2026 – Em Sew Happy Blog

Arles Top

There was some sewing that I completed without documenting before my trip so I thought I would go back and catch up with some of it. The Arles Top by Sewing Therapy was one of those items and I’m so grateful for this lovely top in the hot humid weather of Vietnam.

The Arles Top is a relaxed top with dolman sleeves. It has a yoke and soft gathers which allows for a billowy, generous fit. It also has a collar option which I didn’t have enough fabric for this time, but I love the round collar featured with this top. There is a cute tie front which adds to the casual holiday vibes of this shirt. It has the option for elasticised back bodice which I’m glad I added because it gave the top a tucked in look without needing to tuck in extra layers.

The top is drafted for wovens and suits lightweight fabric. I found my fabric at Spotlight and was persuaded by the lovely shop assistant to get this rainbow coloured check fabric. I love how my cotton is lightweight but has some soft structure. The colourful check fabric was also fun to sew and wear. I have needed a colour boost in my wardrobe.

As usual, Sara has the best instructional videos to sew along with. The printed instructions are also excellent for someone who is a bit more experienced with the basics but with the video, it would be fine for a beginner too.

I kept to my usual Sewing Therapy sizing of L with my measurements of 38-inch bust, 33-inch waist. I lengthened the top for my own preference, but I found the pattern true to size. I lengthened by 3 inches which was comfortable for me, but my tie didn’t sit in quite the right spot. I want to make the top again with this length but with a collar and without the tie and elastic option next time. It’s great when a pattern is so versatile and easy to customise. In the pattern, Sara says that the pattern is compatible with the Roma Top collar which would be another great way to hack the top.

Wearing the Arles Top, I would say this is the most comfortable shirt style top I’ve ever made. I love dolman sleeves. Dolman sleeves are drafted as a continuous piece attached to the bodice, so it does need a wider width of fabric but so worth it because it makes for such a comfortable shirt to wear. I used this top to protect my shoulders in the hot sun when I was travelling. I’m so glad to add this lovely breezy top to my handmade wardrobe.

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Thanks for reading and happy sewing!

X Em

Travel Wardrobe to Hoi An, Vietnam

A trip to Vietnam has been on the travel wish list for a long time. We were so excited to go to Hoi An, which is the most charming town in central Vietnam. It’s famous for the heritage Ancient Town which sits along the Thu Bon River. July is summer in Vietnam, with temperatures reaching 33 degrees and high humidity. Some days it felt like 40 degrees and the humidity was extreme. It’s probably not the most comfortable time to visit but we learnt to adapt our travel schedule and planned accordingly. A lot of thought went into packing for the trip because we were going from our winter to this hot climate.

To help with the packing, I decided to ask AI for help. It surprised me how well thought out the list was. It even listed clothes that I needed to pack for visiting temples and sacred sites. I did pack more than was suggested for my travel because I knew the high humidity would mean more showers and more changes through the day. It was helpful when my friend reminded me that the laundry service is cheap and excellent in Vietnam. Often clothes were washed, ironed, folded and returned on the same day.

The bulk of my wardrobe were dresses. My most worn were my two Sew to Grow Arcadia Dresses which were easy to throw on for walks around town and for the poolside.

The other most worn was my Sewing Therapy Tie dress which was easy to wear because it’s made with beautifully light linen chinoiserie fabric from Longan Craft which wore so comfortably in the hot humid weather.

One of our most memorable experiences was a photoshoot that we booked for our wedding anniversary. We booked it for the first morning which helped to orientate us to Ancient Town and such a fun way to explore. I packed my True Bias Quinn Dress for the photoshoot and was so happy with the colour of my dress against the vibrant yellow walls of Ancient Town.

True Bias Quinn Dress at the Japanese Bridge

The Tammy Handmade Daisy Dress was also the perfect summer dress that I’m glad I packed. It was another comfortable dress for the heat because of the rayon fabric I used.

Tammy Handmade Daisy Dress in Ancient Town Hoi An

For special dinners, I wore my True Bias Calvin Dress and my Matchy Matchy Sewing Club Schoolhouse Sundress. Both were easy and lightweight to wear.

We did make some excursions out from Hoi An. The first was to My Son Sanctuary which is a cluster of ancient Hindu temple ruins. We loved learning about the history and culture of the Champa Kingdom. The guide did provide some instructions prior to the visit regarding appropriate clothing. I decided to wear my True Bias linen Dani Pants and paired it with my Cami Top. With the heat, I couldn’t bring myself to wear long sleeves, so I carried a light scarf with me to drape over my shoulders if needed but nothing was mentioned at the site. I think as long as the outfit is modest, there isn’t a problem for visitors.

