Simplicity 8841 in Olive Linen Blend: Perfect Hot Weather Wide(ish)-Legged Cropped Pants

I don't know about you, but here in Reno, our weather has gone from near freezing one night to 90  (32C) the next day.  I guess summer weather is here, and for Reno, that usually means 90-100 degree days.

So what better time to sew up some hot weather clothing?  I've wanted to try Simplicity 8841 for a bit, but I wasn't sure if Mehetabel would like the cropped wide-legged look.  I showed her the pattern and she liked it.  She wanted to try the current trend of cropped pants, even though she wasn't sure if she'd like it on her.

I made a muslin out of some old fabric, knowing that it would not be a wearable muslin. I cut out a size 14 but left the length of the size 22--about an additional 1-1/4 inches.  For the muslin, I did not add any length at the hipline even though I was sure it would be needed. 

Sure enough, Mehetabel needed additional length at the high hip, about an inch. I also added an inch to the waistband so that I could use 2" elastic instead of the 1" called for in the instructions. I had purchased a spool of 2" elastic from Wawak, and figured I might as well use some of it.

I made all these changes to the pattern pieces, but as it turned out, the waistband piece wasn't the right size to begin with! That is, when I added an inch to the pattern piece, it only left me with about a 1/4" seam allowance when using the 2' elastic.  And I should've known something wasn't quite right because I didn't have a 5/8" seam allowance when using 1" elastic with the original pattern piece.  Oh well.  I trimmed the elastic to 1-3/4" and used a 3/8" seam allowance.  Next time, I'll add more to the waistband so I can use my Wawak elastic.

For this version, I used Brussels Washer Linen from Robert Kaufman. I purchased this from Fabric.com for $8.22 per yard. The fabric is a linen rayon blend. I pre-washed the fabric on hot three times, drying it after each wash. I'd read somewhere that doing this would help eliminate some of the wrinkling.  True?  I don't know yet, but I thought I'd give it a try. At the very least, I doubt it will shrink any more!

Except for the snafu with the waistband, this went together quickly and easily.  I sewed all seams on my regular sewing machine, trimmed and finished them with the serger, and hand-stitched the hems.  She's wearing a never-blogged top I made for her years ago. It's made from rayon challis and I cannot remember the pattern.  Probably Simplicity or McCall's. It's turned out to be a very versatile top--great for layering under cardigans in cooler weather, but apparently also great on hot almost-summer days.

As for the pants, I'm very pleased with the result and Mehetabel likes them too.  She's getting used to the cropped length. You know, when you're tall like Mehetabel (and moi), a cropped length like this sometimes feels like you've just outgrown your clothes. I understand this! But, when I talked to her later today, she said that the pants were extremely comfortable and thermally cool. They're a great alternative to shorts.  Here's a "real life" shot of her--this was taken about 7 hours after our photo shoot.  The pants aren't too wrinkly! I will shorten the elastic waistband an inch as the pants are drooping a bit.

A doggy waste bag in one hand and a ginger snap in the other; she's ready for anything!