I just hadn't seen very often so I just had to have it.    It sat in my stash for six months because summer arrived but also I wasn't sure what to make it into.  Stylearc Alexa seemed the obvious choice because it was a pattern I never go wrong with and I just knew it would see a ton of wear.