The second excursion was to Hue which used to be the Imperial Capital City. It was a beautiful drive using the Hai Van Pass which is a windy road through the mountains with great views on the way. The imperial city was full of historical sites and worth a visit. A favourite little side experience was a stop at the Thuy Xuan Incense Village where we learnt to make incense.

I did pack shorts and other items, but my dresses did the heavy lifting during this trip. Vietnam and particularly Hoi An has worked its way into my heart. It was a wonderful trip, and I hope we get to return one day. I’m missing my daily morning walk for salted Vietnamese coffee.

Thanks for reading and happy sewing!

X Em

Vera Shirt Dress

Mia from Needle and Thread Patterns was doing a fun sew along which I was following but couldn’t join in at the time. She generously sent me the pattern anyway and I finally caught up with it in my sewing queue. I love shirt patterns, but this one is especially great because of the pleats and the granddad collar. I’m so happy with how this turned out!

I feel that this pattern suits an advanced beginner or an intermediate seamstress. There is no rating on Needle and Thread Patterns but there are a few more elements that make the pattern more challenging and therefore great for up-skilling. Although there are well written detailed instructions, there were a few times where I had to look to the sew along on the Instagram page to see if my understanding matched the instructions. There are some included illustrations but not for every step. Also important to note is that the order in the sew along slightly varies from the written instructions. I think when Mia made the sew along videos, obviously she is an expert seamstress who didn’t need to follow her own instructions. It still made perfect sense whether following the videos or the written instructions.

The pattern is drafted for mid weight to heavier wovens. I had a poplin in my stash which I had bought several years back. This was the perfect project for it. It’s mid weight so holds the shaping of the pleats and great for the button placket and collar. This pattern would not suit fabric with fluid drape.

With the sizing, Needle and Thread Patterns highlighted the waist as the important measurement. My waist measurement is 33 inches, so I decided to sew the size 44. Interestingly, I have previously sewn the Emma Top from Needle and Thread Patterns in the size 42 which also fit me. I think this demonstrates the importance of re-evaluating fit and sizing for each sew. It fits very comfortably. I like the fact that the pleats allow for some adjustment but luckily this time, no modifications were needed.

I liked the way the hem of the dress tucks neatly into itself with the placket. I used the stitch in the ditch method for finishing the placket. Most of the dress was very quick and easy to sew but I had a moment with the sleeves and the collar. I had planned to sew the sleeve with the rolled-up hem. I think I had to look at the sew along video for this because I had never seen it done this way before. After the effort of following the video, I found that since my fabric is only printed from one side, the “wrong” side was showing which really bugged me, so I ended up unpicking the sleeve and cutting it down to the non-rolled sleeve. The term “rolled sleeve” confused me at first because whenever I’ve come across the term “rolled hem” it has referred to finely sewn hems on silk or other fine or drapey fabric. I think I would refer to these as cuffed hems/sleeves perhaps.

The videos helped me a lot with the grandad collar. I have sewn grand-dad collars before, but I just wanted to understand the method in the pattern. I was quite happy with my collar in the end. It really elevates the look of the shirt dress and makes it look a bit dressier than the average shirt dress.

With the button placket, there is guidance given for watchpoints which were the narrowest point at the waist and the widest point of the bust. This guidance was great because starting at those two points and knowing that I had 10 buttons to install, I decided to have my buttons 3 inches apart starting just below the collar and ending just below the side slits. I decided to omit the button on the collar because I know I would never do it up and I didn’t want to disrupt the curved ends of the collar with a button. In fact, when I sew this dress again, I will try to shorten the collar so that the curved ends sat separated by the placket which would then look more like a mandarin collar.

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This has been another fabulous pattern by Mia from Needle and Thread Patterns. As I mentioned at the start, this dress pattern was gifted to me, but all opinions remain my own. It’s refreshing coming across a pattern that’s so different from anything I’ve sewn previously. I even enjoyed putting the pattern together and have bought a little device to help me add the seam allowance. All in all, it was a very fun and rewarding sew.

Thanks for reading and happy sewing!

X Em

Cloud Tee

When I first started sewing, I thought I would only sew the “special items” in my wardrobe like dresses but as I started to learn more, I realised that I really wanted the challenge of making a fully “me-made” wardrobe. Part of this is finding the perfect tee. I have made a few favourites, but I was still searching for a boxy tee when Tammy Handmade made a call out for testers for her Cloud Tee. I couldn’t sign up fast enough and I’m glad that I did because the pattern is a great fast sew.

