Saturday 24 June 2017

Luna Mission: Secret Pyjamas


So this is pretty major for me. These trousers are a massive departure from an aesthetic that I've been pretty dedicated to for the best part of a decade. The casual retro/Rockabilly-lite tip I've been on may not have always been super evident in all of my personal sewing projects, but they were the vibes I have most identified with and been inspired by for agessss. However, last year I felt something shift and I became less interested in those looks. But because I was pregnant and my body was changing shape and size, I had to put any real experimenting into my new stylistic inspiration on hold.  


I'm a big fan of the designer Rae Hoekstra, AKA Made by Rae, and I'd been sniffing around her Luna pants pattern almost since she released it. I couldn't see myself wearing them, but I'd often suggest the pattern to students in my sewing classes if they were looking for an easy-ish trousers pattern to make. Then, when I was pregnant, a friend lent me a big bag of various maternity trousers and jeans, which contained a pair very similar in style to the Luna pants. When I first saw them I put them straight back in the bag and mentally labelled them 'not me', but in the last few months of my pregnancy I ended up wearing them almost constantly. So having identified during #MMMay17 that light-weight trousers would be a welcome addition to my wardrobe, it was time to go Luna exploring... (sorry, too obvious?!).

(image source: Made by Rae)

Pattern: 

The Luna pants pattern was a welcome respite from my trouser fitting woes. Yet, as per Rae's recommendation, I still made a toile (muslin) to check the fit before chopping into my precious fabric. Partly because the fabric has sold out so I couldn't buy any more if I messed it up, and partly because I've decided that sewing time is too rare and precious to spend it making garments that don't fit well and won't get lots of use. 

My main concern was getting a fit that didn't look too baggy. I prefer the look of the green pair pictured below which seem to have a similar fit to the maternity pair I borrowed, as opposed to the yellow version that you can see here. This pattern has about 4"-5" of ease through the hips, which seems like a lot to me, so I decided to go down a size from what my measurements would suggest to should cut (which Rae suggest if you're using a loosely woven fabric). (BTW, there is also a series of extra-detailed blog posts from the Luna pantsalong, if you require a little extra hand-holding for this make). 

(image source: Made by Rae)

It turned out to be a good call and I'm really pleased that I went for the Small, rather than the Medium, as the fit was pretty much exactly what I was hoping for. The only changes I then had to make to the pattern were to shorten the leg length by about 4cm, and to slash-and-flare through the back rise to add 1cm as it felt a teensy bit tight through the seat. 


Fabric:

Although I was on a self-imposed fabric diet after my then-recent move (nothing like packing up to move house to force you to acknowledge how much fabric you own!), I treated myself to a couple of metres of this light-weight washed anchor print denim from the Village Haberdashery on my last day teaching there before going on maternity leave. Pre-washing revealed its super-soft and slightly drape-y nature, so I had a hunch that it'd be a great match with this pattern. I wish I could link to the fabric, but sadly it's not on their website so I assume they have sold out. 


Thoughts:

I put these on as soon as I finished making them and then wore them for three days on the trot before I accepted they should have a wash. The fit was exactly what I hoped for, and they were pleasingly airy during the roasting hot weather we had last week. The only thing that felt less than pyjamary was the elasticated ankles. Not being used to this style, and not having worn the maternity pair I borrowed for eight months, I felt really conscious of them to start with. However, sensory adaptation did its thing and I didn't notice them at all after an hour or so. 


What is breaking my heart is that the loose weave has resulted in the fabric coming apart a bit at a couple of stress points on the rise. There's a bit on the front but it's more noticeable on the back (see above and below). These appeared after just one wear, and I'm not sure what, if anything, I can do about it now, or how I could prevent that in the future. Thoughts most welcome. 


Cost:

Pattern: available here in PDF form for $12 (approx. £9.44)
Fabric: I can't remember!!! I'm guessing £16 for 2m?
Elastic and thread from my stash
Total: £25.44

A fairly pricey make by my standards, especially if their days are numbers if those weak points rip apart entirely. However, thanks to the the fabric being really wide, I still have a sizeable chunk of it left (enough for a Scout tee or a woven tank of some kind, for sure) and I definitely plan to make more Lunas in the future. In fact I've just pre-washed some more precious fabric with this pattern in mind, watch this space...

8 comments:

Jendroyd said...

I find I get those stresses on all my leggings/jeggings especially with jeans/twill material. The best solution for me is flat fell or top stitching that seam, either in a subtle shade to "hide" it or a straight up jeans style contrast. Solves the problem immediately. If you can spare the tiny smidge more snug just take the seam in to hide the stress and then top stitch. The top stitching can even be super close to the seam to hide it better. Twill just seems to stretch open that way when it's not doubled back on itself. Hope this helps!

Fabric Tragic said...

Can you add some fusible stay tape or interfacing strips to the seam line on each side as well as do Jendroyds above suggestion?

SewRuthie said...

It's not that there isn't quite enough ease when you sit?

PsychicSewerKathleen said...

Love your lunas! I agree that maybe doing a flat fell seam or adding another seam slightly in from your other one and top stitching really close to the seam might help! I also would wonder if there is enough ease for that fabric in the size you cut - maybe that's why there is so much ease built into the pattern in the first place? It might be a pattern issue as much as a fabric one.

MrsC (Maryanne) said...

I think they are gorgeous! Thatseam strain thing is such a pain tho eh. It happened to this really cool work skirt I bought on special, and I sewed zips over all the seam tops to cover the strain and reinforce them. The equiv in this case might be to sew a woven cotton stay tape over the seam allowance on the inside and sew through all the layers. That means the strain is being borne not by your fabric but by the tape.

Unknown said...

How annoying about those stress points. But other than that it looks great.

TracyKM said...

I just made my daughters "running" shorts out of lightweight rayon. My figure skating daughter already pulled apart the pocket/back side seam, where the SA was trimmed entirely away and my pocket basting was not far enough into the pocket (the sides are trimmed with bias tape, and then top stitched fronts to backs). I couldn't take the seam apart and add a bit more ease! Being a looser weave, it frayed as it came apart. I used some iron on interfacing on the inside, and then put a patch over it on the right side, using a wide zig zag. Thankfully the busy pattern hides it. For your pants, if there's any SA that can be let out, I would, and then use some iron on interfacing to strengthen (or hem tape?).

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