Dear readers,
I'm back today to share with you an impulse project that turned out way better than expected. I had just finished setting up my sewing room when an IG friend asked me if I would be interested in sewing a pattern from Issue 9 of Fibremood. Fibremood has intrigued me since it started, and I thought it was the perfect opportunity to try it out.
I have a deep love high-waist garments, including for paper bag waists, so the Jasmin Pants was a natural choice. I loved the cropped length and front pleats, but I wasn't entirely sure about the leg shape. It felt either too wide or too tapered. However, in the end, it turned out perfect.
Pattern
Pattern - Fibremood Jasmin Pants
Size - 34 (US 6) in width and 32 (US 4) in height
It was my first time using Fibremood, so I tried to make as little changes to the pattern as possible, to get an idea of the drafting. I have to say that I am impressed. The design felt well-drafted, and things came together smoothly without too many alterations. As a definite pear shape, I usually have to grade between sizes between waist and hips. But, on this design, I figured that I could sew a straight size 34 and increase the intake of the back darts. I used the length and rise of size 32 to account for my short height.
Making
Fabric - White suiting from Moods NYC that has been in the stash for at least 7 years
Notions - Fusible interfacing, threads, and zipper from stash.
Sewing exclusively from stash is not new to me because it's a requirement when I live in Kinshasa and before in Port-au-Prince. But in this time of confinement, t particularly satisfying to find that I have everything on hand to make things work. I didn't have the right size of D-ring, so I decided to just knot the belt for now.
While I think the drafting is excellent, I believe that there is some room for improvement in the instructions both in terms of clarity and techniques used. I interfaced the facing portion of the waist, from the edge until 1cm (⅜") beyond the fold mark. I also fused the entire belt instead of half.
The zipper fly instructions weren't clear to me, so I did my own thing. When I read articles by Carolyn and Fiona on the same pants, I realized that the zipper shouldn't go up the top of the paper bag waist, which you then close with snaps. My preferred way involves applying the zipper all the way up, and therefore there is no need for additional closure. Let me know if you would be interested in a zipper tutorial!
I think the final garment looks good, and I'm more than willing to try more Fibremood again. Now, how much will I get to wear these pants before they are irremediably stained? I don't know, but I hope that wool can easily be dyed!
Happy sewing!