The shape of the tee is boxy with dropped sleeves. I like how the pattern includes three sleeve options. When I started the test, I thought we had to make all three sleeve options! Sorry not sorry because I’m going to be reaching for these a lot. T-shirts are such a staple in the wardrobe so I’m excited to be adding these three.

My t-shirts are all rayon jersey fabric. There is a bit of spandex in the fabric. It feels very soft to wear and although it has a fair amount of drape, it also has a bit of body to it unlike something like bamboo jersey. The pattern has great suggestions for fabric choice. I must admit that I tend to sew more with woven substrates, but you can’t go too wrong with fabric choice with this tee. My fabric was all found at my local fabric store, but I have an eye out for a few jersey pieces especially from Maai Design Artist Collection. It’s great that only 1 meter is needed for the short-sleeved versions. For the test, I’m so happy to pick up the stripey fabric. I’m loving seeing stripes everywhere!

The boxy shape gives this tee a relaxed fit. I decided to make the size 14 for my measurements of 38-inch bust, 33-inch waist and 40-inch hips. I probably would have also been fine in the 12 but I like the relaxed fit. I had seen a boxy long-sleeved top at one of the stores that my daughter loves. When I finished my tee, she commented that I was very on trend with my look! The shirt has a deep hem which makes it sit well without any chance of the hem curling. No modifications were needed for my tee but I really appreciate how Tammy has detailed these in the pattern.

Speaking of pattern instructions, I really like Tammy’s clear written and illustrated instructions. The patterns are a great learning resource with a lot of extra explanations included. When I first started sewing, I would have to flick between the pattern instructions and google to understand the instructions but it’s all there with Tammy’s patterns.

It’s great having a quick pattern to sew every now and then. The Cloud tee can be sewn on the sewing machine or the overlocker. It doesn’t take long on the sewing machine but for my second and third tees, I decided to sew majority of it on the overlocker which made it super-fast. I attached all the neckbands on the overlocker. I finished the hems with twin needles. I should mention that I used white tubular ribbing but for the long-sleeved version, I decided to use the same fabric.

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Happy to be adding a few core items to my handmade wardrobe. I have a feeling that I’ll be returning to make a few more from this pattern. Tammy kindly provides the pattern for testing and a stipend to her testers for fabric. It’s much appreciated and all opinions remain my own. It’s truly a great pattern and I really enjoyed being part of the sewing team.

Thanks for reading and happy sewing!

X Em

Skipper Top

Thinking back to why I initially joined Instagram, it was because I didn’t really have any friends around me who sewed and I wanted to be able to find new patterns to sew. This was the perfect example. I kept admiring these items sewn by @this_is_sew_ana and went to check out Matchy Matchy Sewing Club. I really love their designs, and I found myself putting a few of those patterns in the shopping basket including their free patterns. I wanted to start with the skipper top for some “no pressure” sewing. It’s a relaxed fitting boxy top with slightly capped sleeves. This was also a good way for me to test my fit.

So, the reason why I say that this pattern was a “no pressure” sew is because I was using up my remnants (especially the awkward pieces that would not be able to make a whole item). I managed to find three linen pieces within the same colour family. The pattern came with a handy planner so that it’s easy to make a collage of the fabric pieces.

The fit is quite forgiving but not oversized. The sizing chart is divided into ranges. I fit into size L with my measurements of 38-inch bust, 33-inch waist, 40-inch hips. The finished garment measurements shows that there is quite a bit of ease in the fit. The top is very comfortable to wear. I also love the length of the View A which sits just above the hips for me and is a boxy shape which is my favourite. When I first looked at the pattern pieces, I worried that the simple shapes would make for an uncomfortable fit. I worried about this because there were no cup sizes, no darts, and it doesn’t look like it’s shaped, but the pattern is drafted so that the front neckline is prevented from pulling backwards. It is so well balanced and there are instructions on how to modify the armholes as well. The engineering is very clever.

Instructions come with illustrations which were super easy to follow. It is definitely a pattern that beginners can tackle. A very enjoyable sew! You can be very creative with the pattern and play with the combination of fabrics, and the pattern pieces are a bit interchangeable for a different look. I found the whole process very relaxing and the top came together quite fast. When I say that the illustrations were included, I mean to say that the illustrations are instructional and easily the best I’ve seen in a pattern. I think someone sent these patterns to a graphic designer. It’s also made by people who use patterns for home sewing because of thoughtful details like the legend for the right side, wrong side and interfaced side included in the footer of every page. Am I the only one flicking backwards and forwards to find that legend in every pattern I sew? This made it so easy to interpret the illustrations.

I’ve run out of media storage so from now on, I’ll be linking my Instagram Post with my fit photos.

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Overall, a great introduction to Matchy Matchy Sewing Club patterns! This was a great palette cleansing sew. It was also a surprisingly creative process. I’m hoping to make the dress version soon.

Thanks for reading and happy sewing!

X Em

Aster Top and Dress

Sometimes, I get so excited about new release patterns, I forget to look at what is already in my sewing queue. I bought the True Bias Aster Top & Dress when it was newly released in 2023 and finally got around to toiling it last year. I fell in love with the classic lines of the dress and the square neckline immediately. This style is exactly what I love in a dress. The dress is a shift with broad arm straps which is part of the pattern. It has a squared off neckline and armholes. After making the toile with the top, I put it aside as I often do, until Kelli from True Bias Patterns mentioned she was looking for someone to make and photograph the dress, which was a good prompt for me to return to it!

As mentioned, I made the Aster Top as a wearable toile. It was a good first step because the fit was perfect for the bodice and that was the main area I wanted to check. I must be honest and say that it’s not a top I have reached for very often because it’s a bit short and I’m a bit self-conscious about showing my belly. I might unpick the hem and try to add a ruffle to extend the length. It did work well as a toile, and it did help me with fabric choice too.

The pattern is made for woven. I had brought back some fantastic fabric from my trip to South Korea. I have a blog post where I detailed my experience doing fabric shopping in South Korea. All my fabric ended up being delivered to my hotel which I arranged with The Linen Lab who I was so grateful to for accommodating my travel plans. It was a wonderful experience which they made stress free. I decided to use this beautiful soft green chambray linen for the dress version of the True Bias Aster.

For my measurements of 38-inch bust, 33-inch waist and 40-inch hips, the size 12 was the perfect fit but I lengthened the dress by 6 inches so that it would fall a bit below my knees. The original pattern is a shift dress mini which hits a few inches above the knees. The pattern has lengthening and shortening lines, so it was easy to slash and add the 6 inches of length with some paper. I added the length to the front piece, back piece and the button placket interfacing strip.

The dress looks like a simple shift, but the twist comes with the button placket being in the back. Initially I worried about the buttons showing more than I wanted and wondered if it would be difficult to do up the buttons to wear the dress. Since finishing the dress, I found that I can slip the dress over my head without undoing the buttons. My lovely matching buttons were kindly gifted to me by my friend Eileen from my sewing circle.

Anyway, I really love this dress. It will be nice and cool, and it will be lovely to wear this soft linen on a hot day. It’s good to be working my way through my sewing queue and finding gems like the Aster Dress that will become TNT (tried and true) patterns. I’m so grateful that Kelli was featuring this pattern because it’s been one that I’ve loved making and wearing.

Thanks for reading and happy sewing!

X Em

Daisy Dress

When I saw that Tammy from Tammy Handmade was looking for testers for her latest pattern, I was quick to apply. I had sewn her free pattern, the Etty Camisole earlier this year. Her patterns are well set out and written, and I liked how her pattern fit me. The Daisy Dress is the latest pattern and has the bonus of including cup sizes. It’s a summer dress with the option for sleeves, straps of different widths or adjustable straps. It also comes in two lengths and has elasticated or shirred back bodice. This dress is the ideal holiday dress that I’ve been looking for!

Being a tester means that we get to preview the pattern before release. I was so impressed by how much work had gone into the pattern before testing. It was such a pleasure to sew and test this pattern. I chose to sew the Size 14 for my measurements of 38-inch bust, 33-inch waist and 40-inch hip. There was some give in the fit because of the shirred back so even though it is fitted through the bodice, it wasn’t necessary for me to grade at the waist as I would if it was a fitted dress with a different closure like a zip.

Tammy also mentions that this is the first time that she has included cup sizes in her pattern. It makes it so much easier when pattern makers include cup sizes! I used the B/C/D cup. It’s easy to choose the cup sizes with the inclusion of the upper bust measurements. Everything fits so perfectly because of this inclusion.

Ever since I used adjustable straps for my True Bias Calvin Dress, I’ve wanted to add this to other garments. Since one of my shoulder sits a bit lower than the other, I’m always dealing with falling straps. Oh, did I mention this dress has pockets?

With the gathered skirt, I thought I would choose a fabric with fluid drape. I came across this poppy printed rayon at my local Spotlight store. It had the perfect amount of drape and weight. I do love to wear rayon in hot and humid climates. It’s so comfortable and breezy. It’s also an easy fabric to sew because even though it’s lightweight and breathable, it’s fine to use the overlocker to finish the seams. No French seams required.

The part that I worried a little bit about was the shirred back bodice. I have used shirring in other patterns but not to such an extent as this pattern. At first, I followed the pattern where the fabric is doubled over to line itself the shirred. This didn’t seem to work for my machine even after playing with the tension and stitch length, so I made the back bodice with white muslin lining. The muslin is thin and loosely woven and this change made it possible to shirr my rayon. If this didn’t work, I was going to use the other method outlined in the pattern which uses elastic.

Overall, I think this is a great pattern to sew. It’s easy to fit and the instructions are excellent. Tammy has also made a YouTube sew along which is great if you’re a visual learner. I really liked the illustrations that she included with the pattern which are super clear. Now counting down to wearing this dress in the sunshine!

Thanks for reading and happy sewing!

X Em

Eliza Trench Coat

Here in the Southern Hemisphere, the weather is cooling down. Although we don’t get the freezing temperatures that bring snow, it does get cold enough to need a jacket. I’ve really wanted to challenge myself to making more outer wear and gaining more tailoring skills, so I thought the Papercut Patterns Eliza Trench Coat had all the elements I wanted to try. It can be made into a long trench coat, but I feel that I would get more wear out of the short coat. It has two choices of pockets, the welt pocket and the patch pocket. Of course, I’m choosing the welt pockets because I’ve never sewn those before. It also has the cool feature of the storm flap and is fully lined. It also has the belt, but I don’t know if I’ll be worrying about using that.

Features of the Papercut Eliza Trench Coat

This pattern is for intermediate sewers, and I must admit that it did stretch my limits. Mainly, in the sewing of the welt pockets! I think it me two hours to sew one. The instructions were excellent and there were illustrations, but I would have loved a photographic tutorial. But like anything you learn the first time, it was much easier, faster and I didn’t make the same mistakes with the second pocket. Practise makes progress! I’ll try put my pictures here if anyone else is attempting the Eliza Trench.

Pocket bag. Make sure to mark wrong side

The shape of the coat reminds me of the Nova Coat. It has the same sleeve profile which is so comfortable to wear. I made the size 4 because my sizing fell between the size 4 and 5. My measurements are 38-inch bust, 33-inch waist and 40-inch hip. I just remembered sizing down with the Nova Coat about 2 sizes, but I wouldn’t do that with the Eliza Coat. I think this feels very comfortable for me. I’ve styled it with a jumper for my photos just to test what the bulk would feel like, and I still have the degree of movement needed to be functional.

Fabric choice was easy! I was going for the classic camel coloured trench coat with a lining inspired by a certain brand you think of when thinking trench coats. Hint, it starts with B and ends with berry. The outer fabric is a beautiful soft drill that I found at Spotlight Stores. It has the slightest stretch to it but not too much. It hasn’t got the usual coarse feel of a drill so I’m so happy with it. I’ve lost my receipt so I can’t put the exact description here. The lining is a classic tartan suiting fabric. I chose it for lining because it has enough drape to move well. I think the choice for lining really makes a difference to the feel of a coat. Something stiff in this would just feel restrictive and may even change the way the coat sits.

I’m so happy with the pattern. I think I made a mistake with the tuck in the lining going the wrong way at the bottom, but it was the only bit in the instruction I couldn’t figure out. The rest of the instructions were superb. To clarify, I’m self-taught and there were no sew-along videos for this coat so I’m so proud and happy to have made this with only the instructions in front of me (they really were excellent). Very excited to add this to my handmade wardrobe!

Thanks for reading and happy sewing!

X Em

Emma Top

Needle and Thread Patterns is new to me. I was fascinated by Mia’s minimalist but classic designs. It was the Emma Top that caught my eye and I was excitedly waiting for the release of the pattern when she reached out to see if I wanted to try a pattern. I was super excited and of course, I jumped on the chance to collaborate.

The pleated sleeves caught my eye. This is the special twist that she gives all her patterns. The simple silhouette with a special detail. I love the ¾ sleeves on this V-Neck, A-line top. The way that everything is finished so beautifully is something to enjoy in this pattern.

This pattern does not include seam allowance. It did stop me in my tracks at first because this is the first time I’ve come across this. I’ve read that designers do this to increase accuracy with sewing. It can also be a way to provide flexibility with the seam allowance to accommodate different fabric substrates. There were a few options for adding the seam allowance. If experienced, trace and cut straight onto the fabric. I felt that I needed some help judging where to cut. I think some people use a double tracing wheel or magnets that can be attached to the scissors. I looked in our local Spotlight Stores and couldn’t find what I needed so I decided to stick the pattern pieces onto butcher’s paper and then add in the seam allowances accordingly.

I made a wearable toile because I was worried about my method of adding the seam allowance. I had some leftover cotton fabric which have these raised spun threads through the fine lightweight fabric. The toile worked well but I knew that for my final version, I needed a sturdier woven to help hold the shape of the pleated sleeves. The toiles confirmed my size of 42 for my measurements of 38-inch (97cm) bust, 33-inch (84cm) waist and 40-inch (102cm) hips. I tried the pleats for the sleeve in the toile, but it didn’t hold the shape very well because the fabric had too much drape, so I ended up taking the pleats out which is an option for the pattern.

For my next version, I chose a midweight linen. I’m really happy with this choice! It really showcases the sleeve pleats. Everything about this top is pleasing! The construction order and instructions were excellent to follow. It’s concise but with enough extra detail to guide a confident beginner. The blouse has set-in sleeves which gives it a shapelier fit and is so comfortable when you’re moving your arms. It passes my dinosaur arm test.

Mia has mentioned in her posts about the Emma Top that it is also possible to use a sweater jersey or interlock fabric. I plan to try this out soon as our weather is cooling down fast. I think for a thicker fabric, I would want to size up one size but I’m not sure. It would be a stable knit, so I don’t think you’d need to account for the stretch in the fabric.

Needle & Thread patterns has been a delightful discovery. I’m hoping to try a few more patterns. I feel so lucky to have been provided the pattern to review but all opinions remain my own. I’m so impressed by the ethos of this company to provide high quality, modern and versatile patterns. The Emma Top has been a good introduction to this.

Thanks for reading and happy sewing!

X Em

Full disclosure: Pattern was gifted but all opinions remain my own.

Bob Woven Pants

This has been one of those patterns circulating in the sewing community, so I’ve been curious to try it. I’m so happy that I did because I immediately feel like making another pair. The Style Arc Bob Woven Pants are a barrel shaped pair of casual pants with side seam pockets and elasticated waistband.

For my measurements of 33-inch waist and 40-inch hips, I was going to sew the size 14. After a conversation with a sewing friend on Instagram, I decided to sew the size 12 on her advice. It’s very handy to have friends with the same measurements! It was lovely to be able to save time and fabric as I dove straight in without toiling.

The pattern is for woven fabric, so I went to my local Spotlight to have a look. With great luck, I found the linen-cotton blend on sale! I nabbed a bargain and perhaps a few other meters of fabric fell into my shopping cart. The grey slate cotton-linen is a medium weight perfect for the pants. I wanted something sturdy to try emphasising the barrel shape. I thought, if I’m trying the barrel shape, I really want to see what it looks like. Better to test out from the outset whether this style suits me or not.

There has been some chatter in the community about the pockets. There are some clever ways of extending the pockets, so they sit under the front waistband. This would prevent them from flapping backwards. I decided to sew it with the pockets as is and it’s been fine for me.

For most past, I followed the instructions as written. The only part that I decided to sew my way was in the waistband construction. The pattern advises constructing the waistband, along with the elastic separate from the pants then attach the two. I felt that my machine would cope better if I attached the waistband first. So, I attached the waistband without the elastic. I then sewed the waistband closed leaving a gap of 10cm so that the elastic could be inserted. Once this gap was closed off, I finished the waistband seam on the overlocker.

Fit Photos of the Style Arc Woven Bob Pants

This is my first try of the trend for barrel shaped pants and I can see why the design is such a hit. This is one of the most comfortable pants I’ve ever made. I love the way the voluminous legs taper down at the ankles. I read somewhere that it’s inspired by French workwear and riding pants. I’ll now be on the lookout for a barrel shaped jeans pattern. This is my first Style Arc patterns. I was nervous about my capacity to figure out the brief instructions, but I found the pattern instructions are more than adequate and the whole process was so enjoyable. I also love that Style Arc has bonus patterns included with each purchase. I have a few more patterns I’m keen to start now. In the meantime, I’ll be reaching for my Bob Pants as much as possible.

Thanks for reading and happy sewing!

x Em